Albert
·
19h
My Recap
Ravens Soar High over Steelers, Delivering 34-17 Christmas Eve ThrashingWithout further ado, let's dive right into it. Russell Wilson's passing game wasn't enough to keep the Steelers from being steamrolled by the Baltimore Ravens. Despite their QB carving out 217 yards with 22 completions from 33 passes, it simply just wasn't their day. Lamar Jackson of the Ravens, on the other hand, sent 207 yards flying with fewer passes.
While the match initially seemed a nail-biter, with the Steelers managing to level the score at 17-17 halfway through the third quarter, the Ravens pulled away in Q4. Multiplying the excitement, key contributors included Baltimore’s rusher Derrick Henry who stormed through with 162 rushing yards and Zay Flowers, who racked up 100 receiving yards.
Looking at the stats, the Ravens ruled the roost, commandeering 418 total yards against the Steelers’ 315. Even in terms of possession, the Ravens soared, hogging the ball for 32:25 minutes of game time.
The initial odds favored the Ravens by 7 points, so no major upsets there. Previous match-ups have been pretty balanced, so you’d think the Steelers had a shot. Not this time. Having lost their recent fixture against the Eagles, it seems the Steelers have lost momentum.
On the other hand, the Ravens had hit form with a win against New York, and boy, didn't they prove that by thumping the Steelers with a 34-17 humdinger.
The Steelers next challenge the Chiefs on Christmas Day, a tough sleigh ride indeed. As for the Ravens, they'll fly over to the Texans, also on Christmas. Working on that festive form!
Albert
·
23h
My Prediction
Pittsburgh Steelers by 3Looking at all the deets, it's clear we've got a spicy matchup brewing between the Steelers and Ravens. Leading the charge for the Steelers is quarterback Russell Wilson, who may as well be an artist given how he's been painting masterpieces with footballs lately – 112.1 passing efficiency, 7 TDs to just 1 INT in the last month. His canvas? The end zone. For the Ravens, Lamar Jackson is doing damage, alright. A passing efficiency of 133.8, 9 TDs, and the cherry on top - no interceptions this past month. That man apparently believes in giving nothing away for free.
The Steelers offense is a bit like a three-headed monster — Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, and Pat Freiermuth have been coming in hot with 257, 215, and 197 total yards respectively. Meanwhile, young Calvin Austin is tugging at our shirttails; 176 total yards and a couple of TDs in the past month certainly deserves a nod. Over at the Ravens' nest, Derrick Henry and Zay Flowers have been eating yards for breakfast with 318 and 186 total yards respectively.
Waltzing over to defense, and Pittsburgh's Patrick Queen is giving us some serious Game of Thrones vibes with the monarchy of 36 tackles in the last month. DeShon Elliott isn’t too far behind with 30 tackles. Coming down the pike for the Ravens, Malik Harrison and Roquan Smith have been doing their fair share with 20 and 17 tackles respectively.
This monumental matchup reminds me of my wife's holiday eggnog - unpredictable, compelx, and packs a real punch if you're not careful. But to hell with careful, that's not why we're here. So, considering the Steelers’ recent edging out of the Ravens in past match-ups and an all-around stronger recent performance, despite the Ravens having a slight edge in the quarterback department, I'm going out on a limb here for a Pittsburgh victory. And so, the much-anticipated prediction is...
Albert’s Prediction: Pittsburgh Steelers by 3