Ravens Promise to Play Spoiler to Steelers Playoff Hopes

The Baltimore Ravens are not playing many of their key contributors against Pittsburgh on Saturday, but that does not mean they do not want to see the Steelers playoff hopes go down the drain. It’s a rivalry as always, but with a win, Pittsburgh would dramatically boost their odds of making it to the playoffs.

“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.” 

The team will rest starting quarterback Lamar Jackson, opting to play Tyler Huntley instead. But Huntley is familiar with the Steelers. The team beat him in Baltimore last season when Kenny Pickett found Najee Harris for a touchdown to keep the Steelers’ playoff hopes alive. It’s not too far from where it is now, but the Ravens are deliberately playing many backups. But Huntley is gunning to lead them to a win.

“[This is an] opportunity to get out there and play some ball and get another win for the Ravens. I’m just going to seize the moment and do what I do,” Huntley said.

Huntley has started eight games over the last four seasons for the Ravens, filling in while Jackson has dealt with injuries, and he made a surprise Pro Bowl appearance after the 2022 season when he went 2-2 as a starter. In his two games against the Steelers last season, he was injured in the first of two games they won, 16-14.

Regardless, Huntley and the Ravens depth will try to knock off the Steelers’ starters and spoil their playoff hopes in a crucial game.