We might have seen Mike Tomlin walk into the locker room immediately after practice three times all season prior to this week. It's not uncommon for the head coach to be elsewhere after practice. After all, they have a lot on their plate.
But this week, Tomlin made it a point to go to the locker room after each day of practice; to go around the room and make sure his players stay focused on the task at hand.
Why? This is a man who lives and breathes for football in December and beyond. Back-to-back road wins have the Steelers hungry for more, and Tomlin wants his team to remain focused on improving on the progress they've made since the bye week over four weeks ago. And, there's the added bonus of facing the hated Ravens for the first time this season.
But, progress is more important than the next opponent on the schedule. After a start to the season that included an anemic offense that couldn't move the ball or score, a defense that couldn't sack the quarterback without T.J. Watt in the lineup and the loss of a Pro Bowl kicker on special teams, the Steelers have looked much more like a team that's primed for success down the stretch.
Over the past five games, the offense has gone from averaging 21.2 points per game instead of 15.3, 341.2 yards per game instead of 298.6 and a whopping 157.8 yards per game on the ground over the abysmal 87.9 in the seven games prior.
The challenge is to keep it going when all other teams are playing with a heightened sense of urgency.
"That's what you have to do in December. That's what you have to do as the road gets narrow. That's just the signature of ball," Tomlin said this week. "So, we’d better develop an appetite for that. Anybody that's committed to winning here in December better develop an appetite for that."
That appetite has grown exponentially since Watt returned from a seven-game absence due to injury. But, it's also coincided with the growth of an offense, led by rookie Kenny Pickett, that's beginning to find its groove.
In addition to the improved numbers previously mentioned, Pickett is in the midst of a streak of 128 passes without a turnover -- the second-longest active streak in the NFL. As the confidence grows in Pickett, so does the confidence in those around him. But, nothing compares to the level of confidence this group has in sticking to the process through early season struggles to see it finally produce results.
"Stuff is clicking. Stuff is going the right way," Diontae Johnson said Friday. "It also makes us want to keep playing harder, and we can finish the season out strong. We can win out this season. We’re not incapable of doing it. It’s really just believing in one another, going out there playing and executing each and every play. That's what it comes down to."
You may read that and scoff, or think Johnson is the lone crazy person in the locker room that believes this team could actually make a push for a playoff spot. But, this is a sentiment that has grown in the locker room. They want to win. Badly.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking at (the playoff picture)," Najee Harris said Friday. "But, as of now all we can control is what we do today. That's playing the Ravens. Hopefully it'll pan out and go in our favor. But for now, the best thing we can do to help us out is keep winning games."
Pittsburgh is working with very little room for error to make any real push for the playoffs. While the rest of their schedule features the Ravens twice and winnable games against the Panthers, Raiders and Browns, tiebreakers won't help them nearly at all.
The Steelers are currently two games behind the Jets, who hold the No. 7 seed heading into Sunday's action. But, every team between the Steelers and Jets, except for the Browns, have winning records within the AFC while Pittsburgh is an abysmal 2-6. The best they can finish within the AFC is 6-6, which means the Steelers have to run the table to have a chance. Even then, it's not guaranteed.
But, as Harris said, looking too far down the road is something the Steelers can't afford to do. The good thing is they know they're playing better, but they're still not playing at a level that makes them legitimate contenders.
"We're getting results, but we're not there yet. We've gotta keep stacking bricks," Harris said. "But, it's good to stack some wins. It's good for the team, it's good for the locker room, it's good for the whole organization. For us to carry that into this game, it's going to be a tough challenge for us. But, that's what we're here for. This is what we're excited to have, to go in and have that momentum on our side."
Most likely, the Steelers won't pull off a miracle run to the playoffs. But, that won't stop Tomlin from allowing his players to believe they can. That's been the mantra all season. When this team was 2-6 or 3-7, they didn't opt to punt on the year and tank for the highest draft picks possible.
Tomlin knows how important it is to hold his players to a winning standard, even while some of the younger players develop. And, as I wrote earlier this week, the development of the younger players has helped produce the recent wins. That could help this group to carry momentum into next season when they possibly have a better chance of realizing their goal of getting to the playoffs and contending for a Super Bowl.
But, Tomlin nor anybody else on the South Side is thinking about next year. They're thinking about this year, and that requires a win over the Ravens this week.
"The sand is running through the hourglass in terms of us stating a case for ourselves," Tomlin said. "We recognize that, we've recognized that for some time now. That’s why we've worked with the urgency that we've worked with for some time, just trying to get back into conversations and find a level of consistency that produces wins on a consistent basis."
THE ESSENTIALS
• Who: Steelers (5-7) vs. Ravens (8-4)
• What: Week 14, regular season
• When: Sunday, 1 p.m.
• Where: Acrisure Stadium
• Spread: Pittsburgh, -2.0
• Over/Under: 37.0
• Weather: Cloudy 43°, 34% chance rain, 9mph wind
• TV: CBS (national), KDKA-TV (local)
• Radio: 102.5 WDVE, ESPN Pittsburgh
• Streaming: Steelers Nation Radio
• Satellite: Sirius XM 385, online 826
• Boxscore: DKPS
• Team media guides: Steelers | Ravens
• Official game notes: Steelers | Ravens
THE INJURY REPORT
• Steelers: OLB T.J. Watt (ribs), WR Diontae Johnson (hip) and OLB Malik Reed (back) are QUESTIONABLE.
The Steelers activated K Chris Boswell from injured reserve on Saturday, and released K Matthew Wright to make room on the 53-man roster.
• Ravens: QB Lamar Jackson (knee) is DOUBTFUL. OL Patrick Mekari (toe), OLB Del'Shawn Phillips (quad), LB Patrick Queen (thigh), G Kevin Zeitler (knee) and LB Kristian Welch (concussion) are QUESTIONABLE. CB Daryl Worley (hamstring) is ruled OUT.
THE KEY VARIABLE
As mentioned, Pickett is in the midst of a very impressive streak of passes without an interception. That streak will end at some point, and it very well could against the Ravens.
Baltimore will provide a much different challenge than Pickett has faced to this point in the season. They've forced 20 turnovers this season, which is tied for fourth in the NFL. At the same time,Baltimore's also sacked the quarterback 37 times this season, which ranks fifth.
"Yeah, absolutely. They do a lot of really good things," Pickett said Wednesday. "Their blitz package is pretty diverse. ... They have a lot of different looks," Pickett said. "So, we've got to be diligent in our preparation and have some pretty good answers on Sunday."
Pickett is in the midst of the best stretch of his young career, and part of that success has come against the blitz. According to Pro Football Focus, Pickett is completing 72.1 percent of his passes for 481 yards and three touchdowns when blitzed this season, posting a passer rating of 106.3.
The Ravens may blitz only 20.4 percent of the time, ranking 22nd in the NFL, but their schemes are complex. Baltimore isn't afraid to send anyone on a blitz and they do a great job of disguising it. Star cornerback Marlon Humphrey has three sacks despite blitzing only seven times.
It's no longer Ben Roethlisberger under center. In the final half of his career, Ben was one of the best at breaking down defenses before the snap. As it does with all quarterbacks in the NFL, that ability comes with time. That's why preparation this week for Baltimore's complex schemes is so vital for Pickett to succeed on Sunday.
"I think we do a great job of going through all the looks during the week," Pickett said. "And just knowing our game plan and where I need to get the ball out if pressure comes up. I think that stuff all goes into it."
If the Steelers can limit the sacks, but more important, limit the number of turnovers, they'll stand a much better chance to win. That's obvious with just about any game in the NFL, but especially in a game with the Ravens where field position plays a major role and points typically come at a premium.
THE HISTORY LESSON
Since the start of the rivalry after the Browns moved to Baltimore to become the Ravens, the Steelers' lead the overall series, 32-24. In Pittsburgh, the Steelers hold a distinct advantage, winning 19 of the 30 games played on the North Shore.
There is a long list of games and moments to choose from when revisiting the history between the two teams. However, the highlight of the series from the Steelers' side is undoubtedly the 23-14 victory over the Ravens in the 2008 AFC Championship game. It was perhaps the most violent game ever played between these two teams, and came in the first season with John Harbaugh as head coach in Baltimore.
Of course, with the win the Steelers moved onto Super Bowl XLIII to capture their sixth Lombardi Trophy. Troy Polamalu's interception of Joe Flacco to seal the trip to the Super Bowl still might be the single greatest moment in the 21-year history of Heinz Field/Acrisure Stadium.
However, as the Steelers try to claw back to make an unlikely run to the playoffs, I want to highlight the matchup between these two teams in the 2010 Divisional playoff, played at Heinz Field.
Despite an opening drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by Rashard Mendenhall, two fumbles from the Steelers allowed the Ravens to take a commanding 21-7 lead at halftime.
However, a Ray Rice fumble early in the third quarter breathed new life into Pittsburgh, and they capitalized with a touchdown to cut the deficit to seven points. Then late in the third quarter, Ryan Clark picked off Flacco and the offense capitalized once again when Roethlisberger hit Hines Ward for a game-tying touchdown pass.
The Steelers later took the lead with a 35-yard field goal by Shaun Suisham, but Baltimore answered with a field goal of their own to tie the game, 24-24, with 3:54 left in regulation.
Then, facing third and 19 with 2:07 on the clock, Roethlisberger heaved a pass deep down the right sideline and Antonio Brown reeled in the catch trapping the ball against his helmet with one hand before stepping out of bounds at the Ravens' 4-yard line. Mendenhall then punched in his second rushing touchdown of the game, giving Pittsburgh a 31-24 lead.
However, due to an unsportsmanlike penalty on the touchdown, the Ravens received the ensuing kickoff from the 20-yard line and started their attempt to tie the game from the Steelers' 48-yard line with one timeout and 1:27 on the clock. But after two incomplete passes, Ziggy Hood sacked Flacco to force the Ravens to burn their final timeout.
On fourth and 18, Flacco found T.J. Houshmandzadeh beyond the first down marker, but he dropped the pass when William Gay collapsed on the coverage.
With the victory, the Steelers moved onto the AFC Championship and defeated the Jets at Heinz Field to earn a third trip to the Super Bowl in six years. However, the Packers would prevail in Super Bowl XLV, and the Steelers have been trying to win their seventh Lombardi Trophy ever since.
THE MAIN MATCHUP
As it is with just about every matchup between the Steelers and Ravens, this will be a game decided by which team can win the battles up front. In turn, the run game will be crucial for both sides.
The Steelers have found their footing in the run game, averaging 157.8 yards per game on the ground over the past five games. However, the Ravens are unsurprisingly outstanding at defending the run this season, allowing only 82.5 yards rushing per game, ranking second in the NFL.
"They’re a really, really good defense. You guys know that," Matt Canada said Thursday. "Statistically and the history of this series, there's not a lot of big scoreboard light ups in this thing, right? It's a really, really tough physical game by both sides, and they’re really, really good on defense with a lot of great players."
Watching how the Steelers plan to attack Baltimore's defense with Pickett at quarterback will be key. In the past, they could afford to air it out more often with Roethlisberger. However, asking Pickett to throw the Steelers to victory hasn't worked this season and likely would not be a good idea against a defense so good at forcing turnovers.
The Steelers will have to establish the run in some form or fashion to succeed.
On the other side of the ball, Baltimore's offense lives and dies with the running game, and that's accentuated with the absence of Lamar Jackson. But, just because Tyler Huntley will be in at quarterback doesn't mean Baltimore will change what they do.
"They do a great job of using the quarterback and making you have to defend him," Teryl Austin said Thursday. "It makes it tough. A lot of times, if you have a quarterback that can't move, you might see some exotic defenses, some different fronts and all of that other stuff. But you'd better be pretty straight forward against this, because if they catch you out (of place), they're going to hit you for a long gain."
The Ravens rank third in the NFL with 157.8 yards per game on the ground. They will try and impose their will at the line of scrimmage and find different ways to challenge a Steelers defense that ranked dead last against the run a season ago.
"They're going to line up and run the ball. They're going to say, 'We're going to find out if you can stop us,'" Austin said. "They're going to run the ball. They're going to do what they do. I thought we were good for a half. We have to play better. We have to make sure we have a 60-minute commitment to the run game. We've been good most of the year, but we've got to continue to improve that because this week it's going to be paramount. They're going to get in there, because they've got big men up front, they've got big men that are lead blockers and everything else. We've got to be able to play the run game for 60 minutes. We're not going to be able to talk them out of that."
The Steelers are much improved against the run this season, ranking seventh in the NFL with 107.5 rushing yards allowed per game. And, while the Ravens still pose a threat with Huntley at quarterback, there still is a significant drop off when Jackson isn't the quarterback. Since 2020, the Ravens are 1-5 without Jackson, scoring only 18.8 points per games and averaging only 319.0 yard per game. In addition, backups have combined for five touchdown passes to six interceptions during those six games.
10 DATA POINTS
• The Steelers have won four straight games against the Ravens, with all of them decided by five points or less.
• Time of possession could be critical in this game, and the Steelers are now seventh in the NFL was an average T.O.P. of 30:55 per game. However, the Ravens rank second in time of possession this year, and have held the ball for 32:47 over their past three games.
• Mark Andrews vs. Pat Freiermuth? Three NFL teams have a tight end as their leading receiver in yardage: Kansas City, Baltimore and Pittsburgh.
• Since 1990, teams that start 5-8 go to the playoffs less than 1 percent of the time. On the other hand, teams that start 6-7 end up in the playoffs 14.3 percent of the time. As if it wasn't mentioned before, Sunday is a critical game for the Steelers.
• The Ravens' run defense is in outstanding form. Over their past five games, they are surrendering just 50.8 rushing yards per game. Since Week 8, the Ravens have allowed opposing running backs to average only 2.6 yards per carry.
• Against single coverage this season, Levi Wallace leads NFL cornerbacks with a 19.1 passer rating against, per Pro Football Focus. He also has three interceptions and five forced incompletions in single coverage.
• If the Steelers can't stop the run, it's not impossible for them to win. Remember, in the final game of the season last year, Huntley rushed for 72 yards on 16 carries while the Ravens finished with 249 yards on the ground. Huntley did also throw two interceptions and lost a fumble.
• Over the past four weeks, Baltimore's offense is 31st in the NFL in plays of 20 or more yards.
• Watt is aiming for his seventh straight game against the Ravens with at least half of a sack, and Cam Heyward is aiming for his fourth straight game against them with a sack.
• Field position will be critical, and the Patriots' offense is the only unit that has begun their drives with better average starting field position than Baltimore.
THE FANTASY CORNER
Last week's lineup was doomed by a couple injuries, and complete swings and misses at running back. Looking to bounce back. Here's my lineup for Week 14 (with a $50,000 salary cap on DraftKings):
• QB: Jared Goff, Lions($5,600)
• RB1: Derrick Henry, Titans ($7,900)
• RB2: Tony Pollard, Cowboys ($6,700)
• WR1: Chris Godwin, Buccaneers ($6,700)
• WR2: Garrett Wilson, Jets ($5,900)
• WR3: Michael Gallup, Cowboys ($4,600)
• TE: Greg Dulrich, Broncos ($3,400)
• FLEX: Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers ($5,800)
• DEF/ST: Ravens ($3,300)
