With the 2024 NFL Draft now in the rearview mirror, attention turns toward preparations for the upcoming season. There will still be additions to the roster throughout the offseason, but the changes to the Pittsburgh Steelers from last season have already been immense. Just how big a difference those changes will make in the Steelers’ pursuit of playoff wins and challenging the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC North remains to be seen.
NFL.com’s Kevin Patra can’t want to find out, though. He wrote an article on the top 10 games of the 2024 NFL season on Wednesday, and the renewal of the Steelers-Ravens rivalry topped the list.
“Provided he’s the starter for Pittsburgh at the time, Russell Wilson’s return to Denver will get plenty of press,” Patra wrote. “But as far as pure watchability, his introduction to this AFC North rivalry in the first of the Steelers and Ravens’ annual showdowns offers a much higher rate of return. Both clubs have gone through a bit of a metamorphosis after flaming out last season…We could get an old-school Ravens-Steelers matchup with much more physicality than we’ve seen lately…For me, nothing gets the juices flowing like a hard-hitting Steelers-Ravens slobber knocker.”
Few games get the blood pumping like a physical showdown between the Steelers and the Ravens. Then you add the changes both teams made this offseason and the rivalry could go to another level. Patra highlighted the addition of Russell Wilson, but he also mentioned in his article the work the Steelers did in the draft on the offensive line. The Steelers want to run the ball just like the Ravens, and Pittsburgh leaned into that this offseason.
Then there’s the name not mentioned in the piece: Patrick Queen. The former first-round pick of the Ravens signed a three-year deal in free agency with the Steelers this offseason. It’s rare to see a player jump from one team to the other directly so that only adds fuel to the fire. Former teammate Roquan Smith talked about Queen signing with the Steelers and joked about tearing down Queen’s picture in the linebackers room.
Then there’s DeShon Elliott, the former Ravens safety who played for the Miami Dolphins before signing with the Steelers this offseason. Not only did the Steelers make some big additions in the draft, but they also made moves in free agency that have links to Baltimore.
Then there’s the Ravens. Their biggest addition was the signing of RB Derrick Henry. The Ravens love to run the ball and partnering Henry with QB Lamar Jackson gives them even more power.
The Steelers swept the Ravens last season but were unable to take the division title. The second matchup featured a Ravens team resting Jackson, among others, to prepare for the playoffs, but you know the Ravens are going to want revenge.
When the Steelers and Ravens meet for the first time in 2024, everyone will be looking forward to it. With the added physicality on both teams, it surely will feature plenty of bone-crushing tackles and blocks on both sides.
