OTL: LJ vs. Steelers + Flock In the House Will be a First

Happy Hump Day, Flock!

With a Saturday game on the docket, Wednesday feels like Thursday at The Castle, as we already had our first injury report of the week.

While the Ravens are looking pretty good, there were two surprises: Nelson Agholor listed with a concussion, and Ar’Darius Washington being limited due to an ankle. Washington sealed the game in New York with an interception, and it doesn’t look like he obviously tweaked anything on the return.

INTERCEPTION @ad_washington24!!!

Tune in on CBS and @paramountplus. pic.twitter.com/3qFFg59Vl9

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 15, 2024

Maybe it swelled up on him later. For now, it doesn’t seem like we should be too worried, however.

On the other side, the Steelers have plenty about which to fret. George Pickens, T.J. Watt, and former Raven DeShon Elliott were all listed as DNP. Pickens has been dealing with a hamstring issue, always a big one at his position. Even if he’s able to go, it seems unlikely he’ll be 100%, and hammies not given enough time to rest often re-aggravate. Without Pickens on Sunday in Philly, the Pittsburgh offense was extra anemic, with only 107 passing yards and 163 total.

As for Watt, we don’t need to talk about it too much. I’m not shy about saying I hope he isn’t out there, or at least isn’t his usual self. Anything that tilts the scales toward the good guys in this one, I’m for.

One potential factor going in the Ravens’ favor will be the home crowd. While there will undoubtedly be the usual horde of towel-waving cockroaches in M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday, it will still be the first time Lamar Jackson has ever faced the Steelers at home with anything near a full house.

This is what M&T Bank Stadium looked like the last (and only) time Lamar Jackson faced the Steelers as a starter in Baltimore in 2020

Jackson has never played in front of a full M&T Bank stadium vs. Pittsburgh, and has never started both games vs. the Steelers in his career pic.twitter.com/oZvwCRGdUg

— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) December 17, 2024

One reason I’m not shy about hoping Pittsburgh isn’t dealing with a full deck Saturday evening is that the weather gods aren’t doing us any favors, with current forecasts for gametime in the low 30’s with gusty winds.

Why can’t it be like it was in Charm City yesterday, when it was 65 and calm? That’s Lamar Jackson weather right there.

On the other hand, 30’s is Derrick Henry weather. I heard the 105.7 afternoon blowhards talking about how the Ravens couldn’t run the ball in New York, but the King still had 4.8 yards per carry. At Acrisure last month, Henry averaged 5.0 yards per carry, but only toted the rock 13 times, and of course had that damn early fluky fumble.

That last point is the key one. Jackson has put the ball on the ground a disturbing amount lately with three fumbles in the last two games, after a long stretch of protecting it (two fumbles over the previous seven, and if memory serves, those were snap/exchange problems). The Steelers know they can only win if they get takeaways, and their defenders hunt the ball annoyingly well. Relying on fumble luck against them is a perilous path.

Don’t get in the holiday spirit by gifting them the ball, and the Ravens should come out on top and pull into a tie for first in the AFC North.

I’ll believe it when I see it though.

For now, all eyes are on that injury report out of western PA.

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