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(CBS Pittsburgh) — The AFC North remains 1 of the NFL’s messier divisions going into Week 13. The Baltimore Ravens, coming disconnected a not-so-pretty triumph implicit the Cleveland Browns, pb the mode with an 8-3 record. The Cincinnati Bengals, who demolished the Pittsburgh Steelers, travel the Ravens astatine 7-4. The Steelers beryllium astatine 5-5-1, trailed lone by the 6-6 Browns. While each squad is .500 oregon better, nary squad has truly distinguished themselves. Even the Ravens, who clasp the AFC’s champion record, person failed to impress. Six of their 8 wins person travel by a touchdown oregon less. The Steelers, their hostile this week, person lately seemed similar they shouldn’t adjacent beryllium portion of the playoff conversation.
“You look astatine the Steelers, and you wonderment if that necktie is that going to travel backmost to haunt them oregon to assistance them, if they truly spell connected a large run,” according to NFL On CBS expert James Lofton. “But, arsenic I look astatine it, it conscionable seems similar the Browns and the Steelers, the quarterbacks are conscionable limping toward the decorativeness line. Both guys are a small spot injured. One is conscionable old, and 1 is injured. And it looks similar the Ravens and the Bengals person the champion changeable astatine advancing. And that’s what it’s astir astatine this clip of year, advancing into the playoffs.”
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The Ravens, fixed the play connected the field, are hard to spot arsenic the conference’s champion team. Lamar Jackson threw for 165 yards and 4 interceptions against the Browns successful a 20-32 outing past week. His 1 touchdown walk showed again wherefore he’s a peculiar player. Always a menace to run, helium inactive lone averaged 4.0 yards connected his 17 carries. Devonta Freeman was adjacent little businesslike averaging lone 3.3 yards connected 16 carries. The triumph was a uncommon lawsuit of the Ravens winning successful spite of Jackson’s show alternatively than due to the fact that of it.
“If you tin get a halt astatine the extremity of the archetypal fractional oregon halt successful the 4th quarter, you tin triumph games,” said Lofton. “Most teams person capable discourtesy to people 24 points, oregon determination astir that range. So if you get that 1 stop. Whether you support their guys retired of tract extremity scope astatine the extremity of the archetypal half, oregon you instrumentality the shot distant astatine the extremity of the game, you person a accidental to triumph the game. Granted, this has not been a banner twelvemonth for the Ravens connected defense, wherever they conscionable stroke radical distant with their antiaircraft play. They’ve won by the tegument of their teeth.”
The Ravens defence is starting to amusement immoderate improvement, however. They held the Browns’ crushed game, 1 of the NFL’s champion with some Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb back, to a specified 2.4 yards per transportation and a full of 40 yards. That show further cemented them arsenic 1 of the league’s amended units astatine defending the run. Baker Mayfield had an good outing yardage-wise, but completed little than 50 percent of his passes. But compared to the remainder of the NFL, Baltimore is inactive allowing a league-high 275.7 yards per game.
The Ravens person immoderate elite defenders. Linebacker Patrick Queen leads the squad with 62 tackles, adding 8 much Sunday. Linebacker Odafe Oweh had a sack and forced a fumble, padding a imaginable Defensive Rookie of the Year resume. And linemen Justin Ellis and Calais Campbell are having coagulated seasons, though Campbell is presently successful concussion protocol. Sunday’s antiaircraft show follows a beardown showing against the decidedly little dynamic Chicago Bears the week before.
They’ll look a Steelers violative portion that’s struggled past week. Moving the shot successful this discourtesy depends connected putting the shot successful the hands of Najee Harris. But against the Bengals helium carried the shot conscionable 8 times for 29 yards and caught 3 passes for 14 yards retired of the backfield. Their lone touchdown and overmuch of their yardage came precocious successful the 4th fourth with the crippled good retired of reach. While Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool proceed to beryllium unsafe receivers, they aren’t capable to flooded an aging Ben Roethlisberger and an ineffective violative line.
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“They conscionable are not that ascendant squad connected Sunday,” successful Lofton’s view. “It’s conscionable that uncertainty of who the playmakers are offensively and defensively. And tin they truly enactment it unneurotic for a agelong run?”
Their defence had its moments earlier successful the season, but has been subpar of late. They allowed 34 points to the Bengals (who besides had a pick-six) and 41 points to the Los Angeles Chargers the week before. The portion is middling against the walk and among the league’s worst against the run. Joe Mixon conscionable torched them for 165 yards and 2 TDs connected 28 carries.
It won’t get immoderate easier against the Ravens, 1 of the NFL’s champion moving teams. Linebacker Devin Bush, who missed astir of past play with a torn ACL, doesn’t look to beryllium the subordinate helium erstwhile was. Linebacker T.J. Watt landed connected the reserve/COVID-1 database earlier successful the week and seems apt to miss Sunday’s game. That volition weaken them adjacent further. Watt has 12.5 of the Steelers’ 30 sacks connected the season, much than doubly arsenic galore arsenic immoderate of this teammates.
And with Jackson perchance looking for a spot of redemption, that could spell occupation for the Steelers.
“It ever worries maine erstwhile you play against a large subordinate who didn’t play large the week before,” said Lofton. “And I deliberation that’s the lawsuit with Lamar Jackson. They volition effort and find ways to get his crippled going. And the archetypal 4th is benignant of a feeling out. What are the Steelers going to do? Are they going to brushed unreserved him? Are they going to truly play the edges. Are they going to stack the container and past conscionable effort and play man-to-man outside, which is thing that they truly don’t bash exceptionally well? So it volition beryllium absorbing to spot however good Lamar throws the shot against them. Because if helium tin propulsion it against them, helium tin soften them up.”
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The Ravens play the Steelers Sunday, December 5 @ 4:25 p.m. ET connected CBS.
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