The latest installment of the Steelers-Ravens rivalry is slated to kick off on Sunday afternoon. This time, as it has been many times, both teams sit atop the AFC North and the league in terms of overall standings.
For the Steelers, their recent offensive revival after inserting Russell Wilson in as their starting quarterback has made the team real contenders in many analysts’ minds. The main reason for this revolves around Wilson’s “moon ball,” which has added a new layer to Pittsburgh’s passing attack.
“I think the moon ball is what you have got to worry about,” Chris Long said on his Green Light with Chris Long podcast. “I feel like when the Ravens play a good receiver, they give up a lot of yardage. They kinda suck in the back end.”
It’s safe to say that the Ravens defense of old is currently not on the 2024 team, at least when it comes to their secondary. They are the worst pass defense in the NFL, giving up the most yards on average through the air of any team this season. Teams around the NFL are noticing this too, attacking them with the pass more times in a game than any other team, leading to them also surrendering the league’s most passing touchdowns per game.
Much of this can be traced back to the play of cornerbacks Brandon Stephens and Marcus Williams. Both players have regressed significantly from last season with Williams’ Pro Football Focus grade plummeting from 71.6 to 42.8 and Stephens going from 69.2 to 50.2.
That bodes well for the Steelers, who have weaponized Wilson’s deep ball as a staple of their offense. Since Wilson’s ascent to QB1, the team has upped its scoring from 19.8 to 30.7 points per game.
Much of that is due to the success of George Pickens, whom Long was referencing to as the “good receiver.” However, something else Long mentioned was that he wouldn’t be surprised if a fight that broke out in the game.
“I think this game is going to be a little bit chippy,” Long said. “I want to make a bold prediction that a skill-position player punches another skill player in the facemask and maybe gets a flag or gets ejected.”
Chippiness certainly wouldn’t be new in a Steelers-Ravens game. Over the years, games between the AFC North rivals have seen a little bit of everything, with no love lost between the two. With Pickens being an emotional player and involved in antics in the past, let’s hope he can keep his cool in the game, and that he, and the other Steelers players, don’t make Long’s prediction a reality.
