Baltimore Ravens 'Expecting' Pittsburgh Steelers QB Kenny Pickett, 'Ready For' Mitchell Trubisky
The Baltimore Ravens currently sit atop the AFC North as the only three-win team after four weeks of play and have a valuable opportunity to boost their standings with a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 5.
To do so the Ravens will have to keep Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett from doing too much damage against their defense.
Or perhaps Baltimore will have to keep Pittsburgh backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky in line this weekend.
Either way, it doesn't make a whole lot of difference in how the team plans according to defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.
"Probably not as much as you'd expect," Macdonald responded when asked about how big an impact preparing for starting quarterbacks that have injuries potentially holding them out of the game and seeing the backup inserted in his place. "It's hard with path dependence. Offensive systems probably take a 90-degree right or left turn.
"I'd say the timing of how news comes out does affect how you gameplan - last week was a little bit of a unique situation. This one is a little [of the] same idea, kind of, but a little bit different. So, I'm definitely expecting Kenny [Pickett] and we'll be ready for [Mitchell Trubisky] if he happens to be out there, as well."
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) is sacked by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith (18) during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Last week, against the Cleveland Browns, the Steelers planned for quarterback Deshaun Watson but got rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson instead. No big deal for the Steelers who went from playing one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL to a fifth-round rookie making his first career start.
The result was predictable, and Pittsburgh held Thompson-Robinson to a sub-30 quarterback rating, intercepting him three times and sacking him the same amount. Baltimore didn't approach the rookie with any less intensity than it would have Watson, and the approach will be the same against Pittsburgh no matter who the quarterback is taking snaps.
That's what 'Play Like a Raven' means, for the guys on the field and the coaches getting them ready. Maybe even more when the opponent is the Steelers. "How you are as a Raven is defined by this game," Macdonald said about the weekend's contest. "I'll leave it at that."
A win would catapult Baltimore to 4-1 this season, and leave Pittsburgh 2-3 with a two-game losing streak.
