There was a day the road to the Super Bowl in the AFC North went through the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nowadays, it seems to go through Baltimore. While the Ravens lost to Buffalo in their season opener, it would generally be considered a positive outcome.
However, despite the loss, they demonstrated that they are still a playoff contender and posted some alarming rushing statistics. Mike Tomlin should be very concerned about them when they play the Ravens later this season based on his defense's Week 1 performance.
The Steelers victory over the Jets may look good in the standings, but there is some serious soul-searching to do after giving up 182 yards on the ground.
Pittsburgh Steelers have to prepare to face Ravens' dominant run game
Why Mike Tomlin should be concerned about the Baltimore Ravens' rushing offense
The Steelers may have dramatically beaten the Jets on Sunday, but in doing so, they showed that their rush defense has not improved much. While winning the game, they still gave up 107 yards to Breece Hall alone, and Justin Fields added another 48 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, putting up 32 points. In total, the Steelers allowed a total of 182 yards on the ground.
On one hand, you could argue that injuries caused their porous rush defense. They were missing Nick Herbig and Derrick Harmon on the defensive line. In the process of winning the game, they also lost DeShon Elliott, Malik Harrison, and Joey Porter Jr. However, it's hard to say that having Herbig and Harmon would have made much of a difference.
The upside here is that the Steelers' first game against the Ravens won't be until December 7th in Baltimore. The Steelers should have had Derrick Harmon and Nick Herbig back long before then. Still, even with their return, it's unlikely they would have done much to stop the Jets' rushing game, as they had the fourth-highest rushing output of the week. Keep in mind the Ravens were the best in week one.
Thus, the Steelers have their work cut out for them, but the good thing is that they have until December to gel. However, they will be tested long before their game with the Ravens, as they will face the Bills and Bears, both of whom had over 100 yards on the ground in week one.
Why the Ravens are so problematic for Mike Tomlin
The Steelers generally play close games with the Ravens in the regular season. In 2024, when the Steelers played the Ravens at home, they only allowed Derrick Henry to rush for 65 yards and one touchdown. A few weeks later, in Baltimore, Henry had 24 carries for 162 yards. Then, in the playoffs, it only got worse as they allowed Henry 26 carries for 182 yards and two touchdowns.
In the Ravens' season opener against the Bills, they might have lost, but they also gained 238 rushing yards. Henry had 169 alone, and Lamar Jackson added another 70. Combined, they had three touchdowns as well.
Considering the Jets torched the Steelers for 182 yards and three touchdowns, that does not bode well for the Steelers as their December 7th matchup nudges closer. Mike Tomlin is going to have to find a way to stop the run. Hopefully, overcoming key injuries will help, but that alone might not be enough.
The easiest way to overcome that problem would be to keep Jackson and Henry off the field. Considering the Steelers only put up 53 rushing yards against the Jets, that should be another concern. Even with Aaron Rodgers, he is no Josh Allen at this point in his career. And while the Steelers did show they can put up points, they will find that scoring 34 points will be a difficult endeavor against the Ravens if Henry and Jackson run the ball as effectively as they did against the Bills.