Ravens vs. Steelers: Answering six questions forward of Sunday’s AFC North showdown

Over at John Harbaugh’s condo on Sunday, about a of the Baltimore Ravens avid gamers and members of the instructing workers gathered to cheer on the Cleveland Browns to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It became the most worried three hours of the season for the Ravens, who sat helplessly radiant they wished the Browns to upset the Steelers to withhold their postseason hopes alive. When Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers‘ fourth-and-aim lope sailed incomplete to seal Cleveland’s now presumably no longer 13-6 victory, the Ravens erupted in a occasion that Harbaugh described as “uncorked and raucous.” They jumped round. They hugged every other — loads.

All of this sets up a historical — and some also can express inevitable — showdown in indubitably one of many NFL’s most heated rivalries: The Ravens and Steelers will fight for the AFC North crown Sunday night time in the closing standard-season sport of the 2025 season. For Baltimore and Pittsburgh, this sport is the culmination of two strong seasons filled with quarterback drama and questions about the futures of the league’s most tenured coaches.

“I think when you take a step back, especially as a Ravens fan or in the organization, you have to nod your head a little bit and go, ‘Yes, that’s probably the way it should be,'” Harbaugh mentioned.

For 3 decades, this feud has turn into need to-search TV thanks to the brutal hits, the nail-biting margins of victory and the video games’ high stakes. This rivalry has defined the cultures of every groups to the level that, in Baltimore, avid gamers persistently advise newbies that “you’re not a Raven until you beat the Steelers.”

When Baltimore performs at Pittsburgh on Sunday (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), this could presumably set the first “winner-take-all” sport in the closing week of the fashioned-or-backyard season between the two groups and simplest the 2d winner-take-all standard-season finale in the division since the AFC North modified into fashioned in 2002.

“The competitor in me is like, ‘Bring it on,'” Steelers defensive captain Cameron Heyward mentioned after the Week 17 loss to the Browns. “Baltimore’s coming in. Winner takes all. I have a lot of respect for those guys over there, but let’s win it at home.”

It might per chance presumably presumably furthermore set the pinnacle of an period for the shedding franchise with each coaches facing a surge of external criticism at the same time as every locker room publicly backs its leaders.

“Those two guys are extremely hardworking guys,” mentioned inside linebacker Patrick Queen, a first-round pick by the Ravens in 2020 before being signed by the Steelers as a free agent in 2024. “They care about each and every single player on their team. Every single day they come in with the best mindset to be able to prepare their team for whatever challenges they face ahead.”

The winner earns the AFC North title, the No. 4 seed in the AFC and a condo sport in the wild-card round. For the shedding crew, the season is over and real decisions about the skill forward for the franchise birth up.

“This is going to be a slugfest,” mentioned CBS analyst Bill Cowher, who coached the Steelers from 1992 to 2006. “And this is going to be one of those games where it becomes very personal. This is going to go back to the old Pittsburgh Steelers-Baltimore Ravens game. You know what? No hitting during the week because we’re going to leave it all out on that field.”

ESPN Ravens reporter Jamison Hensley and Steelers reporter Brooke Pryor take a gaze at every crew’s matchup with a spotlight on the quarterbacks, keys to every crew’s protection and the functionality impact of this sport’s final consequence on each head coaches.

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Ravens | Steelers

Baltimore Ravens (8-8) at Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)

Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC/Peacock | BAL -3.5 (43.5 O/U)

Ravens

Does it topic who’s the beginning QB for Baltimore?

It fully does, even supposing the reply is now no longer positive-minimize. The Ravens are at their finest with a healthy Lamar Jackson, nonetheless the two-time NFL Most Precious Participant hasn’t been at corpulent energy for a majority of this season thanks to hamstring, knee, ankle, toe and lend a hand accidents. The finest news for Baltimore is that it appears to be to be like as if Jackson could presumably absorb his first corpulent week of notice in two months. Within the closing two weeks of the fashioned-or-backyard season, Jackson is 8-0 with 18 landing passes and one interception.

But Jackson, 28, upright hasn’t looked appreciate himself since returning from a hamstring harm that sidelined him for most of October. In his previous eight video games, he has thrown eight landing passes and 5 interceptions while averaging 21.7 yards speeding per sport.

Within the previous two video games that Jackson has sat out, backup Tyler Huntley has led the Ravens to their two finest wins of the season, defeating just a few playoff groups in the Chicago Bears and Inexperienced Bay Packers. But Harbaugh has made it positive there is no longer any such thing as a quarterback controversy, announcing, “If Lamar’s ready to go, he’s playing. That’s it, for sure.”

What’s the finest swear with the Ravens’ protection?

Huge performs in the passing sport. Baltimore has given up an NFL-worst 32 completions on passes of now no longer lower than 20 yards in the air this season, in conjunction with a season-high six all the scheme in which thru the 41-24 Week 17 obtain at Inexperienced Bay.

Harbaugh mentioned the problem modified into unhappy technique by the cornerbacks and an absence of dialog amongst the defensive backs. It modified into a dazzling statement all in favour of the Ravens’ secondary is loaded with four first-round picks: cornerbacks Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey and safeties Kyle Hamilton and Malaki Starks.

Within the season’s first meeting with Pittsburgh in Week 14, the Ravens’ lope protection modified into a swear. Aaron Rodgers threw for a season-high 284 yards and stretched the sphere for indubitably one of many few cases this season. Three of Rodgers’ completions went to DK Metcalf for 28, 41 and 52 yards. With Metcalf suspended, the most classic Steelers player with multiple catches on throws over 20 yards this season is tight end Pat Freiermuth with two.

“I think we need to play smart but not play timid. I think there’s a fine line there,” Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton mentioned. “Whoever loses the game, it’s their last game of the year. So whenever the outcome, you don’t want to be sitting in the locker room saying you could have done more.”

How does this sport impact Harbaugh’s future with the Ravens?

That’s finally Ravens proprietor Steve Bisciotti’s call. It upright appears more questions about Harbaugh’s job safety are coming from outside the Ravens’ facility than inside. Harbaugh signed a 3-year extension closing offseason, which keeps him below contract thru 2028. The quantity of fight that the Ravens confirmed in Saturday’s need to-obtain sport in Inexperienced Bay confirmed the avid gamers are mute responding to Harbaugh, who is in his 18th NFL season (tied with Denver’s Sean Payton for fourth-most tenured active head coach).

“I love Coach Harbaugh as a coach, and I also love him as a man as far as what he’s been able to preach to me when he’s not even talking about football, but speaking about football. It’s been great,” Humphrey mentioned. “So having a leader that, no matter what’s going on, staying positive I think has been huge of what he’s done this year. And even given the circumstances, we have a chance to win it all. And so I couldn’t be more grateful to have that guy leading us.”

This disappointing season — going from indubitably one of many preseason favorites to acquire the Easy Bowl to a fringe playoff crew — has ended in a rising stage of discontent. Harbaugh modified into booed while walking off the sphere at a condo sport this season, and he has had to continuously solution questions about his job safety.

Earlier this week, he modified into requested if Sunday’s sport will help as a “referendum” for Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and himself.

“There’s always pressure, but I think it was [tennis hall of famer] Billie Jean King who said that pressure is a privilege,” Harbaugh mentioned. “That’s something that is earned. So, we feel like it’s something very worthwhile to be in games like this. And if those are the things that are being talked about along with that, that’s OK. That’s a privilege, too.”

Steelers

How can the Steelers and Rodgers better absorb Metcalf’s absence?

The Steelers’ offense used Metcalf to region the tone from their very first snap of their 27-22 Week 14 obtain in opposition to the Ravens as Rodgers hit used receiver on a plug route down the lawful sideline for a 52-yard completion. That modified into upright the inspiration of Metcalf’s seven-salvage, 12-aim, 148-yard afternoon, marking his finest output since the Steelers obtained him in a March blockbuster commerce. The leisure of the Steelers’ wide receivers — Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Adam Thielen, Scotty Miller — accounted for forty eight yards on three catches in 5 targets.

Though the Steelers are heading in the correct path to win Calvin Austin III (hamstring) lend a hand after he sat out the Browns sport, shifting targets to running backs Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell could presumably absorb a better impact on the passing sport.

Gainwell, who leads the Steelers in targets this season, spent different the Browns sport giving Rodgers additional protection in opposition to Myles Garrett. But the Ravens’ lope bustle is now no longer as formidable. Gainwell had six catches on seven targets for 29 yards in the first meeting with the Ravens, while Warren had three catches on three targets for 49 yards and a landing.

And or now no longer it is miles now no longer simplest Metcalf’s absence the Steelers need to absorb. They’re going to furthermore be without tight end Darnell Washington, who fractured his forearm in opposition to the Browns and modified into set on injured reserve after present process surgery Tuesday. Washington is an irreplaceable aim along with his big 6-foot-7 and more than 300-pound frame, nonetheless tight end Pat Freiermuth could presumably maybe be a correct candidate to absorb an expanded impartial as an in-line blocker.

The Ravens absorb the league’s fourth-worst passing protection, giving up a median of 245.3 passing yards to opponents. And over the final three weeks, they’ve been the 2d-worst passing protection (285.3) after the Fresh York Jets (314.3).

How has Pittsburgh’s protection modified since their Week 14 obtain?

Since giving up 217 speeding yards to the Ravens — in conjunction with 94 to Derrick Henry — the Steelers have not allowed an opponent to post 100 speeding yards. Within the previous three weeks, the Steelers absorb held opponents to a league-finest 52 speeding yards per sport. In all chance even more excellent, they did it without edge rusher T.J. Watt, who could presumably presumably return this week after a 3-sport absence from a in part punctured lung.

A key part of that equation is the return of rookie defensive type out Derrick Harmon. When Harmon performs, the Steelers maintain opponents to a median of 80 fewer speeding yards per sport.

Harmon returned from his 2d knee harm of the season in opposition to Detroit and helped the Steelers’ protection maintain Jahmyr Gibbs to 2 yards on seven carries. Though the Steelers misplaced to the Browns, the bustle protection stood vast and held the Browns to 3.1 yards per lift.

“Maybe it’s just Derek Harmon,” Tomlin mentioned with a sly grin when requested about the key to the Steelers’ defensive turnaround.

The actuality is that while Harmon has been a boost to the bustle sport, contributions across the board from Queen, Heyward, Malik Harrison, Reduce Herbig and Alex Highsmith absorb elevated this unit to being a defensive energy after it modified into a gigantic weak spot early in the season.

“I think we always had confidence,” Queen mentioned of the bustle protection. “A couple of weeks ago, I [talked about] the difference between confidence and momentum. I think the confidence was always there. I think we just haven’t put a string of good games together doing that, and lately, we have.

“It is seemingly you’ll well presumably presumably form of gaze the momentum attempting to take over, and all americans’s feeling it. … Confidence is you upright radiant that you’d produce it, nonetheless momentum is you doing it, after which building off of it. And I possess appreciate that is what we’ve been doing.”

Is Tomlin coaching for his job?

Not according to his contract or franchise precedent — or to the players in the locker room.

“I judge different the criticism is form of unworthy, attributable to varied cases or now no longer it is on the avid gamers’ shoulders, the outcomes of video games,” Queen said. “Typically it might in all probability well presumably presumably be instructing-linked, nonetheless for the most part, we exit there and compose and if protection is letting the offense rating a complete bunch or the offense turning the ball over and stuff, I maintain now no longer judge that truly relies on coaches as noteworthy.”

Yet, it feels as if the Steelers and Tomlin enter this AFC North rivalry game at a crossroads, and the outcome will go a long way to determining their path forward.

Tomlin, 53, has two years left on his contract: 2026 and a club option for 2027 set to be determined by March 1. The Steelers have also had only three head coaches since 1969. But the external frustration is mounting.

Five weeks ago, fans chanted “Fire Tomlin” as the Steelers trailed the Buffalo Bills in the third quarter. And when the stadium DJ queued up Styx’s rendition of “Renegade” in a last-ditch attempt to get the crowd at Acrisure Stadium into the game, the crowd responded with loud boos.

That outpouring of fan unhappiness was undoubtedly one of the lowest points of the season — until the Week 17 loss to the Browns.

In the month between losses, the Steelers put together a three-game win streak as Tomlin clinched his 19th consecutive non-losing season and his 200th career NFL win. He blew kisses to the crowd in Baltimore and thumped his chest in Detroit. And against the Miami Dolphins, he clinched his 22nd consecutive home Monday night win in dominant fashion as the run defense held vaunted running back De’Von Achane to 60 yards.

Even so, embers of fan frustration mute smoldered below Tomlin’s seat. And by coming out flat in opposition to the hapless Browns and squandering an replacement to clinch the AFC North per week early, the Steelers breathed life lend a hand into fan discontent and reignited the fire.