The Keys To A Pittsburgh Win In Week 18
Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
With their postseason chances on the line, the Pittsburgh Steelers went to Seattle and came up with a stellar performance to keep their narrow playoff window pried open. For their final test of this up-and-down season, the Black and Gold travel to Baltimore to battle the AFC North division champs.
The Ravens have locked up the No. 1 seed in the AFC and will be resting most of their starters. Even still, Baltimore has a deep roster and will be a formidable foe that Pittsburgh will need their A game to defeat.
In their last two contests, the Steelers have been in desperation mode and it has shown on the field and the scoreboard. The battle with the Ravens is always a physical one, regardless of the participants. The team from the South side of Pittsburgh should be ready for a four-quarter fight.
Can The Defense Hold The Fort?
With major injuries at every level of the defense, Pittsburgh has somehow found a way to put together a more-than-competent unit that still gets stops when they need them. They will need to do it again in Baltimore. Although leading MVP candidate Lamar Jackson will be resting, Tyler Huntley has proven to be a more than capable backup.
The Ravens will maintain their run-oriented offense, which Pittsburgh has struggled with as injuries have felled three middle linebackers and multiple safeties. Baltimore has been bitten by the injury bug itself at the running back position, but they always seem to find a way to keep their ground attack formidable. Not budging on double teams and shutting down back-side running lanes are essential components in Pittsburgh’s plan to neutralize that powerful run game.
The passing game will be more of a mystery. We won’t be exactly sure who will be suiting up at wideout for the Ravens until kickoff. Nonetheless, Huntley is an accurate passer when given time, but he is erratic under pressure. With all the injuries on the back end of the Steelers’ secondary, the front four become even more important.
Huntley is quite athletic, so the interior rush is paramount in keeping him from escaping up the middle. T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith need to show up in a big way to limit the time to throw or escape. With Pro Bowl safety Minkah Fitzpatrick still out, the rush becomes the lynchpin of the defense.
Offense Continues To Be Aggressive
The Ravens literally have the best defense in the NFL. How many of those guys play remains up in the air. Pittsburgh would be wise to maintain the game plan that has worked so well for them the previous two outings: Be aggressive early and often.
Mason Rudolph has somewhat resurrected his career by playing eight quarters of outstanding football. Head coach Mike Tomlin has chosen to stick with Rudolph due to his recent play and for the way the offense has responded.
#Steelers Mike Tomlin
Why Mason over Kenny & Pickett’s availability pic.twitter.com/gEKBIzIl5b— 93.7 The Fan (@937theFan) January 1, 2024
George Pickens‘ has re-emerged with the sixth-year signal caller. The Steelers’ offense is much better when Pickens is involved down the field. Rudolph has a big arm and is both accurate and confident in his deep ball. It has opened up Pickens’ skillset and led to a formidable passing game.
Baltimore has a fierce pass rush to go along with a solid secondary. They play a ton of man, single-high safety coverage. Diontae Johnson will have an opportunity to exploit that and can have a big day.
Last week against the Seattle Seahawks, the Pittsburgh offensive line put on a master class in how to dominate an opponent on the ground.
Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren both averaged over 4.5 yards per carry. The sledding will be significantly more difficult against a dominant Ravens front. Even with backups in the lineup, running the ball will be a chore. If the Steelers again come out with purpose to the run game, they can find lanes and control the momentum of the game.
Matchups against Baltimore always seem to come down to the wire, regardless of the circumstances. In this case, Pittsburgh is the more desperate team. A lot of times, that rules the day in match ups like this.
Tomlin is notorious for not watching scoreboards. That would be wise this week, because the Ravens will want to do everything in their power to keep the Steelers out of the postseason.
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