The hype around the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers matchup this weekend is growing, and Jon Gruden is bought in as well. The former Super Bowl-winning head coach decided to make the matchup one of his previews of the week on his YouTube channel. During the video, he pointed out the struggles that Lamar Jackson and the Ravens have had against the Steel City in recent years.
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“Lamar Jackson is only 1-4 in his career against these Steelers,” Gruden said as he pointed to his whiteboard filled with scribbles and pointers. “It’s the one team that seems to have solved the great Lamar Jackson.”
The former Raiders head coach supported his claims with evidence too. In his career against the Steelers, Jackson has five touchdowns but eight interceptions. And he’s been held to a 66.7 quarterback rating, which is 10 points lower than his season average. This is great news for Russell Wilson and the Steelers.
When a quarterback knows that the defense behind him is going to get stops, it allows them to feel free to make risky throws and take chances in hopes of a big play. And oftentimes, they do succeed.
Gruden also pointed out that Ravens star running back, Derrick Henry, has equally struggled against the Steelers in his career. Going back to his Tennessee Titans days, Henry is currently 0-4 all-time against Pittsburgh. He only rushed for 65 yards and coughed up the ball in the Week 11 game. Henry is going to need to be a presence if the Ravens are going to come out victorious on Sunday.
Head-to-head, this is only the fourth time the quarterbacks have ever matched up. So far, Jackson has gotten the better of Russ with a 2-1 record. But that was when Wilson was with the Broncos and Seahawks. In the latest matchup, Wilson and the Steelers were able to grind out a victory behind six field goals from Chris Boswell.
Gruden’s Prediction
Regardless of the previous matchup, Gruden still liked the Ravens’ chances, especially with last year’s MVP behind center.
“I still think it’s going to be a relatively low-scoring game, but I got the Baltimore Ravens winning this game 27-17,” Gruden predicted.
It’s definitely going to be an uphill battle for the Steelers. They have to go on the road, and the Ravens are 4-2 at home this season. Although Pittsburgh has handled away games well so far, coming out with a 5-3 record. However, ESPN’s analytics give Baltimore a 66.8% chance of winning this game.
These teams have changed since they last met each other, mostly due to injuries. And the Steelers have felt the worst of it. They’ve been without wideout George Pickens for two weeks due to a hamstring issue, and there’s a possibility of the receiver missing a third straight contest. The biggest question Gruden and the media want to know, though, is if TJ Watt can play.
The dominant defensive end hurt his ankle last week and is also in danger of missing the action. It would be a massive loss, as Watt has recorded 11.5 sacks this year. He was a big reason why Henry was stifled last outing. Moreover, it’s a short week as they play on Saturday, and it’s going to be hard for Watt to recover in time. And it could lead to a massive advantage for the Ravens.
