Usually, when you think about the Baltimore Ravens, you think defense. The Ravens have had great offensive players and good offenses, but they’ve largely been defined by their defense. That is not the case this year. The Ravens’ offense is probably the best in the NFL, and the Pittsburgh Steelers face a challenge defending it this week. Therefore, analyst Chris Simms believes the Steelers’ offense needs to do more this week.
“I think my big question of this football game is can the Steelers throw the ball consistently on Baltimore?” Simms said Thursday on his Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast. “I just don’t know. I know they’re gonna make a few plays.
“I understand that. But they’re gonna have to do more than what we’ve seen last week or some of these other games that they’ve won recently, where it’s just like two or three throws of the day where we go, ‘Oh wow, that was big right there.'”
The Steelers’ offense has struggled with consistency. It did have a good day against the Washington Commanders, but Russell Wilson took some time to get going. The Steelers’ run game wasn’t as successful, and they had a few drives stall.
Things were looking bleak until Wilson hit a huge shot to Mike Williams, and that 32-yard touchdown pass proved to be the difference in the Steelers’ 28-27 win. Against the Ravens, the offense might need to be steadier.
The Steelers’ defense is arguably the best in the league, so their offense shouldn’t need to be perfect. The Ravens’ defense should give them opportunities too. According to FOX Sports, they are 27th in the league in total defense. That includes the best run defense but also the worst pass defense.
Those rankings might be slightly skewed because teams often have to throw the ball more in order to keep up with the Ravens’ offense. If the Steelers can slow that unit down, perhaps they’ll have more success running the ball.
Just based on those numbers, though, it looks like they might have to win this game through the air. That means Wilson is going to need to be sharp from start to finish. Turning the ball over and giving the Ravens any extra possessions could lead to disaster.
Thankfully, Wilson has done a good job protecting the football in his three starts this season with only two turnovers. That number can’t get much higher this week. The Steelers survived losing the turnover battle against the Commanders, but the Ravens might make them pay more. In a fierce AFC North battle, any mistake could be costly.
