You probably associate Defense with this rivalry
When you think of the Ravens-Steelers rivalry, the image you likely think of is Troy Polamalu making a flying tackle. If you are a Steelers fan, you might think of the Pick-6 that Polamalu had in the 2008 AFC Championship that sealed the victory for Pittsburgh.
Likewise, if you are a Ravens fan, you think of Ray Lewis making massive hits on the Steelers skill players. You don’t even need to look far to watch highlights of this hard-hitting rivalry. Last season, Earl Thomas knocked Mason Rudolph out of the game with a knockout hit.
This rivalry has been established on the idea of great defense, hard-hitting, and the occasional big throw from Ben Roethlisberger or Joe Flacco to win the games. This Sunday, we are going to have the rivalry renewed, with the 5-1 Ravens and the 6-0 Steelers facing off. From 2008 and on, the games tend to be low-scoring but we should anticipate a new look from these teams on Sunday. While many fans think of the Ravens as an overrated team (especially after their week 3 embarrassment to the Kansas City Chiefs) the Ravens enter the game as slight favorites with the expectations of them clawing away with a victory.
Why the offenses can be great on Sunday
For starters, both teams enter this game with two of the most complete teams in the NFL. It’s hard to find a weakness on either side at any position and both teams can easily be regarded as Super Bowl favorites from the AFC. Both teams have respectively built great defenses and the game could be low-scoring as a result. The Over/Under on this game is 46.5, which is considerably low. So to understand why this game can turn into a shootout, we have to look at how these offenses are built and how Sunday’s game can become a high-scoring affair.
Both offenses ultimately start and go through their quarterbacks. Lamar Jackson won last season’s MVP. While he has struggled at times this season, Jackson once again looks like one of the best quarterbacks in the game. Big Ben, on the other hand, had to miss all of last season and there are times that Roethlisberger makes questionable throws. When we look at Roethlisberger this season, we see a different kind of quarterback. We see one that isn’t trying to carry the Steelers, rather the team is built to carry him.
It’s easy to forget the balanced attacks that both offenses display, the star players aren’t on all of the units. Many people assume that the Steelers don’t have a great running game. Yet, anyone that watched Pittsburgh at any point this season knows that the two-headed monster of Benny Snell and James Conner has been incredibly effective behind a strong offensive line. Likewise, many cite the lack of weapons in the Ravens receiving corp. However, it’s easy to forget the rise of Mark Andrews. Andrews is becoming one of the more unguardable players in the league. In addition, the Ravens receivers benefit from a mobile Jackson, who allows his receivers to break open.
Both Ravens & Steelers defenses allow fewer than 20 points per game
The Steelers and Ravens have both scored 20 points in every game this season. The Ravens have scored 30 points or more in 4 of their 6 games. The Steelers have scored 30 or more in two of their victories this season. For the game of the week, any outcome is on the table but we should expect both offenses to come prepared to put up points on Sunday.
