Rivalry Renewed: Ravens and Steelers Battle for AFC North Dominance in Week 11
Coming off a thrilling comeback win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football last week, the Baltimore Ravens are preparing for their second straight divisional matchup in Week 11. This time, they will face the division-leading Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday afternoon. It will be the first in-division matchup of the season between the top two teams in the AFC North. This weekend’s highly anticipated game features two of the league’s most historically physical and dominant defenses. Sunday’s game will also mark the 36th meeting, including playoff games, between Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. The Ravens enter the matchup looking for their first win over the Steelers since Week 14 of the 2022 season, as Pittsburgh has won the past three regular-season meetings. With a 7-3 record, the Ravens aim to vault themselves into first place in the division with a win.
The most notable deciding factor on Sunday afternoon will be the performance of both teams’ defenses, with the Steelers' defense, led by six-time Pro Bowler pass-rusher T.J. Watt, ranking eighth in total defense, while the Ravens' defense ranks 27th in the NFL. In recent matchups, the Steelers' defense has been one of the few that has successfully slowed down Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, limiting his late-game heroics. In his career, Jackson is 1-3 against the Steelers, posting some of his worst stats against any NFL team, including a 59% completion rate, an average of 207.3 passing yards per game, four touchdowns, six interceptions, and his lowest passer rating of 66.8. For the Ravens' offense to succeed against the stingy Steelers' defense, offensive coordinator Todd Monken will need to create opportunities for veteran running back Derrick Henry to find his running lanes early and often throughout the game. However, this won't be easy, as they will face a Steelers run defense, led by veteran defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, that ranks fourth in the league, allowing only 87.1 rushing yards per game. If Henry and the Ravens can establish the ground game early, it will open up the passing attack and allow them to exploit the Steelers' linebacker depth. With Steelers starting linebacker Alex Highsmith already ruled out due to an ankle injury suffered last week against the Commanders, tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, who could return from a hamstring injury, may both be in line for big games.
On the side of the Ravens' defense, they will be facing a Steelers offense, led by veteran quarterback Russell Wilson, who has found immediate success within the Steelers organization following a drama-filled two-year stint with the Denver Broncos. Since Week Seven, when Wilson was given the starting nod over fourth-year quarterback Justin Fields, who started the first six games while Wilson was recovering from a lingering calf injury, the Steelers offense has surged to another level of success compared to what they experienced with Fields under center. In the three games with Wilson as the starter, the Steelers offense has been averaging 30.3 points per game, with Wilson throwing for 250-plus passing yards and two or more touchdowns in two of the three games. Thus, the Ravens' pass defense, which ranks dead last in the NFL, will have its hands full and will need to figure out a solution to Pittsburgh's offensive success, possibly without their star safety, Kyle Hamilton, who may miss this weekend's showdown after suffering a sprained ankle against the Bengals in Week 10. If that is the case, the Ravens will have to lean heavily on veteran safety Marcus Williams to step up, despite struggling mightily this season with a PFF grade of 42.8, compared to Hamilton's fifth-best PFF grade among safeties at 87.0. If the Ravens' defense can create consistent pressure on Wilson and sack him, making life difficult, they will put themselves in a good position to jump into first place in the AFC North on Sunday.
