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One Area the Steelers Offense Can Exploit vs. Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are playing like the best team in football. But the Steelers have a revitalized offense they hope can stack up against a more tame version of the Ravens’ defense. However, given Baltimore is one of the deepest teams in the league, and their scheme remains one of the NFL’s most innovative, this will be a tough matchup for Pittsburgh to keep things going.
Regardless, there is one weakness that the Ravens have shown that the Steelres couple exploit. Over the last seven weeks, the Ravens run defense has taken a nosedive. While their stats will not paint a terrible picture, as they are around league-average in that metric, they have allowed 5.2 yards per carry and 125.4 yards per game since their loss to Cleveland at home. It hasn’t hurt them yet, except against Cleveland.
The pass defense has forced turnovers, and the Lamar Jackson-led offense has ripped off explosive plays easily, putting up points in plentiful fashion. But the Steelers hope they can slow down Tyler Huntley and the offense, even if they are looking to play spoiler.
“Our guys love to play. They’re pro football players,” Ravnes head coach John Harbaugh said. “They want to go out there, and they want to play, and they want to play [a] long [time], and they want to win. They want to put their best foot forward. The fact that it’s a division rival – the [Pittsburgh] Steelers – that certainly doesn’t lessen it. It’s always a very important game for us. It’s a team that we respect very much. We also understand the type of game that we’re always playing against those guys, so our guys are looking forward to it.”
But the run defense needs to come ready to play, or the Steelers can play a brand of ball control that could lead them to a victory, much like it did last week against the Seahawks. By taking that pressure off Mason Rudolph, they have allowed him to remain a decisive player who does not have to put all the brunt on his shoulders.
Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are one of the NFL’s best rushing duos, and as long as the Steelers can stick to their identity, there should be opportunities to move the ball and score some points if the trend continues.
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