Three Keys to victory for the Steelers -
1- Win the turnover battle
While I typically try not to give something as simple as this, in a game where there seems so few paths to victory for the Steelers then this is an absolute must. The Steelers have been trending downwards on offence at the worst point in the season and they will need every extra possession possible while simultaneously limiting what Baltimore get. Pittsburgh have forced 33 turnovers this year which is a league high so it is something they’re capable of as well as the fact that for as unbelievable as Lamar is, he is prone to fumbling the football. There will be one on one matchups in the trenches for Pittsburgh to exploit. Alex Highsmith had a good game last time against the ravens and he might be the mist likely candidate to cause a fumble given the attention Watt is likely to attract. Having said that TJ has clearly shown himself capable of causing havoc regardless of how many blockers he has on him.
2- Have success on early offensive downs
While this has been an issue all season for the Steelers it’s a trend that has only been going in a negative direction in recent weeks. The Ravens have the number one rushing defence so success may be hard to come by and while I’m sure there will still be rushing attempts on early downs they must resist the urge to carry this on throughout the game when it’s not working. Since using Kyle Hamilton as only a safety late in the season, the Ravens have gave up far less deep passes and just in general look a bit more solid in the secondary so the likelihood of being able to hit deep passes aren’t quite what they may appear. This makes the need for sustainable drives featuring early down success even more important as at times Wilson’s deep ball has been a get out of jail free card.
3- Limit Derrick Henry
Holding Henry to 65 yards in the first game of the season was impressive however in the next he rumbled for 162 yards including a long of 44 yards and he absolutely killed them repeatedly throughout the game. With Zay Flowers out of this game there is a good chance the Ravens will rely on Henry more than in other games this season. If the Steelers can bottle up Henry particularly on some early downs to force the Ravens into some 3rd and longs, this is where the Steelers pass rush could feast. Along with this and Flowers being out the Steelers are getting healthier in the secondary with Porter Jnr and others being declared fit. This could give the Steelers more options for coverage at a time when Baltimore has less options. With a back as talented as Henry stopping him is practically impossible but limiting him Is certainly feasible as teams have shown.
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