The regular season is almost over, but the Pittsburgh Steelers have a lot to play for still. Their season comes down to Week 18 against the Baltimore Ravens. If they win or tie, they’re in the playoffs. If they lose, then their season is over. This matchup has a lot of stakes to it, but Bucky Brooks is pessimistic about the Steelers’ chances of beating the Ravens.
“There’s no one on their wide receiver corps that you have to double-team, tilt coverage to, or anything,” Brooks said Monday on his Move the Sticks podcast. “Now, you can concentrate on the running game. You can squeeze the pocket of Aaron Rodgers, and they have no recourse.
“For this team to lose to Cleveland like that, if I’m Baltimore, I’m gonna replicate this. And Baltimore is a more dynamic offense. They are going uphill in this Week 18 matchup against Baltimore to win the division. I’ll be honest, I just don’t see how they can get it done.”
The Steelers’ flaws were abundantly clear against the Cleveland Browns. As Brooks says, with DK Metcalf suspended, the Steelers had no legitimate threat in the pass game. That handcuffed their offense. Not only did it hurt how they could attack through the air, but it also limited what their run game could do.
That isn’t even including that Darnell Washington broke his arm in Week 17. That likely puts him out for Week 18. That’s another huge blow to an already shorthanded Steelers’ offense.
However, the Ravens might not be able to utilize the Browns’ game plan as effectively. The biggest reason is that they don’t have a pass rusher of Myles Garrett’s caliber. Garrett has 22 sacks by himself. The Ravens have only 28 sacks as a team, with defensive tackle Travis Jones leading with four.
Therefore, they might not be able to rattle Rodgers as much. Additionally, the Ravens’ defense as a whole hasn’t been great this year. It was ranked 27th in the league going into Week 17. For all the Browns’ faults, their defense has been good, ranking second overall.
The Ravens’ defensive struggles might not matter, though. The Steelers still don’t have an apparent threat to stress Baltimore’s defense. The collection of Scotty Miller, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Adam Thielen, and Roman Wilson isn’t exactly putting fear into the hearts of defensive backs.
Hopefully, Calvin Austin III can at least return after missing Week 17 with a hamstring injury. Perhaps the Steelers will get Pat Freiermuth, Kenneth Gainwell, and Jaylen Warren more involved, too. They’ve all made plays when given opportunities.
Whatever the case, someone on offense needs to step up. Otherwise, Brooks’ prediction could come true. The Ravens could run away with this one, especially if Derrick Henry gets going. He’s had the Steelers’ number in the past.