The Pittsburgh Steelers look better this year than they have in quite some time. Maybe not since Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown were tearing up the league have the Steelers looked this good. However, they aren’t universally seen as a championship contender yet. There’s still some doubt floating around them. Analyst Peter Schrager believes the Steelers can quiet all of that noise with a win this week.
“I do wanna see how Pittsburgh handles a divisional opponent, especially the Ravens, who are coming off that wild divisional win on Thursday night,” Schrager said recently on NFL on FOX. “They’re doing so in their building; this is in Pittsburgh.
“Pittsburgh should win this game. If they are what we think they are, and we’re talking about them this way, they should win this game. And yet, when it’s these two teams, it’s gonna be a one-score game, it’ll come down to the final possession.”
Schrager makes a good point. If the Steelers want to be seen as a legit Super Bowl contender, they’re probably going to need to win this game. The Baltimore Ravens are considered one of the best teams in the NFL. They have the MVP-favorite in Lamar Jackson, and their offense is the best in the league.
As good as the Steelers look this year, the Ravens might also be as good as they’ve been in recent memory. Jackson has won the MVP award twice, but the Ravens’ offense looks unstoppable. That doesn’t mean they don’t have weaknesses.
The Ravens’ defense is not what it used to be. They still have an elite run defense, but their pass defense is abysmal. The Steelers have the personnel to take advantage of that. Russell Wilson should have opportunities to launch the ball downfield to George Pickens and Mike Williams.
However, the Steelers’ defense will be truly tested. They’ve been elite this year, but they’ve struggled against the run at times. Jackson and Derrick Henry are likely looking to run roughshod over the Steelers. Stopping them is going to be a tall task.
As Schrager says, if the Steelers are as good as they say they are, then they should win this game. Nevertheless, nothing is guaranteed with the Steelers and Ravens. When these two teams play against each other, they go to war. The slightest mistake could be the difference in this game.
