There was a time when the Pittsburgh Steelers were 0-2 and the Baltimore Ravens were 2-0 and this game looked unwinnable for Pittsburgh. But two weeks later these two teams seem much closer to each other than we thought. Pittsburgh is riding high after their big win over the Cincinnati Bengals and is getting a Ravens team at home. If the Steelers want to win this week, here are the keys to victory.
Contain Lamar Jackson
No one is asking the Steelers defense to sack Jackson five times and pick him off two more. But this defense is playing better and better and should be able to minimize the damage Jackson can do, particularly with his legs.
Take the cuffs off Mason Rudolph
If the Ravens have shown us anything the last two weeks it’s that their secondary is susceptible to the big play. Pittsburgh has the weapons in JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson and James Washington. But will offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner hit the gas on offense to attack the Baltimore defensive backs or will he stay conservative and cut them a break?
Win the turnover battle
If the Steelers take some shots downfield, there is obviously more potential for mistakes. If this is the tradeoff to get points on the board, it’ll be up to an emerging defense to maintain balance by forcing turnovers of their own.
