When the Baltimore Ravens face off with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the first time this season in Week 14 at home, there will be weak spots in both trenches that they could exploit to gain an advantage in this pivotal AFC North showdown with first-place down the stretch on the line.
The Steelers’ once-feared defensive front has already been woefully underwhelming this year, and now won’t have first-round rookie defensive tackle Derrick Harmon in the lineup to try to slow down a Ravens rushing attack spearheaded by five-time Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry. Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin ruled the standout first-year pro for the second week in a row with the knee injury he sustained in his fifth career start in a Week 12 loss to the Chicago Bears.
While the Steelers still have four-time All Pro veteran Cameron Heyward and third-year pro Keeanu Benton starting along the interior of their defensive line, without Harmon last week, they got absolutely steamrolled by a Buffalo Bills offensive line that was missing both starting tackles and relied on their guards to pave the way to glory.
Pittsburgh gave up a staggering 249 rushing yards, 144 of which came from Bills Pro Bowl running back James Cook alone. All the relentless running took the wind out of the sails of the pass rush that not only didn’t sack Josh Allen but also managed to register just one hit on him.
Nov 30, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) looks to pass as Buffalo Bills defensive end AJ Epenesa (57) defends during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
In the offseason, Tomlin admitted that the reason the Steelers loaded up on defensive linemen in the 2025 NFL Draft to reinforce and upgrade their front was that they were tired of getting embarrassed and dominated by the Ravens on the ground with Henry.
In the last two of the three matchups between the two storied rivals last year, the future Hall of Famer rushed for over 160 yards on 20-plus carries in each. With how pitiful they defended Buffalo’s run game that spammed the same duo run play nearly three dozen times, keeping the ball on the ground against an already battered and bruised front seven makes too much sense not to rinse and repeat.
“We’re a running team – that’s a fact,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said. “And we are a throwing team, too. We have Lamar Jackson; we have receivers; we have tight ends; we have all that – but we want to always be a team that runs the ball and stops the run. That’s been [the case] since 2008. It’s not going to really probably ever change, and that’s really what football is.”
Pittsburgh’s pass protection will be compromised once again
The Steelers placed starting left offensive tackle Broderick Jones on injured reserve the day before they played the Bills, and played another former first-rounder in his place with 11th-year veteran Andrus Peat. While the 32-year-old comes with experience and a three-time Pro Bowl pedigree, he is five years removed from his prime and was at his best playing inside at guard.
Peat wasn’t the lineman who got beat by Bills pass rusher Joey Bosa for the crucial strip-sack of Aaron Rodgers that led to a fumble return touchdown that turned the tide of that game in Buffalo’s favor. However, he could still be a potential weak link the Ravens look to test and try to exploit early and often and especially in obvious passing situations with long down-and-distances to go.
Joey Bosa forced it. Christian Benford scooped and scored it. Bills lead.
BUFvsPIT on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXnxV pic.twitter.com/rM7SyaQJ0O
— NFL (@NFL) November 30, 2025
Even though Bosa didn’t begin the play lined up on the left side of the Steelers’ line, the pressure and crushing blow still wound up coming from the blindside after Rodgers did some maneuvering in the pocket.
The Ravens have explosive and bendy outside linebackers that can under a block and around the edge faster than the recently turned 42-year-old can escape or step up into the pocket to elude them. Look for second-round rookie Mike Green and Pro Bowl veteran Kyle Van Noy to be the ones trying to bring the heat in key situations against Peat in this game.