Steelers: five burning questions for week five against the Ravens
By Edward Hunt
The Ravens come into town with a lot on the line. With the division so close, who will become the division champion could come down to this week’s games.
The Steelers are hosting the Ravens at Heinz Field on Sunday, October 6th, at 1:00 pm eastern standard time. This game is critical to the division as the Ravens are only a game ahead of the Steelers, but if the Steelers beat them at home, they will pull ahead of them.
This situation is a far cry from how the first three weeks went. It seemed that the Steelers were destined for a top 10 draft slot despite trading their first-round pick to the Dolphins. Now the Steelers have a legitimate chance of being division contenders if they win this week.
The Ravens look a little different than they have in year’s past. Before, they were more of an offensive team with a ball-control offense. Now they have a stout offensive line with an electric running quarterback.
Here I will outline five burning questions to think about for the Ravens game, and I will answer them after the game.
Will the Steelers be able to stop Lamar Jackson?
Lamar Jackson is an interesting player. He is more of a running quarterback than any other starter in the league. Jackson is a threat to move the ball with his legs. He has 4.4 speed and the agility of a wide receiver. He also has a deep ball that can stretch the field.
The Steelers will be smart to have a defender spy on the quarterback. This is a bit different than the Steeler’s typical ways as they like to bring the blitz from inside linebackers. The Steelers might be smart to mix in overload blitzes, but they cannot rely on that because Lamar Jackson can avoid defenders.
It will be essential to have a natural pass rush from Heyward, Tuitt, Watt, and Dupree. This will be difficult as the Ravens have a good offensive line. Coverage will be crucial as you have to take guys like Mark Andrews and Marquise Brown out so that they don’t overwhelm your secondary.