Steelers-Ravens. It's back to feeling like it did in it's heyday entering this Week 11 matchup at Acrisure Stadium.
Two of the top teams in the AFC coming together in a pivotal clash with AFC North control on the line. Both teams have offenses that can put up points in the blink of an eye and have big-name quarterbacks that are big stories this season.
What a game this is shaping up to be.
Here at Steelers Depot, we're doing something new this season. While Alex Kozora and Dave Bryan give their in-depth breakdown and preview of the game weekly on The Terrible Podcast, Joe Clark, Ross McCorkle, Scott Brown, Troy Montgomery, and I are doing a weekly roundtable, answering key questions ahead of each game.
Today, we examine the Steelers' Week 11 matchup at Acrisure Stadium against the Ravens in AFC North football.
QUESTION 1: WHO IS THE STEELERS' X FACTOR AGAINST THE RAVENS?
Josh Carney: LB Elandon Roberts. In a tone-setting game like this one between the Steelers and Ravens, you need a tone-setter defensively, an ass-kicker, for a lack of better words. That's what Elandon Roberts is. He's starting to see more and more playing time, and he's rewarding the Steelers with it.
Roberts is a guy that drags the Steelers into the fight physically. They shouldn't have issues getting up for this game, but they need that guy in Roberts to lead the way from a physical aspect. The Ravens are a power-running team, and having RB Derrick Henry in the mix makes it all the more important that the Steelers have that downhill hammer.
Joe Clark: DL Cameron Heyward. Lamar Jackson is going to pose his problems, but the Steelers have been good against him in the past. Jackson has been playing some of the best football of his career though, and the reason why is RB Derrick Henry. Henry is the NFL's leading rusher and he's someone who can take over this game if the Steelers don't slow him down. Heyward is going to be key to limiting what Henry and the Ravens can do on the ground, and the Steelers will need to force Jackson into trying to create big plays himself. If they do that, they should be in good shape.
Ross McCorkle: WR Mike Williams. The Ravens' pass defense is so bad that DeShon Elliott openly talked down on it to Marlon Humphrey and he had no good response. If Williams played 20-25 snaps, he could provide the boost to the passing game needed to free up George Pickens. I wouldn't be surprised if there was another deep touchdown to Williams in this game, either.
Scott Brown: Joey Porter Jr. - The Steelers don't beat Baltimore in Pittsburgh last season without his end-zone interception. The second-year CB seems wired for big moments in part because of his DNA. The Steelers need him to grab headlines again in the NFL's best rivalry (and not receivers like he did last Sunday against the Commanders).
Lamar Jackson is poised to win his third NFL MVP award shortly after he celebrates his 28th birthday. That is amazing, which the Ravens QB has been this season. If the Steelers want to avoid getting into a shootout with Mr. Jackson and Co, they need Porter to be at his lockdown best.
Troy Montgomery: LB Patrick Queen. Who else could it be? Queen hasn't made a secret that he's got a chip on his shoulder when it comes to the Ravens. That personal element is probably going to show up in a big way this week. Queen hasn't looked like an All-Pro for much of this year, but this week, he might.
Looking at strictly what happens on the field too, Queen is going to be key. Last week, he had his best game as a Steeler, using his speed to fly around the field. He helped to limit quarterback Jayden Daniels. Lamar Jackson is a different beast, but Queen is going to be asked to do similar things. If the Steelers slow Jackson down, expect Queen to be a big reason why.
QUESTION 2: WHAT IS THE KEY MATCHUP TO WATCH IN STEELERS-RAVENS?
Josh Carney: RT Broderick Jones vs. OLB Kyle Van Noy. There's a lot of focus -- and rightfully so - on the Steelers' defense against the Ravens' offense coming into this matchup. But don't forget about Baltimore's defense against Pittsburgh's offense.
The Ravens' pass defense isn't all that good, but they do have some stout pass rushers that could affect the game in their favor against an explosive Steelers' passing attack. The matchup to watch is veteran OLB Kyle Van Noy vs. RT Broderick Jones. Jones is coming off of his best game of the season in which he didn't allow a single pressure, while Van Noy is coming off of a performance against Cincinnati in which he racked up nine pressures.
The Steelers would be wise to give Jones some help in this one, just to be safe. But when he finds himself one-on-one, Jones has to continue to build off of his strong play in Week 10. Big test for the second-year pro on Sunday.
Joe Clark: OLB T.J. Watt vs. OT Roger Rosengarten. T.J. Watt against a rookie tackle is the matchup that the Steelers want, and while Rosengarten has had a decent start to his NFL career, it's a matchup Watt could take advantage of. It's almost more difficult sometimes for Watt going up against rookies at times though, as he has less film study to go off, but he's had success against younger offensive tackles before and it wouldn't be a surprise if he can do it against Rosengarten and keep Lamar Jackson under duress.
Ross McCorkle: TE Pat Freiermuth vs. ILB Roquan Smith. The Steelers haven't utilized the middle of the field enough, but it is a great place to attack the Ravens' defense. It would be great to see the Steelers follow the Bengals' script from just a week ago and light them up over the middle. Smith has been good in coverage throughout his career, but not so much this season.
Scott Brown: Ravens RB Derrick Henry vs. Steelers LB Elandon Roberts. Nothing would be more Ravens-Steelers than these two meeting a couple of times in Acrisure Stadium, and not to shake hands. Even at age 30, Derrick Henry rermains a bulldozer with a Maserati gear. Roberts is a brick wall of a linebacker built for AFC North football. Built for Ravens-Steelers specifically. His snaps have been increasing in recent weeks at the expense of rookie Payton, and that should continue Sunday.
The Steelers have to snuff out the Ravens' run game and make them one-dimensional on offense. That will be more than a one-person job, but Roberts will be as key as anyone to make that happen.
Troy Montgomery: CB Joey Porter Jr. vs. WR Zay Flowers. The Ravens' offense is predicated around running the ball, but don't assume they aren't elite passing as well. Lamar Jackson is on his way to winning a third MVP award, and Flowers is a big reason why, having the fifth most receiving yards in the NFL. He's quickly blossomed into a true number one receiver.
He's got game-breaking speed, and that threat over the top pairs nicely with Jackson and Derrick Henry on the ground. Porter had maybe his worst game of the year last week, getting called for three penalties and struggling a little more in coverage. This week, he'll need to return to form. If Flowers starts beating the Steelers deep, they could be in for a long day.
QUESTION 3: WHAT IS THE BIGGEST KEY TO THE GAME FOR THE STEELERS?
Josh Carney: Create pressure with the four-man rush and stay out of man coverage situations. The last time the Steelers faced off against Lamar Jackson, they blitzed more than 50% of the time, sending five or more defenders, and played a lot of man coverage. They were fortunate Baltimore dropped a lot of passes in that Week 5 win last season, because the Steelers were poor in man coverage.
The Steelers did something similar last week against Washington and struggled in man coverage. Again, they were fortunate Washington missed on a handful of big-play opportunities. This week, change it up. Stick with rushing four, let Jackson make some plays with is legs, but allow yourself to drop seven into coverage and try to confuse Jackson. Playing man against Baltimore could be a killer for the Steelers.
Joe Clark: Throw early and often. The Ravens pass defense has really struggled this season, and if the Steelers can build some momentum through the air early, they'll be able to attack Baltimore vertically. Mix in some runs to get the play-action game working, but the Steelers really need to take advantage of how bad this Ravens' pass defense is and carve them up. Go for some shots, but also look to attack underneath and wear Baltimore down.
Ross McCorkle: Get home with the four-man rush. The Steelers have played against a bunch of quarterbacks that like getting the ball out early. Rogers, Flacco, Daniels, Cousins, and Prescott all get rid of the ball in less than 2.8 seconds. Jackson holds onto the ball second only to Jalen Hurts with 3.09 seconds per play. That extra quarter of a second should allow that four-man rush to get home. One of the big reasons the Steelers have had so much success against Jackson is their ability to pressure and sack him. That can't change on Sunday if they want to be successful.
Scott Brown: Win the turnover battle. It isn't that simple but Pittsburgh's path to victory probably starts there. The Steelers simply cannot afford to give the Ravens extra possessions. Baltimore is going to move the ball, which makes takeaways by the Steelers' defense as paramount as the offense not giving the ball away.
If the Steelers are at least plus-two in turnover margin they have a great chance of continuing their recent dominance of this rivalry.
Troy Montgomery: Don't miss on big plays. The Ravens' offense looks like a juggernaut, so stopping them is going to be easier said than done. However, their defense is their weakness. They defend against the run well, but their pass defense has been abysmal. The Steelers are going to have opportunities to hit home runs down the field.
It's going to be very important that Russell Wilson connects on those deep balls. Against the Washington Commanders, he started out a little shakier on that front. That can't happen this week. Give George Pickens and Mike Williams chances to make plays. The Ravens are going to score points, so missing any opportunity to strike back will hurt.
QUESTION 4: WHAT IS YOUR PREDICTION FOR RAVENS AT STEELERS?
Josh Carney: As I said on The Terrible Podcast Friday, this game just has a different feel to it. I haven't felt this type of intensity or hype surrounding Steelers-Ravens sine maybe 2017 or 2018. Things are different -- in a good way.
There's a different vibe about this Steelers team, too. They have the offense to create splash plays, the defense finds a way to make plays in key moments, and special teams is arguably the best in the league. They have Jackson's number, too. That matters.
But like always, this game will come down to a final kick and be a one-score game. Steelers 23, Ravens 20 on a Chris Boswell game-winner. Take that, Justin Tucker.
Joe Clark: There's a different feel about this Steelers team, and while you can throw the record books away when the Steelers play the Ravens, I like the fact that this Steelers team is coming in with confidence, and Pittsburgh has been really good lately against Baltimore. The Ravens have slipped up a few times this season with losses to the Raiders and Browns, and with a weak pass defense coming into Pittsburgh, I'm taking the Steelers. Steelers 31, Ravens 21
Ross McCorkle: I predicted a Steelers sweep of the Ravens before the season, and I am going to stick with it. The Ravens' offensive line is just waiting to be exposed, and this is the best defensive front they have faced this season. Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson aren't going to be easy to limit, but if anyone can do it, it's the Steelers. Especially at home. Steelers 24, Ravens 20.
Scott Brown: I think this will be lower scoring than most project. Which means you should probably load up on the over. Maybe I'm trapped in the time warp where Steelers-Ravens games skirted the line of legal violence and were generally low-scoring affairs.
I know the Steelers have had Lamar Jackson's number, but that has been a small sample size. He's been otherworldly this season. And unfortunately I think he is due against a defense that I think is very good but not elite. Prove me wrong, T.J. Watt (and Cam Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick). Ravens 24, Steelers 20.
Troy Montgomery: This is another week that feels like a tossup. The Steelers' defense has looked elite, and they're notorious for playing even better against Lamar Jackson. Derrick Henry hasn't really gotten the better of them either. The Ravens' defense is also maybe the weakest it's ever been.
The Steelers are also at home in Pittsburgh. I'll probably feel different about this game when it's in Baltimore, but this week, it feels like the Steelers have all the ingredients to upset the Ravens. I don't feel confident, but I'm going with the home team. Steelers 27, Ravens 24.
What did you think of this Depot roundtable previewing the Steelers-Ravens Week 11 matchup? Leave your thoughts below, and feel free to provide your own answers to the questions in the comments below!
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