For well over a decade, the Ravens-Steelers rivalry has been one of the most heated matchups in the NFL. Both teams know each other extremely well, and the games are always unpredictable. Going into Wild Card Weekend, it seemed like we were set for yet another hard-hitting divisional matchup—but we were mistaken. Instead, the Ravens ran the ball 50 times with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry for a total of 299 yards, while the Ravens defense held the Steelers to just 280 yards of total offense. The Steelers were shut out in the first half with a score of 21-0, and the rest of the game wasn’t even close – with the exception of a brief stretch at the beginning of the third quarter. Despite a brief comeback from the Steelers, Derrick Henry sealed the game with a 40-yard touchdown just a couple minutes later. While many people weren’t surprised by the Ravens winning, their dominance in beating the Steelers is incredibly impressive.
With Zay Flowers out, everyone knew the Ravens would lean on the run, but what was most surprising was how much they relied on Lamar to get that run game going. Outside of the first week of the season, this was the most Lamar had run the ball all year as he had 15 carries. In comparison, Lamar only ran the ball a total of 13 times in the first two games against the Steelers. This one change in the Ravens’ offense confused the Steelers all night and allowed Derrick Henry to go off, running for 186 yards and two touchdowns. On Henry’s second touchdown run, especially, you could see the Steelers defence shift their focus towards Lamar as he handed the ball off, which created just enough space for Henry to break through the line. The Ravens were also able to move the ball efficiently through the air when needed. Without Flowers, the Ravens spread the ball around more than in previous games. Although no receiver had more than 5 receptions, Lamar still completed 76.2% of his passes and threw for two touchdowns. One of the unsung heroes of the Ravens all season has been Justice Hill, who acts as a good receiving back to Henry and allows the Ravens offense to get creative with their play calling. In the game against the Steelers, Hill had four catches and a touchdown as well. The Ravens’ receivers as a whole averaged just over ten yards per catch and totaled 175 yards on the day. While the Ravens didn’t pass much, their efficiency in the passing game was what really mattered.
As a Ravens fan, it was awesome to watch Todd Monken and John Harbaugh finally do what we’ve all been hoping for: sticking to the ground game and running it down their opponents throats. This game really showed how much Monken and Lamar have grown over the past year that they were as efficient as they were against the Steelers. It makes me feel more confident heading into the divisional round because it’s clear that both Lamar and Monken now know what clicks for this offense and what it takes to win. If they’re both on their A-game like they were against the Steelers, they’ve got a real shot at not just beating the Bills next week, but dominating them.
