Despite the 10-0 record, there are quite a few causes for concerns with the Steelers vs. Ravens on Thanksgiving
The Steelers put any sort of threat that the Jaguars poised to rest early in their outing last week. Despite some early success on offense and continued success from James Robinson, the Steelers passing defense and passing offense were nothing short of dominant. This team fielded a competitive team despite what could have been a traditional “trap game” and have thus retained their spot as the top team in the NFL.
This week poises a new challenge, and one far more challenging on paper than the Jaguars, in the Ravens. Yes, the Steelers won their earlier outing, but that means little this week as these teams prepare to face off once again. Here are four causes for concern about the Thanksgiving matchup between the Steelers and the Ravens.
Thanksgiving traditions
The Steelers are having an unprecedented winning streak in 2020, but that is about to run into the tough reality that this team has yet to win a modern Thanksgiving Day football game. While their previous try at a win, Thanksgiving against the Ravens in 2013, was the closest loss that the team experienced. That said, these losses have yielded quite a few trends that could prove damaging this year if they occur.
From being slight favorites and still coming up short to not being able to establish much of an offense, this game will likely test the Steelers’ undefeated record. Throw in the fact that the Ravens are a quality opponent and this game looks eerily similar to some of the past losses. If the Steelers offense comes out slow early on and struggles to move the ball all game, this matchup may continue this string of disappointing losses on Thanksgiving.
A short week
It is a well-known fact that NFL players hate to play on Thursday. This gives them minimal time to prep and practice before games and adds to injuries and overall fatigue. While this is an issue for both the Steelers and the Ravens, a short week may actually favor the Ravens more so than the Steelers. This is simply due to the offensive scheme that both teams run.
The Steelers are a pass-first team right now. While that has clearly worked on the field, it typically takes more practice in the week to get that down straight. While Ben Roethlisberger will end up connecting on his passes Thursday, it won’t be surprising to see him have a slow start as he gets into a grove. The Ravens, on the other hand, are a run-first team. While they still need to practice, running the ball makes it a lot easier to get going on a short week.
While this could be resolved quickly if Roethlisberger gets over his struggles early, if he is still trying to get in synch during the second quarter or even into halftime, it could allow the Ravens the chance to take an early lead. As for the Ravens, if they find early success on the ground, that short week may seem like it is affecting them late. Keep this in mind early in the game if the Steelers come off sluggish.
Steelers run defense
After starting the year as the unquestioned top unit in the league, the Steelers’ run defense has fallen off in recent weeks. Ever since the beating the group took against the Ravens earlier in the season, this unit has struggled to stop anyone. Sure, they haven’t been burned, but the unit gave up a healthy average to Robinson last week as well as some surprisingly strong games against backups with the Bengals and Cowboys.
While the team will surely benefit from Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins going on the COVID list this week, that still leaves Gus Edwards as the primary rusher. Remember, he had his best game of the season against the Steelers earlier on, rushing for close to 90 yards and a score. He is a big back that is hard to bring down. Even with the Steelers game plan rotating around him, he could still have a big day.
This doesn’t even mention Lamar Jackson, who is the best running quarterback in the league. If he can get going, it doesn’t matter how poorly he maybe throwing the ball. As well, the Ravens have Justice Hill, a smaller and speedier back that will likely get a lot of burn this week. Even with the players set to miss, the Ravens should field a stout rushing attack. It will be up to this questionable run defense to stop them.
The Ravens are in a corner
Had you told any NFL analyst that the Ravens would be 6-4 going into week 12 and had lost three of their last four games, they would have laughed at you. There were some people (I’m looking at you Colin Cowherd) that had the Ravens remaining perfect this year. Yet, it seems like the NFL is slowly figuring out how to stop this offense (make Jackson throw the ball). In an extremely tight AFC race, suddenly, the Ravens are outside looking in.
This makes them extremely dangerous entering this game. This team is likely getting desperate, as a loss takes them out of the division race and makes their odds of landing a playoff spot worse. The Ravens will throw out all the stops this week as they are desperate for a win. Trick plays and fourth down attempts should be expected as this team looks to turn their fortunes around.
While the rest of the NFL may be trending down on the Ravens, it doesn’t mean they aren’t a dangerous team. The Steelers beat them once already, which will make the Ravens even more desperate. They are a cornered animal right now, and they would love nothing more than to strike out and hand the Steelers their first loss. Don’t write the Ravens off this week, as they are the most dangerous team the Steelers will play to this point.
The team and the fans are riding high on a 10-0 record this year, but the road doesn’t get easy this week. Despite already beating the Ravens earlier this year, expect a tough matchup for the Steelers this week. If they enter this game unprepared and relaxed, this cornered animal is primed to beat them.