The stakes are massive heading into the final game of the NFL season between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens. The winner will clinch a playoff spot and the AFC North title, while the loser will miss the postseason entirely. After a terrible loss last weekend to the lowly Cleveland Browns, many are expecting the Steelers to collapse against Baltimore. But Aaron Rodgers has something to say about that.
Advertisement
Baltimore is favored by 3.5 points heading into the contest. ESPN analytics also gives them a 58.7% chance to win. Clearly, fans and analysts are backing Baltimore due to the Steelers’ loss to the Browns last week. Adding to the concern, Pittsburgh’s top wideout, DK Metcalf, is missing his second straight game due to suspension.
However, Rodgers warned analysts and the Ravens on Wednesday that he never has back-to-back bad games. “You’ve seen my career. I don’t have a lot of stinkers back-to-back over the years. It’s the same mindset every week, the same approach. Expect greatness. When it doesn’t happen, you don’t shift up the plan. You keep on going and trust the process,” Rodgers told the Pittsburgh media.
It’s a good thing to keep in mind. At the end of the day, Rodgers is a future Hall of Famer. Without a doubt, he will step up and play as such on Sunday night against Baltimore. But without Metcalf to throw to, issues begin to arise.
This is exactly what former Packer Clay Matthews is worried about when it comes to his former teammate. He knows Rodgers will rise to the moment because he has seen it firsthand. But whether the players around him will do the same is what concerns him.
“A-Rod said, ‘Hey, we’ll find a way. We always rise to the occasion.’ I know he will, but are there enough pieces on that team?” Matthews questioned on the Bussin’ With the Boys podcast. “Who’s he going to throw it to? He can’t do it all.”
Last game, it was the tight end, Pat Friermuth, who stepped up and led the Steelers in receiving, albeit with just 63 yards. In fact, of the seven receivers that Rodgers connected with throughout the game, three of them were tight ends. It showcased how much the team is struggling at the wide receiver position.
Host Will Compton also believes that Rodgers will step up. For him, it is simply a matter of whether the defense can do enough to help secure the win.
“Well, if you know A-Rod is going to rise to the occasion, then he’s going to rise to the occasion,” Compton stated. “Offensively, if he’s rising to the occasion, then he’s going to make something happen on offense. Can the Steelers defense stop Derrick Henry in the run game?”
Last weekend, Henry absolutely demolished the Green Bay Packers. He carried the ball a career-high 36 times for 216 yards and four TDs. He became the first player in NFL history to rush for four TDs in a single game on two different teams.
Lamar Jackson is also set to make his return to action tonight after missing the last game and a half. All in all, the Ravens should have their roster at full strength heading into the matchup. With this in mind, Taylor Lewan predicted a clear winner.
“To me, this is a clear Ravens, minus 3.5,” Lewan predicted.
It’s exactly what most around the league believe the outcome will be as well. Rodgers did mention earlier this week that this situation means more to him because he hasn’t been competing for a playoff spot this late in the season for quite some time. So maybe he does rise to the occasion. But it’s hard to see that being enough to get the Steelers a win.
That’s why we’re siding with the favored team and taking the Ravens to win this one, 24-13. Without Metcalf, Pittsburgh is likely to struggle moving the ball once again. Their offense has become one-dimensional, centered around a two-headed backfield where neither option is truly elite. And their defense is not strong enough to contain both Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson for long.
It would be a devastating collapse for the Steelers. But perhaps it forces some long-overdue self-reflection. Even in another winning season under Mike Tomlin, it no longer feels like this team is seriously competing for championships. In some ways, he may be almost too good a head coach for the franchise’s own good.
