Buckle up for what should be an action-packed elimination match between two long-time rivals. For the fifth time in their history, the Steelers and Ravens will meet in the playoffs when Pittsburgh travels to Baltimore for the AFC wild-card game Saturday night.
The two teams share their two regular season meetings. Pittsburgh beat Baltimore, 18-16, in Week 11 thanks to three turnovers and two missed field goals by Justin Tucker. The Ravens got their revenge in Week 16, scoring 17 unanswered points en route to a 34-17 victory. It was one of four straight victories for Baltimore to close the regular season. Conversely, the Steelers are only one of three teams in NFL history of entering the playoffs on a four-game losing streak.
Baltimore’s winning streak and Pittsburgh’s losing streak are a big reason why the Ravens are considerable favorites in this game, despite Lamar Jackson’s 2-4 career record against the Steelers. Baltimore is hoping this will be the year they can finally break through while still representing the AFC in the championship. Super Bowl. Pittsburgh is hoping to end its current playoff winless drought, which currently stands at eight years.
Here’s how you can follow the action in real time, plus a full preview and our prediction for Saturday’s game, as the game will only be available to stream on Amazon Prime (which will also be simulcast on local stations).
How to watch the Steelers vs. Ravens
- Date: Saturday January 11 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Location: M&T Bank Stadium (Landover, Maryland)
- TV: None | Live broadcast: Amazon Prime
- Follow: CBS Sports app
- Odds: Ravens -9.5, OR 43.5 (via BetMGM)
When the Ravens have the ball
Baltimore’s offense continued to reach new heights under second-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken. This season, the Ravens’ offense featured the league’s second-leading rusher in Derrick Henry, whose 1,921 yards was the most for a player over 30 years old. This is also the record in league history for a player to not win the ground title. Henry was held in check in his first game of the year against Pittsburgh, but he rushed for 162 yards in the Week 16 rematch.
Henry is Baltimore’s bell cow, but Jackson has continued to excel on the field. Jackson has rushed for 915 yards this season while leading the NFL averaging 6.6 yards per carry. In addition to his running, Jackson had his best passing season to date. He eclipsed 4,000 passing yards for the first time, threw 41 touchdowns (becoming one of 13 players in NFL history) and only four interceptions. Like Henry, Jackson struggled in Baltimore’s first matchup against Pittsburgh, but bounced back in the rematch, throwing three touchdown passes.
There will be added emphasis on Baltimore’s running game with the absence of the team’s No. 1, Zay Flowers, who was ruled out of Saturday’s game after suffering an injury in Week 18. The Ravens pick up a player in running back Justice. Hill, who hasn’t played since suffering a concussion against the Steelers three weeks ago.
With Flowers out, Jackson will likely turn more to tight ends Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and wideouts Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor. Bateman, Andrews and Likely each caught a touchdown pass in Baltimore’s Week 16 win over Pittsburgh.
For Pittsburgh’s defense, it will be about running Jackson and Co. off the field on third down, containing Henry and making Jackson uncomfortable in the pocket. Pittsburgh’s defense was able to do each of those things in Week 11. The Steelers did two of those three things during part of their Week 16 loss, but the offense’s miscues and injuries of several key defensive starters proved too much to overcome.
The only thing the Steelers didn’t do in the rematch was pressure Jackson, who was sacked only once. On the majority of his dropbacks, Jackson was able to plant his feet well while scanning the field without a rushed pass coming his way. This allowed him to throw quick, confident and accurate passes that led to his best game against the Steelers to date. The Steelers passers, led by TJ Watt, cannot allow that to happen again on Saturday.
When the Steelers have the ball
The Steelers offense has sunk into the depths of despair in recent weeks. Pittsburgh’s offense has averaged just 14.3 points per game during its four-game losing streak. Critical turnovers and the disappearance of the passing attack were the main factors in the offensive demise.
Russell Wilson committed three big turnovers during the losing streak; two in Baltimore that led to 14 points and a red zone interception against the Chiefs on Christmas Day. Najee Harris’ fumble in Eagles territory in Week 15 pretty much ended this game. The Steelers have managed to get turnovers and take care of the ball during their 10-3 start, but their inability to do those things in recent weeks has factored into the four-game losing streak.
George Pickens missed three games with a season-ending hamstring injury and was out for two of those losses. He hasn’t been the same since his return from injury; he caught one pass for zero yards against the Bengals in Week 18. That’s obviously an unacceptable stat line for a No. 1 receiver, which Pickens claims to be. Pickens needs to make a significant impact in Saturday’s game for the Steelers to be successful.
The Steelers’ other receivers need to step up as well. Calvin Austin III, who caught a 44-yard pass the last time the Steelers faced the Ravens, has become a reliable secondary option. Tight end Pat Freiermuth has also played well this season. But the contributions of Van Jefferson and Mike Williams have been disappointing so far. Just like Pickens, their contributions need to increase in Baltimore and beyond.
Pittsburgh’s running game is its offense’s most important asset for this game. Although they haven’t been Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier, Harris and Jaylen Warren have had success this season against the Ravens’ top run defense, led by linebacker Roquan Smith.
The duo combined to amass 305 all-purpose yards against Baltimore during the regular season. Although they could have made a few more explosive plays down the field, Harris and Warren’s contributions were good enough to give the Steelers a chance to win both games. Harris, in particular, has had some big games in Baltimore in recent years, and it’s conceivable to think the four-time 1,000-yard rusher has one more game in him in what could be his final game with the Steelers.
There are two big matchups to watch when the Steelers have the ball: Pittsburgh’s wideouts against Baltimore’s talented secondary and the Steelers’ young offensive line against the Ravens’ formidable defensive line. Pittsburgh’s line (which may include a change in the starting lineup if rookie guard Mason McCormick can’t play with his broken hand) needs to better protect Wilson after he was sacked three times during the week 16. Part of this was Wilson insisting on staying on the ball too long; this problem can be solved if the Steelers expansions can open more quickly.
If no one is open, Wilson has shown a knack for making plays with his legs. He just has to take care of the ball when he does.
Prediction
Although many have already written them off, the Steelers can win this game if they are able to get off to a good start, force a few turnovers, and hope that the Ravens (i.e. Jackson) will one day rest. The Steelers will give their best to the Ravens, and this game should be much closer than Las Vegas expects.
Look for Jackson to run more often than he usually does in the postseason. On defense, expect Baltimore’s defense to not bend but break while focusing on limiting the Steelers’ big plays in the passing game. The Ravens will win if they take care of the ball and are able to limit Pittsburgh’s big plays. But something tells me that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin will find a way to beat Pittsburgh’s arch-rival while ending Pittsburgh’s playoff drought. Pick: Steelers 20, Ravens 17
