Pittsburgh Steelers Opponent Profile: Week 16 Match-up With Ravens Could Decide AFC North
By Danny Cox
The AFC North title is on the line and could be decided in week 16 if the Pittsburgh Steelers win. However, if the Baltimore Ravens end up sweeping the Steelers on the season, they keep hope alive that they can win the division in the final week of the season. With postseason implications at stake, this divisional matchup has all the makings for a fantastic game.
Baltimore Ravens Season Record: 8-6
The Ravens have won three of their last four games. Their last loss was a tough one to the New England Patriots in week 14. This past Sunday, they were able to hold on for a one-point victory over the Philadelphia Eagles who staged a monster comeback and came up just short. Still, these Ravens are a strong team and one that already took down the Steelers earlier this season by a score of 21-14.
Ravens On Offense
Baltimore's offense is pass-oriented. They average a mere 86 yards per game on the ground and can't seem to get anything going when it comes to running the ball. Terrance West and Kenneth Dixon are not poor running backs, but the team just can't gain rushing momentum.
Joe Flacco leads a well-oiled machine when he's on the field and he has a lot of targets to choose from. Mike Wallace is the leading receiver, but Steve Smith Sr., Dennis Pitta, Kamar Aiken, and even the two backs get involved in the passing game in big ways. Pittsburgh will have to keep their eyes on plenty of names and pressure Flacco as much as possible to throw him off of his game.
Ravens On Defense
There is little doubt that the Baltimore Ravens have one of the best defenses in the entire league. They have shown it consistently throughout the season. While their unbalanced offense doesn't pair well with it, the defense does know how to get things done and hold opponents to few yards and even fewer points.
For an offense such as the Steelers, it isn't good that the Ravens allow an incredibly low 18.2 points-per-game to their opponents. The Ravens do cause a lot of turnovers, as they have 15 interceptions on the season and 15 forced fumbles with 10 recoveries. The Steelers will need to watch out for the likes of Terrell Suggs (eight sacks), Eric Weddle (four interceptions), and Tavon Young (seven passes defended) as they are ball hawks and hound quarterbacks better than anyone.
Ravens Players To Watch: WR Mike Wallace and LB Matt Judon
Wallace leads the Ravens in virtually every receiving category and it is blatantly obvious that he is who the Steelers need to focus on. Wallace has 62 receptions for 903 yards and four touchdowns this season, but there's an even bigger reason to fear him. His best game this season came against the Steelers, as he had four receptions for 122 yards and one touchdown. Wallace has the Steelers' number and he's going to look to dial it up again.
Baltimore has a lot of big-time players on defense, but even those who don't chalk up a lot of big numbers are scary. Linebacker Matt Judon has only 21 total tackles on the season, but he is near the top of the team in sacks, as he has four in 2016. One of those sacks came against the Steelers earlier this season and the rookie is already making a name for himself in the NFL.
Outlook
The stage is set for a huge game in week 16. The Pittsburgh Steelers are playing at a much higher level now than they were when they lost to the Baltimore Ravens earlier this season. Well, they were playing at a higher level until they needed six field goals to defeat the Bengals in week 15. It's going to be a tough game that can go either way, but the Steelers can take this game and the AFC North if they play like they did during the majority of this five-game winning streak.
