Last week, the Ravens beat the Steelers 6-5 to tie them at 5-5. The Ravens have risen to the top of the division, however, due to tiebreakers. The Ravens have made a remarkable turnaround from a 1-5 beginning, but they still win in mediocre fashion.
Baltimore’s offensive performance against the New York Jets was slow and uninspiring, just like their victory over the Cleveland Browns a couple of weeks ago. Lamar Jackson’s performance was subpar for the second time in a row, with no touchdowns. The Jets outgained the Ravens by total yards. The Ravens’ defense and special teams were able keep the team afloat and find an offensive rhythm late in the game.
The Ravens will now face the Cincinnati Bengals in their first season-series matchup this year. For the third time in a row, the Ravens will host the Bengals for a Thursday night matchup. They are looking to win. The Ravens must be more precise and crisp on offense to continue their winning streak, as the Bengals are likely to score more points than the Browns or Jets.
Cincinnati’s defense has a poor history in several categories. The Ravens will be able find their groove in the matchup, despite the fact that the return of Joe Burrow has made the offense more potent. The offensive line needs to be able to play both pass blocking and run blocking well.
The Bengals are the team on the other side of the divisional match this week. They fell to 3-8 with their fourth straight loss last week. The Bengals were able to keep pace with the New England Patriots throughout the game, and even pulled within a possession of them before eventually losing 26-20. This was their third defeat by six points or less in the last four weeks.
The Bengals’ chances of making the playoffs are now in jeopardy. They will need to win the remaining games to finish at 9-8. The team hopes that star quarterback Joe Burrow, who will be returning from an injury after several months, can save the day. Ja’Marr chase is returning from a one game suspension. However, his running partner Tee Higgins will be out due to a concussion.
The Bengals offense can still score a lot of points despite Higgins absence. The Ravens have made significant improvements in their defense over the last few weeks. Therefore, the Bengals must be at full throttle. It’s important that Burrow finds his groove and shakes off any rust as soon as possible.
The Bengals, on the other hand, showed some resistance last week against the Patriots but are still in a bad position without Trey Hendrickson. The Bengals will need to make the most of an injured Jackson, and hope that the Ravens offense struggles with blocking and execution up front. The Bengals will have a better chance of pulling off the upset on Thanksgiving Day if they can win the battle in the trenches.
Last week, the Browns won their third game of the season in Las Vegas. They beat the Raiders 24-10. Cleveland scored 14 points in the first quarter, and only allowed three through the first third.
Shedeur Sander was the focus of attention in his first start as a quarterback. He completed 11-of-20 passing attempts for 209 yard with a touchdown, but also an interception. Sanders was able to keep his starting position over Dillon Gabriel who had cleared the concussion protocols. The Browns now face a more difficult matchup, this time against the 8-4 San Francisco 49ers on home soil.
Sanders is still figuring out how to be more offensively effective for the Browns, who gained only 11 first downs against an incredibly porous Raiders defense. The Browns only gained 64 yards in 27 carries. The 49ers defense is much stronger, but it’s also very weakened and vulnerable. To make Sanders’ job easier, it will be crucial to find more efficiency when running the ball.
The Browns’ defense could be successful against Brock Purdy. He threw three interceptions during the first half of San Francisco’s game last weekend. The Browns will have a better chance of keeping the game close if they can confuse Purdy, and force the 49ers to make mistakes. The Browns have already managed to pull off a far greater upset at home against the Green Bay Packers earlier in this season.
Last week, the Steelers were defeated by the Chicago Bears 31-28. They lost their top spot in the divisional standings. The Steelers, who had led at halftime and were down by 10 points in the fourth quarter, came back to tie the game or win it. The Steelers had a slight advantage in first downs, total yardage, and time of possession, but it was not enough.
Mason Rudolph, who took over for Aaron Rodgers at the center position, managed to score four touchdowns. The Steelers’ rushing effort was their best of the season, with 186 yards and two touchdowns. They averaged 5.2 yards per rush as a group. Rodgers will likely return to the team this week, for Sunday’s pivotal game against the Buffalo Bills.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen is a formidable opponent, but they have shown vulnerabilities in recent weeks. Buffalo has lost their last two games and was stifled on Thursday night by the Texans. Steelers defense has had a mixed season, but they have also had games where they forced many turnovers. Allen threw five interceptions in the Bills’ recent three-game streak, giving Steelers fans hope that they can come away with takeaways.
Buffalo’s run defence has also been below average this season, which could help the Steelers to continue their winning ways running the ball. The Steelers will have a better chance of pulling an upset on Sunday if they can take the pressure off Rodgers. He is currently nursing a broken arm.