AFC North-Leading Baltimore Ravens Visit Reeling Pittsburgh Steelers

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PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ben Roethlisberger knew what was coming. Call it the byproduct of astir 2 decades spent successful the acquainted rhythms of an NFL season.

So earlier the question was adjacent finished astir the value of Sunday’s sojourn by AFC North-leading Baltimore, the longtime Pittsburgh Steelers backmost plunged into the answer.

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“(Is this) a must-win? Is that what you were gonna ask?” Roethlisberger said this week. “It is. Everything moving guardant has to beryllium that way. That’s the spread we’ve benignant of enactment ourselves in, that each crippled has to beryllium the astir important crippled of the year.”

None, perhaps, much important than this. The four-game winning streak that thrust the Steelers (5-5-1) backmost into the premix is present a distant memory. Three mostly listless weeks that see a necktie with inactive winless Detroit and getting crushed successful Cincinnati volition bash that.

“There’s a fig of times wherever we’re falling abbreviated and to admit that is huge,” antiaircraft extremity Cam Heyward said. “But to larn from that is adjacent better.”

Pittsburgh needs to beryllium a speedy survey against the Ravens (8-3). Baltimore’s discourtesy has sputtered recently, but it has recovered a mode to support winning.

No substance however shaky the Steelers’ defence has looked of precocious — they person allowed a staggering 180.5 yards rushing per crippled implicit the past period — Ravens backmost Lamar Jackson knows amended than to look astatine the numbers and deliberation someway things volition travel acold easier than they usually bash erstwhile Pittsburgh is connected the different broadside of the enactment of scrimmage.

“For sure, it’s a rival game,” Jackson said. “We cognize it’s going to beryllium an aggravated game, similar it ever is, and a precise carnal game, similar it ever is. I’m ready.”

He amended be. Jackson is conscionable 1-1 against Pittsburgh arsenic a starter and is coming disconnected a sloppy four-turnover show against the Browns. The Steelers person done a coagulated occupation of keeping him successful cheque — they forced him into 2 interceptions and 2 mislaid fumbles successful a triumph successful Baltimore past twelvemonth — but let they request to instrumentality a monolithic measurement guardant oregon their last 5 games volition beryllium for small much than pride.

“If we don’t donate our clip and truly fastener it connected (Jackson), man, he’s going to person a tract day,” Heyward said.

LATE-SEASON SUCCESS

The Ravens are 13-2 successful December dating to 2018, the champion people successful the NFL. They did suffer past twelvemonth connected Dec. 2 astatine Pittsburgh amid a COVID-19 outbreak that caused the crippled to beryllium played connected a Wednesday. It had been primitively scheduled for Thanksgiving.

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Jackson didn’t play successful that game. The past clip helium played astatine Heinz Field, helium threw 3 interceptions successful 2019 but Baltimore won anyway.

“I’ve played determination twice, my rookie twelvemonth and 2019, but past year, I had COVID. So, I cognize it’s going to beryllium loud, large arsenic ever,” Jackson said. “I cognize immoderate of our fans are going to beryllium there, too. I cognize ‘Flock Nation’ is going to beryllium astatine Heinz Field, but I conscionable can’t hold to perceive the noise, perceive the atmosphere, odor it, consciousness it.”

FAMILIAR MATCHUP

This is the 30th gathering betwixt Steelers manager Mike Tomlin and Ravens manager John Harbaugh, including postseason. Only 2 sets of coaches person faced each different much often: George Halas and Curly Lambeau met 49 times, and Steve Owen and Lambeau met 31 times.

Tomlin leads the bid with Harbaugh 15-14.

“We person a large relationship,” Harbaugh said. “I person a batch of respect for Coach Tomlin, for the full enactment implicit there. I’ve got different friends successful the enactment implicit there.”

Just not for 3 hours connected Sunday.

DOWN TO THE WIRE

The Ravens are 6-1 successful games decided by 8 points oregon fewer, 4-1 successful games decided by a winning people successful the past 2:00 oregon successful overtime, and 3-1 successful games decided connected the last play.

“I’ve conscionable ever had respect for their enactment implicit the years and their no-blink attitude,” Tomlin said of Baltimore. “I deliberation that’s ever benignant of been reflective of that group. I don’t deliberation that this twelvemonth is immoderate different.”

The Steelers person a akin resume, with 1 large caveat. When it’s tight, Pittsburgh is competitive. When it’s not, the Steelers are toast. Pittsburgh is 5-1-1 successful one-score contests this season, but 0-7 successful games decided by 9 points oregon much dating to 2020.

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