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Eisenberg: Finishing Will Probably Be the Deciding Factor in Pittsburgh - Baltimore Ravens
James Hurst is a tackle for the Ravens, but he transformed into a very large soothsayer earlier this week, offering reporters his vision for how Sunday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers would unfold.
“It’s going to be a three-point game, something like that. We know that going in,” Hurst said. “We know it’s probably going to come down to a two-minute drill at the end of the game.”
That isn’t an outside-the-box prediction. The Ravens and Steelers are known for playing close games. Their two most recent meetings at Heinz Field were decided in the final seconds, with the Steelers scoring a winning touchdown the first time and kicking a winning field goal the second. Only one of their past six contests was decided by more than a touchdown.
Games between these AFC North rivals usually boil down to a simple question: Who finishes better?
Who makes the play that makes the difference?
Bleacher Report’s Expert Consensus Week 4 NFL Picks
Baltimore Ravens (2-1) at Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1-1)
Few probably believe the Baltimore Ravens will pull away from the Steelers on the road, and just as few probably think that the Steelers have the ability to pull away from Baltimore at home. That’s why this is a three-point spread in favor of the home team.
It might have been the most predictable opening line of Week 4.
Yet all three of our experts are behind the road ‘dogs.
“I want to take Pittsburgh here,” Davenport said, “but I just can’t give the points. Not the way the Steelers defense has been abused the past two weeks. The last time these teams got together at Heinz Field, the Ravens won a 39-38 shootout. This game has the same feel—high-scoring and close.”
History backs that up. The Ravens have either won or have lost by a field goal or less in eight of their last 10 games at Pittsburgh. In another contest, they fell by four points, and both teams are 4-4 in their last eight meetings in the Keystone State. They know each other too well for this to be a blowout.
Throw in that the Ravens are off to a relatively strong start following a healthy and productive offseason while the Steelers are off to a rough start following a tumultuous offseason, and this looks like an easy one.
Predictions
Davenport: Baltimore (+3)
Gagnon: Baltimore (+3)
Sobleski: Baltimore (+3)
Consensus: Baltimore (+3)
Score Prediction: Baltimore 31, Pittsburgh 30
2019 Mock Draft - CBS Sports
21. Baltimore Ravens
JJ Arcega-Whiteside, WR, Stanford. The Ravens did admirable work in the offseason to boost the production of their receiver group, and Arcega-Whiteside would give Joe Flacco a dangerous red-zone threat.
Examining several potential factors as Ravens-Steelers resume their rivalry -The Athletic
The consensus seems to be that Suggs will play, so that leaves Hurst as the biggest question. Harbaugh said that the first-round pick looked good in practice, but he acknowledged that the decision on whether the tight end will make his NFL regular-season debut rests with the team’s athletic training staff. That Hurst has participated in just three practices over the past five weeks — and he’s been limited in all three — makes me believe that the Ravens will proceed with caution and hold him out for another week. However, I wouldn’t be shocked if he plays, either. Harbaugh said that it’s his understanding that Hurst wouldn’t be at increased risk of reinjury if he plays.
New rules means new challenge for Ravens to sack Big Ben - ESPN
“What looks like a sack oftentimes isn’t a sack with Big Ben,” cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. “He’s just so strong. A lot of times, he can complete passes holding a guy off with the other arm. With that, the main thing is, you can’t ever really relax until you hear the whistle.”
The Ravens (2-1) have brought down Roethlisberger more than any team in the NFL, recording 56 sacks. But Baltimore has only five sacks over the past three meetings, all of which have been won by Pittsburgh (1-1-1).
It’s a different challenge in trying to pull down Roethlisberger, who is listed as this season’s fifth-heaviest NFL quarterback by Pro Football Reference (and just 5 pounds lighter than the leading trio of Joe Flacco, Cam Newton and Matt Schaub).
”You’ve got a guy that’s about the same size as ‘Sizz’ [Terrell Suggs]. He’s tough to bring down,” Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale said. “You saw that Monday night. I talk to the defense about it. We talk about extending plays. That’s what he does. That’s where he’s a top-tier quarterback in my mind, in my humble opinion, because he turns it into backyard football. If we ever had a backyard game, he’d be my first pick, because that’s where he really excels as a quarterback.”
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