Pittsburgh Steelers: 3 Bold predictions vs. Ravens, Week 5
By Samuel Teets
At 1-3, the Pittsburgh Steelers have an opportunity to move up in the AFC North by beating the 2-2 Baltimore Ravens this weekend.
While the Pittsburgh Steelers had a miserable 0-3 start to the season, a Monday night win against the Cincinnati Bengals may have revived their year. On Sunday, the Steelers will take on the 2-2 Baltimore Ravens. If Pittsburgh wins the game, the team will at least move into second place in the AFC North.
The AFC North crown is in play on Sunday. The 2-2 Cleveland Browns will face the 3-0 San Francisco 49ers. If the Browns lose and the Steelers win, then Pittsburgh will own the top spot in the division. Based on this scenario, the Browns would have one division win while the Steelers would have two, and that would put them in control of the AFC North.
Of course, that’s all just one big hypothetical. The Ravens will be a tough matchup for the Steelers. While the Browns had their way with Baltimore in Week 4, Pittsburgh isn’t nearly as talented. Someone will need to step up if the Steelers want to topple John Harbaugh and Lamar Jackson.
3. Sloppy plays keep Pittsburgh in the game
The Ravens would have stood a chance late in the game against the Browns last week if not for the three turnovers they committed. Mark Ingram fumbled the ball away once and Jackson threw two interceptions. Jackson also fumbled once but Ingram was there for the recovery.
Alone, Pittsburgh’s offense and defense aren’t enough to keep up with the Ravens. The team will need some fifty-fifty plays to go their way. The Steelers haven’t exactly been forcing turnovers left and right this season though. They have three interceptions and a handful of fumble recoveries, but nothing that jumps off the page.
While the team hasn’t been forcing many mistakes early in the season, players like Devin Bush and Minkah Fitzpatrick seem to have a nose for the football. Hopefully, they’ll come up with some momentum-shifting plays in Week 5.