5 Steelers, Ravens matchups to watch in Week 14

On Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens (6-6) host the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6) at M&T Bank Stadium in an AFC North division rivalry game that both teams need to win. With so much as stake, and a ton of uncertainty among both organizations surrounding their teams – including their injured veteran quarterbacks – the game is setting up as a “must win” situation. We look at 5 Steelers and Ravens matchups to watch in Week 14.

Rodgers, Rudolph vs. Jackson, Huntley

Let’s be honest. In all likelihood, despite injury reports (which some analysts have questioned when it comes to the Ravens this season), the Steelers will start quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Ravens will start quarterback Lamar Jackson on Sunday. They’re both dinged-up but not out of the dogfight just yet.

That doesn’t mean NFL fans watching this game won’t get an opportunity to see Mason Rudolph or Tyler Huntley, though. Both teams will keep their QB2s close this week. One bad play could force either Rodgers or Jackson – two vets who have yet to play each other, ever – to the sideline.

Steelers interior O-line vs. Ravens A-gap pressure

The interior offensive line of Pittsburgh – including Mason McCormick who has shown some inconsistency – will face one of its toughest assignments of the season against Baltimore’s A-gap blitz packages and Roquan Smith’s perfectly timed rushes. The Ravens disguise pressure as well as any defense in the league, routinely walking linebackers up to the line, threatening six-man fronts, and then sending unexpected rushers to overwhelm protections.

The Steelers cannot allow immediate interior penetration, because it forces Rodgers (and would Rudolph as well) into rushed decisions and compresses the passing playbook.

For the Steelers to stay on schedule offensively, their guards and Zach Frazier must handle the physicality of Baltimore’s front, correctly identify Smith’s alignment pre-snap, and communicate slide protections cleanly. If the interior holds up even adequately, the offense has the breathing room needed to operate.

Warren, Gainwell vs. Ravens LBs & safeties

Jaylen Warren is Pittsburgh’s most efficient and reliable offensive weapon, and his matchup against Baltimore’s linebackers and safeties could determine the tempo of the game. Warren’s value isn’t only in traditional carries — it’s in his ability to break tackles, turn short passes into chain-moving gains, and punish overly aggressive blitzes with screens and angle routes. The Ravens’ defense thrives when they force opponents into third-and-long; Warren is the antidote to that formula.

That doesn’t take any value away from fellow Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell who has shown he can be a dagger to defenses. Pittsburgh will need his skill set, as well, in different ways.

If the duo consistently produces four-to-five-yard gains on early downs and force the defense to devote an extra body to the box, Pittsburgh can dictate pace rather than chase it. Warren’s touches on the ground need to be weaponized, not just sprinkled in. Gainwell needs to be turned loose, especially on the outside.

Steelers EDGE dominance and disruption

One of the most consequential matchups in this rivalry remains the one between T.J. Watt and Lamar Jackson. Watt doesn’t just need sacks — he needs controlled pressure. Jackson is at his most dangerous when the first rusher flies past him and creates wide escape lanes, turning broken plays into long gains or improvised completions.

Although Watt has been chipped into low season sack totals, the Steelers have earned bonuses by placing Nick Herbig on the field – even when Alex Highsmith has been in as well.

If the Steelers’ EDGE personnel stay disciplined, keep Jackson boxed into the pocket, and collapse the interior without over-pursuing, they force Baltimore into a more static passing game and eliminate Jackson’s off-script magic. Limiting the Ravens’ explosive plays starts with keeping Jackson contained rather than simply overwhelming him.

Steelers secondary vs. Mark Andrews, MOTF passes

Any time Baltimore needs a completion in a high-leverage moment, eyes go to Mark Andrews, making this matchup a potential game-swinger. Andrews has consistently found soft spots in Pittsburgh’s zones and has been a red-zone problem for years. The Steelers must treat him like a WR1, using brackets on third downs, rerouting him at the line of scrimmage, and ensuring linebackers aren’t left isolated on vertical routes.

That is a big ask of a Steelers secondary that has been riddled with injuries and an interior linebackers group who has also been reshuffled.

The Steelers have been playing much too soft in zone coverage, or outright selling out on the run, leaving the middle of the field an area where they get exposed. It may not be between the hash marks every play, but the middle of Pittsburgh’s D has been an area opponents have exploited.

The Steelers must stay sticky in coverage even after the initial routes break down. If the Steelers can limit Andrews’ impact — especially between the hashes and in the red zone — and other receivers on slants, they take away Baltimore’s security blanket and force Jackson to hold the ball longer, giving their pass rush more opportunities to disrupt.