Week 17: Ravens Vs. Steelers Preview, Where to Watch, Prediction

Ravens are favored by 2.5 points over Steelers

Week 17: Steelers (7-8) — Ravens (10-5)

When

Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, 8:20 p.m. ET

Spread

Ravens are favored by 2.5 points (SI Sportsbook)

How to Watch/Listen

Television: NBC Sunday Night Football / WBAL Ch. 11 (Baltimore)

 Local Radio: WBAL (1090 AM) & 98Rock (97.9 FM) 

SiriusXM: Ch. 85 or 225

National Radio: Westwood One Sports

Spanish Radio: La Mera Mera 1050 AM & WTTZ 93.5 FM (Tico Sports)

Stream: Fubo TV

Series History

The Steelers lead the all-time regular-season series, 29-24, also going 3-1 in the playoffs. Under Coach John Harbaugh, Baltimore is 15-17, including playoffs, and 7-7 in Baltimore.

By The Numbers

14 – Consecutive games in which the Ravens have outrushed their opponent, marking the longest such streak in team history. It’s also the league’s longest streak since the 2015-16 Panthers outrushed their opponents in 15 straight contests.

Notable

The Ravens' offense has racked up an NFL-high 12 games with at least 150 rushing yards. Baltimore's seven contests with 175 or more yards rushing is tied with Chicago for the most in the NFL.

2022 Rankings

Ravens: Total Offense: 17; Total Defense: 10

Steelers: Total Offense: 23; Total Defense: 18

⁦@Ravens⁩ Winning Without Lamar Jackson, But Bigger Challenges Ahead - Sports Illustrated Baltimore Ravens News, Analysis and More https://t.co/fvLiFwIOkV

— Todd Karpovich (@toddkarpovich) December 27, 2022

Ravens Game Plan

Offense

Quartreback Lamar Jackson has been ruled out Sunday night against the Steelers. The Ravens are 3-1 since Jackson suffered a knee injury against the Denver Broncos in Week 13. Baltimore has been able to accomplish that feat by running the football effectively and playing solid defense. The three victories came against the Broncos, Steelers, and Falcons. The Ravens lost to the Browns. None of those opponents had winning records.

The Ravens beat Pittsburgh 16-14 on Dec. 3 in a game that featured multiple quarterbacks. The Ravens were already playing with backup Tyler Huntley with Jackson sidelined with a knee injury. Huntley went down with a possible concussion in the third quarter and undrafted rookie Anthony Brown was forced into action. Overall, the Ravens managed 215 yards on the ground which helped pave the way for the victory. Huntley will get the start Sunday night. 

The Ravens might be hard-pressed to run for more than 200 yards against Pittsburgh in this rematch. The Steelers will make the necessary adjustments and are playing much better defensively as linebacker T.J Watt has gotten healthier. Pittsburgh is ranked sixth against the run, allowing 105.6 yards per game. Nonetheless, Baltimore is going to have to run the ball effectively to win this game with its quarterback situation unsettled. The Ravens also need to avoid turnovers that can help the Steelers manage a short field. 

The Steelers have struggled against the pass and are allowing 232.4 yards per game, which ranked 23rd in the NFL — one ahead of the Ravens. However, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is a ballhawk and has five interceptions.  The Steelers are able to get pressure behind Alex Highsmith (12 sacks) and Cameron Heyward (8.5 sacks). Heyward was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week after recording seven tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks and one pass defensed in Pittsburgh’s 13-10 win over Las Vegas. He was the only player in the AFC to record multiple sacks with a pass defensed last week. The Ravens have not been able to consistently make plays downfield. 

Defense

In the Week 14 game, Steelers rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett was injured on a first-quarter sack by linebacker Roquan Smith, who slammed him into the turf. Pickett was placed in concussion protocol and was replaced by Mitchell Trubisky, who threw three interceptions inside the red zone and that was the difference in the game. Pickett will get the start and has played much better, directing two fourth-quarter comebacks twice in the past five games. On the season, Pickett has thrown for 2,041 with five touchdowns and nine interceptions.

The Steelers were able to throw the ball downfield in that first matchup. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey was beaten a couple of times for long gains and had a pass interference penalty. Diontae Johnson had six catches for  82 yards, and fellow wideout George Pickens caught three passes for 78 yards. However, Patrick Queen, Marcus Williams, and Smith each had an interception that kept Pittsburgh out of the end zone. Look for the Steelers to attack Baltimore's secondary again. 

The Ravens allowed 115 yards rushing on 33 carries against the Falcons with Calais Campbell out of the lineup. It's uncertain whether Campbell will be back for this game. The Steelers are led by Najee Harris, who has 843 yards rushing. The Ravens were able to shut down Harris in that first meeting and he finished with 33 yards on 12 carries with a touchdown. Still, look for the Steelers to run a balanced offense and Harris will get plenty of opportunities.

Prediction

The Ravens have already qualified for the playoffs but likely need a win to stay in contention for the AFC North title. The Ravens could hand Steelers coach Mike Tomlin his first losing season with a victory. The Ravens managed to edge the Steelers on the road in the first meeting by playing solid defense and running the football. They'll stick to the script in the rematch.

Ravens 16, Steelers 13