Mink: Head Coach John Harbaugh made it clear Monday that new cornerback Tre'Davious White has played the vast majority of his snaps outside and the plan is to keep him there. That means he adds to the Ravens' depth at that spot alongside Brandon Stephens, Marlon Humphrey, and Nate Wiggins.
Mostly, I view White as a flyer. This is a player who was the Pro Football Focus' fifth-highest graded cornerback during his rookie season in 2017, No. 11 in 2019, and No. 22 in 2020. He was a Pro Bowler in 2019 and 2020 and widely seen as one of the best cornerbacks in football.
Then White tore his ACL in November of 2021, fought his way back from that in 2022, then tore his Achilles early in the 2023 season. Injuries have taken a toll, and it remains to be seen whether White can get back to the player he was early in his career. The Ravens didn't have to give up much in the trade to find out.
White is going to have to earn his reps through practice. I imagine he'll get a small slice at first and if he does well with those in games, his slice of the cornerback rotation could grow. The fact that the Ravens added him shows, I believe, that they aren't committed to having any of their cornerbacks play 100% of the snaps.
While White is the new shiny addition, Wiggins could be in store for a higher snap share. According to PFF, the rookie first-round pick has given up just two catches on 12 targets over the past three games. While he's also had two penalties and needs to be less grabby, Wiggins is getting better as one would expect with such a talented and determined young player.
Brown: Harbaugh said the Ravens would leave no stone unturned, so it's reasonable to ask if they will make more personnel moves to help their defense. As the signing of White showed, the process of looking to improve the roster never ends.
However, is there another free agent who would make an impact? The Ravens didn't trade for a pass rusher at the deadline, so it wouldn't surprise me if they stood pat with their current roster.
One free agent pass rusher who's campaigning for work is veteran Jason Pierre-Paul, who had three sacks in 13 games with the Ravens in 2022. Pierre-Paul will turn 36 years old on Jan. 1, but he insists he still has plenty left in the tank.
I don't see the Ravens going back to Pierre-Paul, but I'm sure they'll explore all options. I think Baltimore already has enough defensive talent to improve significantly down the stretch. They just need to figure things out before it's too late.
Brown: The Steelers will miss Highsmith (ankle), and his absence could result in the Ravens using more double-teams and chip blocks against T.J. Watt, who leads Pittsburgh with 6.5 sacks.
However, veteran defensive tackle Cam Heyward (five sacks) is still a potent pass rusher for Pittsburgh and outside linebacker Nick Herbig (2.5 sacks) is expected to return after a four-game absence (hamstring). The Steelers also traded for outside linebacker Preston Smith at the deadline, and he contributed immediately with a sack in Week 10.
The bottom line is that Pittsburgh has a sound and physical defense, ranked eighth overall and fourth against the run. In recent seasons, Pittsburgh has contained Lamar Jackson unlike any other division rival. Jackson is just 1-3 against the Steelers as a starter with 10 turnovers, and he's been sacked 20 times in those games.
The Steelers know how important it is to keep Jackson from taking over the game, and without Highsmith, they could blitz more than usual and become more creative trying to bring pressure. Sunday will be a serious test for the Ravens' offensive line, and how well it protects Jackson will be a key to the outcome.
Mink: The "Purple Rising" helmets were awesome, but sorry, they won't be coming back again this season. Teams must decide on the use of alternate helmets the year before they are worn. There's a lot more coordination that goes on behind the scenes than it may seem.
Beginning in 2025, teams are permitted to wear three alternate helmets. So maybe we could see more next year.
