Welcome to the 5 Questions edition, a collaboration between SB Nation and other sites to preview upcoming Ravens matchups. Ryland Bickley, Behind The Steel Curtain, will be answering Baltimore Beatdown’s Week 18 questions. This week the Ravens play the Pittsburgh Steelers.

1. The Steelers are perceived as having a quarterback problem in the playoffs. This prevents Pittsburgh from getting the high draft picks needed to acquire a young franchise quarterback. What is the truth behind that perception?

This is a valid perception. Steeler fans tend to debate whether Tomlin’s winning streak is the cause of the Steelers’ inability to win enough or if he is responsible for it.

I’ve read and written many articles on this topic. Tomlin is a master at keeping his teams from the gutter. Many teams “tank”, and never recover to relevancy. Pittsburgh is different. Not Pittsburgh.

I do think that Tomlin’s style has become a little stale, particularly in regards to his assistant coach hires. He’s still better than more than half of the NFL head coaches. When the team hasn’t won a postseason game since the 2016-17 campaign and continues to fall into the same ruts it is the head coach’s responsibility.

2. Why is it that the Steelers’ run defense struggles so much against Ravens, but dominates other opponents?

It’s possible that Ravens are familiar with the Steelers defense. Derrick Henry’s addition to the Baltimore backfield gives the Ravens two elite rushers — who often go in opposite directions when zone reading — which has placed far more pressure on the Steelers’ usual strategy. This has been the most significant difference.

This stat could be interpreted in a different way. Pittsburgh’s run defense was bad in all three of their last matches, but that is not the only reason for its struggles. Derrick Harmon, a rookie defensive lineman, is proving to be a valuable asset and has helped the defense overcome many of its problems from earlier in the year. The Henry/Jackson combo will still be a challenge, but this is a much better situation for the Pittsburgh defense.

3. D.K. How will Arthur Smith, without Metcalf, keep the Steelers pass game moving?

It didn’t really hum last week when the Browns came to town. The Steelers lack a receiver with Metcalf’s level of talent, which has handicapped their offense. Adam Thielen remains a solid blocker and reliable target but is unable to separate. Marquez Valdes Scantling has legitimate speed but is inconsistent and was not on the same page with his quarterback last week. Calvin Austin III, another speedy player who has had a tough year, is struggling with physical cover and dropping the ball.

Aaron Rodgers will need to trust the scheme and not just individual one-on ones if the Steelers are to be successful in their passing game. Pittsburgh may be able to win if they can move the ball through the air, but the Ravens secondary is not a concern this week.

4. What has Aaron Rodgers’ experience been like this season? Do you see him returning to Pittsburgh in the future?

The Steelers’ season has seen its ups-and-downs. And given the new quarterbacks coming in, they could do much worse than Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers is still a winning quarterback, as evidenced by his Steelers record.

Rodgers, despite his flashes, is a quarterback past his prime who will not be able to get the team closer to a Super Bowl. He is not as explosive a playmaker as he once was, and he has bad habits that his declining athleticism and arm can’t cover up. Pittsburgh must, at some point, take a risk on a young, more promising player, regardless of the odds.

Rodgers is a popular player on the team, so I can definitely see him returning next year. I hope they choose someone like Malik Willis.

5. Would the Steelers consider trading Mike Tomlin at any point?

This would shock me. Tomlin will be in hot water if the Steelers fail to win a playoff game. There have been more rumors about the Steelers moving on this season than I’ve ever seen. A trade would go against the way that the Steelers operate. Tomlin’s contract may expire or simply not be renewed if they decide to move on.