It's Ravens vs. Steelers this weekend, which means you need to be watching.
This rivalry has produced a ton of classic games, and Sunday's matchup at Acrisure Stadium should follow suit.
The Ravens (7-3) have won seven of their last eight and Lamar Jackson is playing the best football of his career. The Steelers (7-2) are unbeaten in three games with Russell Wilson as their starting quarterback, and he's given their offense more juice.
With first place in the AFC North on the line, perhaps nothing else needs to be said. However, here are other thoughts I have, all in 50 words or less:
- Patrick Queen joining the Steelers has added smoke to this rivalry. He remains close friends with many Ravens but on Sunday they'll be frenemies. Queen has said plenty since signing with Pittsburgh, but we'll see who gets the last word on Sunday.
- You can count on Wilson taking some deep shots against Baltimore's secondary, which has struggled to stop big plays. Wilson throws a beautiful deep ball and George Pickens is an acrobatic receiver who makes contested catches. The Ravens can't afford to let Pickens become the next receiver to torch them.
- It will obviously help Baltimore to have All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton (ankle) in the lineup. However, it's been proven that Hamilton can't fix the Ravens' mistakes in pass coverage by himself. Leaving Pittsburgh with a victory will be difficult unless Baltimore’s last-ranked pass defense improves.
- Despite Baltimore's problems defending the pass, Marlon Humphrey is having a superb season and rookie Nate Wiggins is steadily improving. I wouldn't be surprised to see Wiggins on the field often against the Steelers as a third corner joining Humphrey and Brandon Stephens.
- Derrick Henry has never rushed for 100 yards against the Steelers in three games, but that may change on Sunday. The Ravens haven't played since last Thursday, giving Henry extra time off. A fresh Henry is an extremely dangerous Henry.
- The Ravens are 5-0 when Henry reaches 100 rushing yards, and the Steelers have allowed more than 100 yards on the ground in both of their losses. If the Ravens take a lead into the fourth quarter, Henry could be the closer who seals a victory.
- Baltimore can't let T.J. Watt dominate this game. In the Ravens' three losses, elite pass rushers Chris Jones, Maxx Crosby, and Myles Garrett have played well against them. Watt is a tough assignment for rookie right tackle Roger Rosengarten, and the Ravens won't hesitate to give him help.
- Baltimore's pass rush is coming off a strong game. Nnamdi Madubuike had three sacks in Week 10, and the Ravens hit Joe Burrow 13 times. If they generate that kind of pressure on Sunday, it will bother Wilson, who doesn't scramble as much or as well as he once did.
- Pittsburgh running back Najee Harris has rushed for more than 100 yards in three of his last four games. The Ravens need their top-ranked run defense to keep Harris in check. Putting Wilson in third-and-long situations consistently will help Baltimore turn its pass rush loose.
- In Week 10 vs. Washington, the Steelers attempted a fake punt on 4th-and-15 from their own 16-yard line. It didn't work because of a drop, but Pittsburgh had the gumption to try it. The Ravens' special teams units will need to be on high alert Sunday.
