For the first time in quite a few years, the buzz surrounding Sunday’s matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens is real and loud. It’s a massive game between two of the top teams in the AFC, who are not only battling for the top of the division, but also trying to position themselves for a potential run to the Super Bowl.
The fact that they know each other so well and are similarly built isn’t lost on anyone. Both are physical, explosive on offense and have stars on defense. When these two teams meet, it’s going to be low-scoring and fireworks are going to ensue.
That shouldn’t be any different on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Acrisure Stadium in another edition of Steelers-Ravens.
There will be games within the game to watch, like the turnover battle, tackling battle and more. Make sure to keep an eye on key individual matchups, though. There are plenty of them this week from top to bottom in all three phases for the Steelers against the Ravens.
Below are my four key matchups to watch on Sunday.
STEELERS LB ELANDON ROBERTS VS. RAVENS RB DERRICK HENRY
This isn’t exactly a matchup that is going to square off with one another each and every rep like some others that will be highlighted in here, but this is going to be a key showdown when they do clash on Sunday afternoon.
Roberts is the tone-setter defensively, someone who brings the Steelers to the fight from a physical aspect. If he were made for a game, it would be a Steelers-Ravens matchup. He would have thrived and been a star in old-school Steelers-Ravens battles. This year, though, he gets a chance to put a stamp on the matchup at home.
He’ll be tasked with helping try and slow down Ravens RB Derrick Henry, who is on pace for another 2,000-yard season. The Steelers will need to set the tone physically against Baltimore and Henry, and there’s no better player to do it than Roberts. Fly downhill, lay the boom and let the pads do the talking. He was built for this type of matchup.
Time to have a Robert Spillane-like impact against Henry and give the Steelers the edge.
STEELERS RT BRODERICK JONES VS. RAVENS OLB KYLE VAN NOY
Coming off of his best game of the season in which he didn’t allow a single pressure against the Washington Commanders, Steelers RT Broderick Jones looks healthy and confident moving forward. He’ll have a tough test on Sunday in Kyle Van Noy for Baltimore.
Van Noy has 35 pressures on the season and is coming off his best game of the year, generating nine pressures against the Bengals. Along with his 35 pressures, Van Noy has seven sacks and has been a force for Baltimore since joining them midseason in 2023. He’s a talented pass rusher who should find himself in plenty of 1-on-1 matchups against Jones.
Jones is going to need to stack another strong day on top of his Week 10 performance. If he can hold his own against Van Noy, the Steelers should be able to have a strong day passing the ball against a Baltimore defense that has struggled in coverage.
RAVENS RT ROGER ROSENGARTEN VS. STEELERS OLB T.J. WATT
Baltimore left tackle Ronnie Stanley is playing at a high level again, which will allow him to stay on an island against the likes of Nick Herbig and Preston Smith on Sunday. So in turn, that means the Ravens can provide rookie RT Roger Rosengarten some help against star pass rusher T.J. Watt.
That won’t be anything new for Watt this season as teams are chipping and double teaming him quite a bit, which is limiting his impact from a stats perspective. That should be the case again on Sunday, but he’s going to get some 1-on-1 opportunities against the rookie throughout the game, too.
In the past, Watt has made some monster plays against the Ravens that have changed the game, and it’s reasonable to expect that happing again. Rosengarten has allowed 23 pressures on the season, including four last week against Cincinnati. Watt has 24 pressures on the season and had just two last week against Washington.
He shaved his head Friday, so he’s on a mission. Good luck to the rookie.
STEELERS TE PAT FREIERMUTH VS. RAVENS LB ROQUAN SMITH
The Ravens have had major issues in coverage in the middle of the field. Just last week against the Bengals, Joe Burrow carved them up for 308 yards and three touchdowns between the numbers on 19-of-26 completions. Those are absurd numbers.
The Steelers will have a real opportunity in the middle of the field Sunday, and that could mean a big, big day for tight end Pat Freiermuth. He’ll be matched up often against Ravens LB Roquan Smith in coverage, along with the likes of safety Kyle Hamilton and linebacker Trenton Simpson. But for the most part it’ll be Smith’s role.
He’s been bad in coverage this season. According to Pro Football Focus, Smith has allowed 34 receptions on 42 targets for 354 yards, including 250 yards after the catch. He hasn’t given up a touchdown and has one interception and two pass breakups, but he’s had issues in coverage all season long.
The Steelers should attack him time and time again, primarily with Freiermuth. The middle of the field isn’t an area that the Steelers typically target in the passing game with Wilson under center, but the opportunity is going to be there Sunday. Hopefully offensive coordinator Arthur Smith can scheme things up for Wilson to attack and get a big day out of Freiermuth.
