Ravens Prepare for Season Closer in AFC North Winner-Takes-All in Pittsburgh
Week 18 is here, and the NFL scriptwriters have delivered. For the first time in the Ravens-Steelers rivalry, Week 18 will be a true winner-take-all, final-week game for the AFC North title, forcing a playoff berth or elimination. There have been many games between the two teams in Week 18, but most of the time, starters are resting, or there is little to no change in playoff seeding, no matter who wins. Kicking off at 8:20 p.m. EST on Sunday Night Football, the Ravens must win in Pittsburgh or suffer their second season in Lamar Jackson’s career with no playoff berth.
Ravens-Steelers History
The rivalry began in 1996, during the Ravens' inaugural season as an NFL franchise. The Steelers lead the all-time series 37-27 with a 3-2 playoff record. The series has gone back and forth through the years, with the longest win streak for the Ravens set at four from 2014-2016 and a five-game win streak achieved twice by the Steelers from 1997-1999 and 2001-2003. In recent history, the Ravens have been successful, but not against the Steelers. The Ravens have won six of the 16 games against the Steelers since drafting Lamar Jackson, sweeping their rivals once in 2019, but getting swept three times. Baltimore will look to prevent the 2025 sweep after losing at home to the Steelers, 27-22, in Week 14 and make the playoffs as AFC North Champions.
Will Lamar Play?
Lamar Jackson took a knee to the back on a QB scramble before halftime of the home loss against New England and was promptly taken to the locker room and did not return. John Harbaugh labeled it a mild back contusion, and he did not practice for the entire week leading up to the road matchup against the Packers. If Lamar does not suit up, the Ravens will call upon backup quarterback Tyler Huntley to start his third game with the team in 2025. Huntley started four games in both 2021 and 2022 in place of Lamar Jackson, finishing with a 3-5 record and also losing the 2022 Wild Card game against the Bengals from a fumble on a QB sneak. Huntley also started a 2023 game against the Steelers while the Ravens rested starters, which ended in a loss to the Steelers. Huntley has earned the respect of Ravens fans in 2025 as he is responsible for two of the team’s eight wins, both against the Bears and Packers. No matter if Huntley or Jackson starts against the Steelers, they must prioritize protecting the ball from T.J. Watt and other Pittsburgh defenders. As a side note, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is optimistic that T.J. Watt will be available to suit up after having surgery to fix a partially collapsed lung that caused him to miss several games.
Ravens Gameplan
Similar to the game plan they had in the win against the Packers, there are a few simple tasks the Ravens need to follow if they want to win and be the fifth team in NFL history to make the playoffs after starting 1-5. As I said in my preview of the matchup in Green Bay, it has to be the Derrick Henry show. Even after giving Henry the ball 36 times in Green Bay, the Steelers know they must stop the king if they want to win. With that being said, Baltimore cannot shy away from the run game. With a 10-point lead against the Patriots, Henry did not step on the field again. While the offensive line has struggled for most of the season, their performance in Green Bay was not terrible, letting Henry run for 216 yards, moving into fourth in all-time rushing yards and first in all-time 200-yard games.
Defensively, the Ravens should be happy that D.K. Metcalf is suspended for this game, as he was a constant threat, bringing in seven receptions on 12 targets for 148 yards in their first matchup in Baltimore. However, while Metcalf is out due to suspension, and Darnell Washington is on injured reserve, the Ravens should not find themselves ignoring and being complacent when covering the other receivers on the team. Aaron Rodgers is still a game-winning QB, and Kenneth Gainwell and Jaylen Warren are both good RBs with their own game-changing qualities. The difference in this matchup is that the Ravens now have Tavius Robinson, who is an impactful depth rotational edge rusher who can disrupt both the run and pass. If the Ravens can capitalize on consistent pass rushes, make tackles in the open field, force at least one turnover, and limit the penalties, the Ravens have every chance to win this game. My final score prediction is a modest 23-16 win for the Ravens, earning the fourth spot in the AFC section of the playoffs, hosting either the Texans, Jaguars, Bills, or Chargers.
