This Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens will play the Pittsburgh Steelers for the first time in the season. The winner of this matchup will take the lead in the AFC North. This latest installment in this legendary rivalry has major playoff implications. Baltimore Beatdown staff make bold predictions about the AFC North brawl.

This weekend, let’s be bolder than usual. Lamar Jackson, and the Ravens deliver a clean offense performance, and turn the ship around in a vital victory, to take sole possession of first place in AFC North. Todd Monken is rewarded for his efforts by Derrick Henry, who gets more consistent playing time. He also scores two touchdowns and 100+ yards. Roquan turned in a classic performance when the team celebrated their Super Bowl XXXV champions, who will watch on with pride. Jackson does not need to don the superhero cape just yet. He keeps the ball moving and limits the bad throws to lead to the 27-20 victory. – Mark Myers

Last season, the Ravens beat the Steelers twice in a single week. They also stomped them in the playoffs. Baltimore’s rushing attack was effective in these games last season, but this version of Ravens offense is not likely to be as successful on Sunday. Pittsburgh is comfortable stacking a box around Henry to keep him from running, while Baltimore’s pass attack must step up. With Lamar Jackson hampered and after several poor performances, Pittsburgh can afford to do so. The Ravens’ shaky offense is in a bad position against the Steelers’ pass rush. T.J. Watt puts on a classic performance by sacking Jackson 3 times and forcing a fumble.

Baltimore’s defensive unit does its job in the face of a Pittsburgh offense that is uninspired. Both teams trade punts throughout most of the game. The Steelers win the division after a 16-13 victory. After the loss, the voices of a frustrated fan base become a deafening noise. Dustin Cox

Sunday’s match will not be a close game. This is almost always a close matchup. Instead, I will try to predict a few specific things. The Ravens will get many of their offensive sources from unusual places and/or unusual ways. Keaton Mitchell’s longest run this season comes, unusually, on a carry in between the tackles. Devontez Walks racks up YAC with a short crosser and Rashod bateman reminds everyone of his talent. On defense, more surprises. Zach Orr applies pressure to the blindside, eventually forcing Aaron Rodgers from the game. Chiboe Gilman and Alohi Awuzie scored their first purple and block picks after that. CJ Okoye is another NFL first. He wins and gets his first ever sack. – Nikhil Mehta