Steelers inactive’s give Ravens breathing room on defense

With Jimmy Smith officially inactive, the Baltimore Ravens have one less man to cover the Steelers high-octane offense. Good news for Baltimore, the Steelers are missing a few components to their air assault.

Sammie Coates and Ladarius Green are big losses for the Steelers. Coates is capable of making a play anywhere on the field while Green’s size and speed was something Baltimore may have struggled against. Green is a capable blocker and talented receiver.

On the flip side, Stephon Tuitt being out helps Baltimore in the trenches. The big man commands a lot of attention and with his absence maybe the Ravens realize the void and exploit it. This gives a bolstering affect to the run game, where the Ravens really need to get something going. Hopefully Kenneth Dixon and/or Terrance West find gaps where Stephon used to clog. This isn’t only an affect on the run game, Joe Flacco will also be receiving extra time in the pass due to the center lane not being congested, leaving receivers a spare moment to break separation from coverage.