F#@& the Ratbirds - For the Crown - Ravens @ Steelers - Pregame Thoughts
Screenshot via Steelers Youtube.
It all comes down to this. *Profanity Alert* Ya know, after last week’s game I was pissed off, because we had an opportunity to punch our ticket to the dance a week early. Of course, I’d prefer that our playoff spot was locked up, but since it’s not…would yinz really want it any other way?
Allow me to start by saying this: I fuckin’ hate the Ratbirds. As a 30-year-old man, I grew up on this rivalry, and I’m comfortable stating publicly that they’re my least favorite team in the league by a wide margin, respectfully. Of all the Steelers games I’ve been to in person, the only loss I’ve experienced was December 11, 2022 against these very same Shitbirds in Pittsburgh. The hate runs really deep for me, and If I have to experience back-to-back years of them bouncing us from contention, I may actually cry real tears. I’d really like for the Steelers to win this football game.
As I referenced a second ago, these two teams met in the Wild Card round of last year’s playoffs, and the result was certainly not what Steelers fans hoped for. The Ravens ran for 299 yards that day, the most rushing yards the Pittsburgh Steelers have ever allowed in a playoff game, en route to a 28-14 ass-beating. This time, they have an opportunity to stop us from ever reaching the Wild Card round with a week 18 matchup in Pittsburgh. The path is simple for both teams: win and you’re in. Win and you’re forever immortalized in Steelers/Ravens history. Win and you’re the AFC North Champions. Pittsburgh Steelers…Baltimore Ravens…the best rivalry in sports…in the best city in the world. I’ll ask one more time: would yinz really want it any other fuckin way?
On the injury front, the Ravens will get their MVP QB Lamar Jackson back from the back injury that has hindered him over the past few weeks. I’ve seen the jokes made about this game becoming easier with Jackson at QB, but let’s cut the bullshit - the Steelers have been way too inconsistent this year for me to take a joke like that for anything more than it is. Besides, if we do win, I wanna do it with their franchise player at the helm. Unfortunately for Ravens fans, that’s the only good injury news they’ve gotten this week. WR Rashod Bateman has been ruled out with an illness; perhaps the same illness that has Marlon Humphrey (still - as of 2 am Central) listed as questionable. It’s worth noting that they elevated another CB, so there’s real hope among Steelers media that Humphrey could actually miss this game.
For the Steelers, it’ll be all systems go for everyone on the roster. Guys returning from injury for the Steelers include James Pierre, Calvin Austin III, T.J. Watt, and Isaac Seumalo. Not listed on the injury report, but extremely notable no less: Darnell Washington was moved to IR and will be out for this game, as well as any games that could follow (besides the Super Bowl lol).
I won’t lie to yinz, I have all kinds of anxiety about our ability to stop the Ravens’ rushing attack. I know we just beat them a few weeks ago, but they ran for 200+, and we nearly let them crawl back into that game. We will have Derrick Harmon this time around which should help things, but I still find myself sitting here wondering if that’s enough. The defense has really come together after a terrible start to the season, and it’ll take a special effort from them to pull this one out in my opinion. - And I do mean special. I think we have no choice but to win the turnover battle…we’re gonna need to look for guys like T.J. Watt, Nick Herbig, and Jalen Ramsey to create a splash play or two, because the offense has left us with a finite amount of hope in their ability to put up points.
I hate to talk about guys that won’t be available to us, but after last week’s game in Cleveland, it’s hard not to talk about the DK Metcalf suspension ahead of this matchup. Without a bonafide number 1 receiver on the roster, this offense was able to produce next-to-nothing. Cleveland had the dudes to man up against us a LOT last week - I don’t know that the Ravens have the bodies to do that comfortably, but I suspect they may try. Calvin Austin III is probably the best route runner on the team, but he’s too inconsistent for me to make any grandiose predictions for this game. Simply put: somebody has to win outside for the Steelers at some point in this game if we’re going to have a chance to win - specifically on possession downs. We were 3/18 on third and fourth down last week in Cleveland. That’s repulsive. That MUST be better against the Ravens.
Lastly, Mr. Aaron Rodgers. In my opinion, two of the worst games of his entire career have come this season, and one of them was last week. I genuinely think he was so wrapped up in the Myles Garrett sack record thing that he forgot to actually be a quarterback. I know that sounds harsh, but he was really bad, and he threw the ball 39 damn times. I am fairly certain Arthur Smith did not call the game that way, and those things lost us the game in my opinion. It’s true that he hasn’t had very many back-to-back “stinkers” in his career, but damn it the last thing he put on tape was depressing, and I’m not feeling great about this matchup with these receivers. Yinz know what I want? - I want us to run the piss out of the football. Just 24 carries last week, but for 131 yards (5.5 yards per). This is not a game that we can be off schedule all night and expect to win - Jaylen Warren and team MVP Kenneth Gainwell aka Kenny-Gains-Really-Fucking-Well have to get going early and make sure they’re falling forward. I think this one could get ugly.
I don’t care how it happens - just win this game. For the AFC North Crown. Maybe for Mike Tomlin’s job. For ONE LAST playoff push for Aaron Rodgers. Also, for what it’s worth, I’ve seen enough from this team that I think they deserve 10 wins. Win. Please.
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