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Four Downs: Who Will Be the Hero on Defense?

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Marlon Humphrey four downs

First Down: Jackson Can Silence Critics

There are two knocks that Lamar Jackson can’t put behind him despite the fact he’s about to potentially win his third MVP award. First on the doubters’ checklist is that he can’t get it done in the postseason. Jackson is 2-4 in the playoffs and the losses have been used to knock him down a peg. The 2019 loss to the Tennessee Titans stands as one of the most frustrating moments in Baltimore sports history while the AFC Championship slip against the Kansas City Chiefs is still an open wound all around Charm City. Second on the doubters’ checklist is his record against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The doubters were loudest on this point after Jackson had an off day in the Ravens’ 18-16 loss in Pittsburgh earlier this season. The Ravens did dismantle the Steelers somewhat comfortably in their last meeting, a 34-17 win in Baltimore.

Jackson, who has been very open about his struggles in the playoffs, has a chance to show that it’s a different season and that he’s a different quarterback. Ironically for the Ravens, Jackson’s test isn’t to try harder but to look at this like any other game. He’s playing at a historically good level and he simply has to keep doing what he’s doing.

The Steelers have struggled coming into this game. They haven’t scored 20 points since before their four-game losing streak began in December. If Jackson has a signature game and the Ravens put points on the board, the Steelers will be in trouble. Jackson is capable of the impossible but he has to do the little things right in this matchup. He has to manage the game, make the easy throws when they are there and he has to protect the football. If Jackson plays this game with a level head the human highlight reel that he is will take over the game. It all starts and ends with his composure.

Second Down: No Zay

Zay Flowers has officially been ruled out of this game, which means the Ravens need to find an answer in his absence. Flowers was instrumental to the offense in more ways than just being a dangerous receiver. The Ravens like to give their opponents a lot of pre-snap window dressing and moving Flowers across the formation is a big part of that. If I was the Ravens I would ask Tylan Wallace to give us his best Flowers impersonation. Wallace is surely not as exciting as Flowers but he’s the receiver most equipped to fill the roles of the shifty and hard-to-catch Flowers. Wallace only has 11 receptions on the season but one of them was an 84-yard touchdown. Playoff football is about players who live up to the moment and Wallace is that random big play generator that’s hidden behind the other stars of the offense.

From a production standpoint, you would have to think that no Zay Flowers means more Isaiah Likely. Likely has produced well against the Steelers. In two games this season he has seven catches for 104 yards and a touchdown. Likely, who has battled some minor injuries this season, is due for a big game. If you look at the matchup and consider Flowers being sidelined this could be a true tandem effort by Likely and Mark Andrews in the passing game.

The ideal scenario is that Derrick Henry gets going on the ground and the Ravens offensive menu is fully available to them. The last time the Ravens played the Steelers, Henry had 162 yards and two touchdowns. If that happens again, the Ravens will also beat the Steelers by multiple scores again.

Third Down: Steelers Defense is Good, but Beatable

You follow the NFL enough to know about Russell Wilson and the Steelers’ problems when it comes to offense. What is going under the radar is how the Steelers aren’t living up to their high status on defense. The losing streak that the Steelers carry into the postseason began with a battle against their in-state rival, the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles put up 401 total yards and were an efficient 10-17 on third downs. The Ravens put up 418 yards against them and rushed for 220 yards halfway through December. Patrick Mahomes lit up the Steelers defense, going 29-38 passing for 320 yards and three touchdowns in a 29-10 KC win. The Ravens understand not having an answer for Ja’Marr Chase, yet it is notable that in the regular season finale in Pittsburgh he had 10 grabs for 96 yards and a touchdown.

It’s easy to look at the scores from their four-game losing streak and focus on the woes of the Pittsburgh offense, but the defense has been almost as problematic. The Steelers don’t have an overly explosive offense and they rely on keeping games close. That’s when they often get a turnover or a blocked field goal or some nonsense to bail them out of a tight spot. I’ve said this about all three of the Ravens-Steelers games this season: If the Ravens take advantage of their opportunities and run up the score, the Steelers will not be following them to a tight finish.

Jackson had 41 touchdowns and only four interceptions this season. At one point in the season Henry was on pace for a 2,000 yard year. 1,921 yards is still incredible. 5.9 yards per rushing attempt is also on the incredible side of life. This offense is as good as any offense the Steelers have seen this season. The Steelers vaunted defense is not an excuse in this game. The Ravens should get the upper hand on them if we’re looking at this honestly.

Fourth Down: They Say a Hero Can Save Us… Don’t Stand There And Wait

There’s one thing that I know if I am a defensive player for the Baltimore Ravens. I know that an extra possession or two for Lamar Jackson will probably boost the Baltimore to victory. The last game against the Steelers is a prime example. Ar’Darius Washington forced a Russell Wilson fumble near the goal line that changed the complexion of the game. Marlon Humphrey’s pick six sealed the deal. Games like this can be defined by the offense having enough answers but they can also be measured by the defense coming up in the big moments. The Ravens need to be aggressive on defense to make these moments the story of the game. Stops are great. Turnovers in the postseason against your arch nemesis, that’s the stuff of legends.

The Steelers aren’t going to make this game easy and there will be momentum shifts in this game. That’s an inevitability in a Ravens-Steelers contest. The Ravens need to make the turnover battle one that they win. One thing to keep in mind is that in the four game losing streak Wilson has thrown two interceptions and lost two fumbles. If Russell Wilson (or Justin Fields for that matter) want to run with the football the defense needs to be ready to dislodge it.

This rivalry is used to defensive heroes standing over the entire battle. For the Ravens it used to be Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs. For the Steelers it was always Troy Polamalu and James Harrison. In this iteration of Ravens vs. Steelers, who will it be?

My money is on Humphrey. When this team needs a big play from the defense it’s always the heartbeat of the unit, Marlon Humphrey. The key is to aggressively seek turnovers. For Pittsburgh to win in 2024, they had to DOMINATE the turnover battle, not just win it.

Don’t turn it over. Force some of your own.

Head to the Divisional Round.

The post Four Downs: Who Will Be the Hero on Defense? appeared first on Russell Street Report.


Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2025/01/10/four-downs/four-downs-who-will-be-the-hero-on-defense/


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