If the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to make the playoffs, they’ve got to get through the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night. And to get through the Ravens, they’ll have to have an answer for Derrick Henry, who led a Ravens’ rushing attack that had over 300 yards in Green Bay last week. The Steelers have been much better at stopping the run over the past month, but the Ravens could be their toughest task yet. However, Patrick Queen has a lot of confidence in his unit, even against Henry.
“When you’re facing a team that’s gonna give the back 35 carries a game, who runs the way they do, it’s tough. It’s gonna be a challenge for us. But I think we’re built for the challenge. I think every single guy in the locker room is fired up for the challenge,” Queen said Wednesday via Steelers.com.
The Steelers did allow the Ravens to rush for over 200 yards on them back in Week 14. But they actually did a decent job at containing Derrick Henry. He still picked up 94 rushing yards on the day, but it was on a rather inefficient 3.8 yards per carry.
However, that version of the Ravens’ offense might be different than the one the Steelers will see on Sunday. In that game, Lamar Jackson threw the ball 35 times, with little success through the air. Against the Packers last week, Baltimore’s strategy was completely different. The Ravens threw it just 20 times, ran Henry 36 times, and it worked to the tune of 41 points.
With Jackson potentially playing this week, Henry might not see 36 carries again. But regardless, it’s certainly what that offense is going to lean on. In the last three matchups between the Steelers and Ravens, Pittsburgh just hasn’t had an answer for the run game. Until the Steelers prove they can stop it, Baltimore is going to pound the rock.
Patrick Queen, who spent several years in Baltimore, knows that as well as anyone else. In such a pivotal game, he has praise for both head coaches.
“I think they [Harbaugh and Tomlin] run a well-organized ship, every single day. Like I said, they come in prepared. They’re getting guys in the best situations that they can, to be able to be successful on the field… I have a bunch of love and respect for those two.”
It’s obviously a major game, but this result could have massive ramifications for the loser. Neither Harbaugh nor Tomlin has the most support from their respective fan bases right now. There are calls for each to be fired. While the odds of that happening to either aren’t that high, some local beat writers think anything is possible with the Steelers if Sunday doesn’t go well.
However, the Steelers have every chance to avoid those storylines with a win. They’re at home, have still won three of the last four, and just beat this Baltimore team on the road less than a month ago. If Patrick Queen and his defense can keep Henry in check this week, the Steelers should be able to beat the Ravens again.