The Steelers are in Baltimore for a pivotal AFC North showdown today with the division title on the line. The stakes couldn’t be clearer: a win crowns Pittsburgh as division champs, while a loss keeps their fate in their hands over the next two weeks if they want to secure a home playoff game.
After a humbling loss in Philadelphia last week, the Steelers face a daunting challenge, made tougher by the absence of several key starters5. To overcome these hurdles and clinch the division, Pittsburgh will need to execute on these keys to win.
Steelers defense must improve tackling
Last week against the Eagles, the Steelers' defense looked completely out of sync. They couldn't contain Philadelphia's passing attack and struggled with basic fundamentals like tackling. The Steelers finished the game with 20 missed tackles, a number that’s simply unacceptable.
If they hope to have any chance of slowing down the Ravens’ offense, they’ll need to step up their tackling game. Missing tackles against Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry could prove disastrous as both players are capable of turning even the smallest mistake into a massive gain or a touchdown.
Arthur Smith must stop setting up the offense for failure by running the ball Into a wall
Without George Pickens, opposing teams have little respect for the Steelers' passing game or their wide receiver group. Defenses will focus entirely on stopping the run, stacking the box, and daring the other receivers to win their one-on-one matchups, which they certainly struggled to do last week.
Even while facing these stacked boxes, Arthur Smith stubbornly sticks to running the ball, despite it clearly not working. Constantly playing behind the sticks is a recipe for disaster, and I fully expect the Ravens to try to turn this game into a shootout, knowing the Steelers won’t be able to keep up without their best offensive weapon.
The secondary needs to step up in the final stretch
The biggest weakness for this defense all season has been the cornerbacks. Joey Porter Jr. and Donte Jackson have been frustratingly inconsistent, and heading into the playoffs, the team needs to be firing on all cylinders—especially when facing elite quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and whoever else stands in their way in the postseason.
The Steelers’ defense is the backbone of this team, and if the pass rush can’t get to the quarterback, the secondary must step up. If they want to make a deep playoff run and secure a better seed, the corners will need to perform under pressure. In the first matchup against the Ravens this year, Joey Porter Jr. delivered the best game of his career.
Now, it’s time for him to put those struggles behind him and lock down the Ravens' wide receivers once again.