Saturday marks the most important game of the year for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, with the AFC North title on the line.
Both teams are bringing extra fire to one of the greatest rivalries in sports.
Can the Steelers shut down Derrick Henry once again? Will Lamar Jackson finally break through his struggles against Pittsburgh? Who will come out victorious?
A to Z Sports Baltimore analyst Adam Holt dives into all these questions and more in our matchup preview.
In their first matchup this season, the Steelers effectively shut down the Ravens’ run game, holding Derrick Henry to under 70 rushing yards. Even in last week’s loss, they managed to contain Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles. Do you think Baltimore will be able to get their ground game going this time around?
A. I think the ground game will certainly have some troubles again this week for Baltimore. The Steelers defense have simply proven to be too consistent on a weekly basis in that area to doubt at this point. Using Lamar’s legs must be an increased focus for the Ravens this week, though.
– Holt
Q. The narrative that Lamar Jackson struggles against the Steelers only grew after their loss a few weeks back. Do you think he finally overcomes his woes against a banged-up Pittsburgh defense?
A. I do think Jackson builds on his prior performance this season. That being said, it certainly won’t be easy. He’s coming off one of the best performances of any QB this year, so he needs to play with that sort of confidence, even in a much tougher matchup with a division foe.
Q. The division is on the line on Saturday and the whole nation will be watching in a stand-alone fixture. Who comes out on top as king of the AFC North?
A. I’m going to take Baltimore here. I think the offensive injuries for Pittsburgh are just a bit too much to overcome for them in the end, and the Ravens win another gritty, messy AFC North rivalry game.
