Ravens vs. Steelers Preview: Kings and Queens

The Baltimore Ravens meet their arch rivals with major implications at hand.

Jon Alfano | Nov 17, 2024

Oct 8, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (4) is tackled after a catch by Pittsburgh Steelers safety Damontae Kazee (23) during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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Baltimore Ravens

To many, this is what AFC North football is all about.

Once again, the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers are at the top of the division and will battle for the lead on Sunday. It's not like this rivalry needs any more tension, but another high-stakes showdown will do just that.

"If you want to win the division, you have to win division games, so that's the deal," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said. "[The Steelers] have had a great season. They've done a great job against the people they've played against, and they've found ways to win [in] different kinds of ways."

As has been the case for several years now, the Steelers' bread and butter is their stingy defense. Currently, they rank second in scoring defense (16.2 points allowed per game) and eighth in total defense (302.7 yards allowed per game).

They're also particularly good against the run, allowing just 87.1 rushing yards per game to rank fourth in the league. Pittsburgh should present a stiff test for Baltimore running back Derrick Henry, especially as The King is getting his first taste of the rivalry.

"I pride myself in being physical. They're a physical team [and] have a physical defense – a very good defense [and] a Top 10 defense – so you have to embrace the physicality throughout your preparation, through the week and then let it go and pay off on Sunday," Henry said.

There's also a new face in the middle of the Pittsburgh defense, one very familiar to Baltimore. Former Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen is now wearing black and gold, and it's clear he still has some feelings about his old team.

"I wasn't offered to go back. I wasn't wanted back, I didn't get an offer back," Queen said. "It's definitely kind of upsetting, being there for four years and the bond that you grow with your teammates and stuff. But at the end of the day like I said, the first few months, you definitely go through those feelings, and now, after playing games, you just want to win games with your new teammates, you want to bond with those guys.

"Everything that you do is for this organization that you're at now. Like I said, I will have feelings, obviously. Anybody in my position would this week, so I just take it one day at a time, and whatever happens happens."

On the other side of the ball, the Steelers aren't flashy, but are pretty effective. Russell Wilson has played well since assuming the starting role a few weeks ago, and George Pickens makes for a very solid No. 1 wide receiver. Najee Harris is also having another solid season on the ground, so the Ravens' struggling defense could have its hands full all around.

"I love physicality, and I think when you ask each and every guy in this room ... Throughout this evaluation process that the Ravens do, they bring in physical guys. Yes, I think the most physical team is going to win this game," linebacker Roquan Smith said. "Make no mistake about it, these guys are no fair dodging. They run the ball coming right at you. I have a lot of respect for the running backs and the way they run the ball, but hey, it is what it is. One man has to go down, and hey, I'm not going to be on that side."

As much as these two teams love to hate each other, this rivalry has been a one-sided afair lately as Pittsburgh has won seven of the past eight meetings. That obviously doesn't sit well with the Ravens, who will look to turn the tide back in their favor this weekend.

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Published Nov 17, 2024

JON ALFANO