Ask Mike Tomlin about playing on a short week and he’ll give you the same answer each time. Both sides have to deal with it. That’s true. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens are on a six-day timespan, Sunday to Saturday. In fact, both are playing the exhausting three games in 11 days stretch, the Ravens and Houston Texans following the Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day.
But these two teams are in two vastly different situations. The Steelers were ground into pulp Sunday in Philadelphia. The Ravens cruised to a victory against the New York Giants.
It puts Pittsburgh on the road to gear up for this Baltimore game. Another contest that’s going to be physical and messy and ugly, as the first matchup was. Winning this game is about scheme and plan, something the Steelers must present much better than they did Sunday, but this is also about will. Energy and emotion and getting in the right mindset to win what often becomes a 60-minute scrap. The Steelers took Round 1 in part because they brought and kept their physicality from the first snap. Start to finish, they battled Baltimore hard. That’s how the winner of these games is always determined.
The Steelers are hurting. Not only just sore from the Eagles pushing them around but on the injury front. Expect T.J. Watt to play. Everyone else is a question mark. George Pickens, DeShon Elliott, Donte Jackson, Larry Ogunjobi, and Justin Fields. Flip a coin on any of them. Pickens feels under that 50-percent mark.
This is a Pittsburgh defense that was on the field for 77 official snaps, 82 in total, against Philadelphia. Easily its most of the season. They go from tackling Saquon Barkley, chasing down Jalen Hurts, and dealing with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith to a similarly built Baltimore Ravens. A talented and big back in Derrick Henry. A mobile quarterback in Lamar Jackson. The wide receivers aren’t as good, but Zay Flowers is a joystick while the tight end duo of Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely is formidable.
Losing to Philadelphia was one thing. How the Steelers lost and how they must pick up the pieces and get ready for Baltimore is another. Frying pan into the fire, a physical Eagles team to an equally intense Ravens squad. Far from the ideal way to start a home stretch of a season.
Does that mean the Steelers are guaranteed to lose Saturday? Absolutely not. Pittsburgh is a team hard to count out and it has bounced back well from losses this season. This time a year ago, their season felt over at 7-7 and the Steelers clawed their way back to win their final three and squeak into the playoffs. The Steelers have a strong track record against the Ravens, winners eight of their last nine, and these games are always close. It helps mitigate the short week woes. Pittsburgh knows Baltimore (and obviously, Baltimore knows Pittsburgh) so game planning isn’t starting from a blank slate. Practice reps and scout-team looks matter less, even if the Ravens’ defensive looks are different.
But Pittsburgh is going to have to dig deep in this one. If they can pull off this win and capture their first AFC North crown since 2020, it’ll be their most impressive victory of the season. Moreso than the first Ravens game and even knowing a victory falls in line with recent history, the obstacles to overcome and come out on top will right the ship and bring a Merry Christmas no matter what happens against Kansas City on the 25th.
