ESPN’s Dan Graziano: “Could Pittsburgh win? Of course. It just beat the Ravens three weeks ago, and Baltimore has been far from reliable this season. But if Saturday unlocked something with Henry, it could be a rough day for the Steelers’ defense, and the offense could struggle again with receiver DK Metcalf still suspended. The Steelers had a shot to beat Cleveland on Sunday and make the Week 18 game against Baltimore irrelevant. They missed, and Henry could make them regret it.”
The Ringer’s Steven Ruiz: “With Lamar Jackson out injured, the Ravens were incentivized to just keep feeding Henry. Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley attempted just 20 passes and finished with a QBR of 91.0 even though the game was surprisingly high-scoring. It’s unclear whether Jackson will recover from his back injury in time for next week’s game, and if he’s out, that’ll obviously make things more difficult for Head Coach John Harbaugh’s team. But with Henry showing he can still take over a game and Huntley showing he can provide a steady hand behind a strong run game, the Ravens should be confident they can outscore this Steelers team regardless.”
The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer: “The Steelers are better equipped to stop Derrick Henry than any of the defenses the Ravens have run over in recent weeks, but did you see their offense Sunday? Wide receiver DK Metcalf’s absence will loom large. The availability of wideout Calvin Austin and tight end Darnell Washington could also be in question. And coach Mike Tomlin told CBS, if outside linebacker T.J. Watt can’t practice as a full participant all next week, he won’t be active. This is a banged-up Steelers defense, and the Ravens’ physicality has forced one opposing player after another off the field and onto the injury report. The Ravens would love to have Lamar Jackson fully healthy. But Tyler Huntley has shown he’s a more-than-capable steward, too.”
The Baltimore Banner’s Paul Mancano: “Ravens fans might be feeling whiplash after they’ve been subjected to this season. Baltimore’s offense, with its recommitment to Derrick Henry, looks formidable again. The defense is concerning, but the way the Steelers’ offense played without DK Metcalf on Sunday, it might be good enough. This game will be a coin toss.”
The Athletic’s Dan Pompei: “If we consider what happened Saturday and Sunday, we will see the Ravens in the playoffs. However, if we give more consideration to what happened the previous month or so, the Steelers should prevail. A lot depends on the availability and effectiveness of Lamar Jackson, who has been sidelined for four games this season and hasn’t played anywhere near as well as he did a year ago. It wouldn’t be surprising to see vintage Aaron Rodgers with the season on the line.”
ESPN’s Brooke Pryor: “Despite giving up 217 rushing yards to the Ravens a month ago, the Steelers won in Baltimore 27-22 — but they also got 148 receiving yards from DK Metcalf, who will remain suspended next week. With Metcalf sidelined, the Steelers’ best bet is to lean on the run game, as they rushed for just 34 yards in the Week 14 win. But Sunday’s loss didn’t inspire much hope that the Steelers can adapt their game plan to make up for the offensive absences.”