There’s still a lot of time left in the season, but at the moment, it looks like the AFC North is a two-horse race. The Cincinnati Bengals are starting to get back on track, but the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens are both rolling. Like many times before, the games between the Steelers and Ravens could decide who wins the division. Former Bengals wide receiver Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson isn’t sure how the Steelers’ defense will match up against the Ravens’ offense, though.
“To me, the threat really isn’t at the receiver position,” Johnson said on a recent episode of Nightcap. “They are threats, obviously, when it’s time for Lamar [Jackson] to throw, as good as he’s gotten as far as his pocket presence and being able to deliver the ball, but that god damn [Derrick Henry].
“Can T.J. Watt really rush up the field and lose contain like he wants to? Everything has to change when you play the Ravens. I have no idea how Mike Tomlin and that defense is going to be able to defend them.”
That’s a fair thing to wonder about. The Ravens may have had a slow start to the season, but they have been on a tear recently. Johnson is correct in saying Henry has been a huge key to their success. At running back, he’s a true difference-maker. The Ravens and Steelers have always been physical teams, and Henry should fit right into that mold.
The Steelers have had the Ravens’ number over the past few years. Since Jackson entered the league, the Steelers are 8-4 against the Ravens. However, this year could be their biggest challenge in recent memory. The Ravens are on a five-game win streak, characterized by incredible offensive output.
There’s still time before either of their games against the Ravens. In three weeks, they’ll get their home game against Baltimore, but they’ll have to wait more than a month before the rematch. So much can change before both of those games. If Jackson and Henry are healthy, though, look for those games to be knockdown, drag-out brawls.
Henry is the NFL’s leading rusher, and Jackson is in the running for MVP. This year’s games might be reminiscent of when the Ravens had other bruising backs like Willis McGahee and Le’Ron McClain. The Steelers managed to win their fair share of battles against those players, though, and their defense has once again been one of the best this year.
Currently, FOX Sports lists the Steelers as having the third-best run defense in the NFL. Johnson may not see a world where the Steelers can stop the Ravens, but it won’t be impossible. It might be like when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. Sparks will fly, and it should make for two excellent football games.
