The Ravens face their second-straight divisional opponent this Sunday when they square off against the Steelers on the road. The staff of Baltimore Beatdown gives their bold predictions for the latest iteration in this classic rivalry.
Joshua Reed
The Ravens’ offense gets back on track against their arch-rivals, led by Lamar Jackson who bounces back from a woeful four-interception passing performance against the Browns with a four-touchdown outing against the Steelers. Rookie wideout Rashod Bateman will have his best game to date in his Ravens vs. Steelers debut with 120 yards and two touchdowns receiving. Marquise “Hollywood” Brown will haul in a long touchdown of 50 or more yards, leaving Minkah Fitzpatrick in his dust yet again. Don “Wink” Martindale’s defense will put the final nail in Ben Roethlisberger’s coffin with another big game from the pass rush that will include five sacks, a pair of forced fumbles, and some errant throws that land in the grasps of some of their compatriots in the secondary for two interceptions.
Kyle Barber
This is the kind of game Lamar Jackson gets back to running around defenders and making defenses look silly. I see Jackson getting a few 15+ yard rushes and eclipsing 120-yards on the day. To go along with it, I believe wide receiver Rashod Bateman has a big game in his first Ravens vs. Steelers matchup. I expect 80-yards and his first NFL touchdown. On defense, Oweh strings together 2.5 sacks. He’s been motoring through opposing blockers and always getting beat by a quick release from quarterbacks. Although Ben Roethlisberger is getting the ball out faster than any other quarterback this season, I think the coverage unit will make him hold onto it longer than he hopes and Oweh makes him pay.
Frank Platko
Despite being undermanned in the secondary, the Ravens’ defense has another strong day. They intercept two passes off Ben Roethlisberger and record five total sacks. Tyus Bowser collects the first interception to go along with two sacks, as his midseason surge continues. The second interception comes in the fourth quarter, where Chuck Clark nabs an underthrown ball over the middle and returns it 30+ yards for a pick-six. This puts the Ravens up by more than a touchdown with little time left, serving as the nail in the coffin of another victory.
Dustin Cox
The Ravens’ offensive struggles continue against the Steelers’ vaunted pass rush. T.J. Watt sacks Lamar Jackson three times, putting him in the lead for Defensive Player of the Year. Baltimore’s defense also has a strong game though, sacking Ben Roethlisberger four times and forcing multiple turnovers. Sunday’s game evokes memories of old from this storied rivalry as both defenses shine in a low-scoring slugfest. The Ravens drop the first of two games against their biggest rivals, 16-13.
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