Although the Pittsburgh Steelers are in the playoffs, there’s more negativity than positivity surrounding them. Considering they ended the regular season on a four-game losing streak, that’s probably well-deserved. However, they could always turn things around Saturday night against the Baltimore Ravens. They did beat them once this season. Former defensive lineman Leger Douzable does not believe that will be the case this week, though.
“I’ve seen this number fluctuate to minus 10 on some sportsbooks,” Douzable said Wednesday on CBS Sports HQ. “When you look at the history of the wild card, minus-10 underdogs are 0-12 in playoff games, and they’re 2-10 against the spread. I think this will get up to minus 10. I don’t think this is going to be close. Four-game losing streak, the offense is all out of sync, right now, I think the Ravens handle this one easily.”
Douzable is correct that most sportsbooks believe the Ravens will win this game by around 10 points. That would be a disappointing result for the Steelers, who have gotten blown out in the postseason recently. Based on how both teams have looked recently, it isn’t surprising that Douzable doesn’t believe in the Steelers.
Not only did the Steelers lose their final four regular-season games, but the Ravens won their last four games. That included thumping the Steelers in Baltimore in Week 16. The Ravens and Steelers have been going in opposite directions for weeks.
While the Ravens fixed a lot of their flaws, the Steelers only got more exposed. Their offense continued to sink and even their defense hasn’t been as reliable. The Steelers had a chance to win the AFC North, but the Ravens sensed weakness and swooped in to steal the division crown.
It is true that the Ravens and Steelers usually find themselves in close battles. Only one of their last 10 games was decided by more than one score. However, the last time they matched up in the playoffs, the Ravens did blow the Steelers out, winning 30-17 in 2014.
History may repeat itself this week. The Ravens have Lamar Jackson, who could win his third MVP, and Derrick Henry, one of the best running backs in the NFL. Their defense has gotten much better over these last few weeks too. They’re a force to be reckoned with.
It might not be wise to count out Mike Tomlin, though. The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since 2016, but that’s only made them hungrier. Yes, they had a disappointing finish to the year. That doesn’t need to define them, though. They’re still extremely talented. They beat the Ravens once this year, and they could do it again this week. It might not be as easy for the Ravens as Douzable thinks it will be.
