The Baltimore Ravens beat the New York Giants 35-14 today, improving to 9-5 on the year.
There isn’t much to say about the game.
A healthy Giants team wasn’t particularly good, and NY has been decimated by injuries during this season.
The Ravens were rested coming off their bye, and took care of business as to be expected.
Lamar Jackson threw for 5 TD’s, and ran for 65 yards.
Rashod Bateman had 2 TD receptions.
Mark Andrews is now the franchise leader in TD’s.
Devontez Walker had his first career catch, a 21 yard TD score.
Jordan Stout was kicking off.
Michael Pierce made his return.
The Ravens defense held New York to 2 of 12 on 3rd down, and had 3 sacks.
Ar’Darius Washington had a pick, as his presence in the Secondary has corresponded with an improvement for the Defense as a whole.
The Ravens didn’t clean up their propensity for penalties over the bye, as Baltimore was penalized 12 times for 112 yards.
Outside of getting the W, the primary takeaway is that the Ravens are leaving MetLife Stadium without any significant injuries.
That’s enough about today.
Next Up? Pittsburgh Comes To Baltimore
The Steelers are currently trailing Philadelphia 10-3 at the end of the 1st Quarter.
Pittsburgh entered today with 10-3 record, including their head-to-head win vs. the Ravens.
If the Eagles win today at home, the Steelers will arrive in Baltimore with a 1 game lead in the AFC North.
Similarly to the limited thoughts above about today’s game, there is only so much to say about this forthcoming game vs. Pittsburgh.
I mean, what is there to really say?
It’s Steelers / Ravens in Baltimore, in late December, with the Division title still in play.
We know all the subplots.
The Rivalry.
The physicality.
Mike Tomlin in Year 18 as Head Coach of the Steelers.
John Harbaugh in Year 17 as head Coach of the Ravens.
Tomlin and the Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since 2016.
Jackson is a 2x NFL MVP, who won’t be respected by some until he regularly beats Pittsburgh and wins games of significance in the post-season.
No matter who is on the field with these teams, and no matter what the records are; typically it’s a game.
Styles make fights.
The hallmark traits of these two franchises is that they compete.
They fight.
They care.
The two franchises mirror each other in many ways, and their similarities coupled with the divisional familiarity breeds contempt.
What Happened The Last Time These Teams Played?
The Steelers beat the Ravens 18-16 in Pittsburgh on November 17th.
You can find the ESPN Boxscore here.
You can find our game recap here.
Pittsburgh dominated time of possession.
The Ravens coughed the ball up 3 times, and struggled offensively on 3rd down.
Jackson completed less than half of his pass attempts.
The Ravens defense played well.
Justin Tucker missed multiple FG attempts.
DVOA Entering Today?
Coming into today, the Ravens were 2nd overall in DVOA, with the 1st ranked Offense, the 13th ranked Defense, and the 24th ranked Special Teams.
The Steelers were 12th overall, with the 18th ranked Offense, the 8th ranked Defense, and the 2nd ranked Special Teams.
You can find the full DVOA rankings here.
Quick Takes?
- In the November loss at Pittsburgh, Derrick Henry had 65 yards on 13 carries (a 5 yard per carry average), but 31 yards came on one carry. As with the Ravens, the Steelers DNA says they are going to try and make you one dimensional. They will want to try and take away the running game. They’ll sell out to do so.
- With that in-mind, I’d be looking for Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken to take advantage of that. If Pittsburgh is selling out to slow Henry, then find the 1×1 match-ups on the outside. I’d also like to see designed runs for Jackson.
- If you can pull some defenders from the box, then feed Henry repeatedly. Especially early. Make the Steelers defenders tire from tackling him.
- Don’t let TJ Watt dictate the game with his pass rush. Run at him.
- Same basics of any game. Who has more turnovers? Who wins on 3rd down? Who converts in the Red Zone?
- Is M&T Bank Stadium going to be full of Ravens fans who’ve spent hours tailgating and lathering up; or will there be an annoying amount of Terrible Towels being waived?
- ESPN’s Match-Up Predictor is giving the Ravens a 65.2% chance of winning.
- It’s a short-week for both the Ravens and Steelers with this Saturday (Dec. 21st, 4:30pm) game, and both teams will then have to play on Christmas (Ravens at Houston, Pittsburgh home vs. Kansas City) four days later. Over the years, we’ve seen both the Ravens and Steelers struggle in the week after their head-to-head games. After the November game, the Ravens did win in LA vs. the Chargers, but the Steelers looked off in their game against the Browns. Though, it has to be noted it was short-week game for Pittsburgh on the road against another divisional rival.
Owner
Chris Stoner founded Baltimore Sports and Life in 2009. He has appeared as a radio guest with 1090 WBAL, 105.7 The Fan, CBS 1300, Q1370, WOYK 1350, WKAV 1400, and WNST 1570. He has also been interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and PressBox (TV). As Owner, his responsibilities include serving as the Managing Editor, Publicist, & Sales Director.