The Baltimore Ravens have a tough test against the Steelers. Here are three keys to a victory for the purple and black.
1. The Ravens have to have some surprises in store for the Steelers:
The Ravens need to throw the Steelers off. These two teams know each other like the back of their hands. If the Ravens are so desperate to prove that this year is different, this is the perfect time to show it. Baltimore has to surprise Pittsburgh at every turn. The 2015 win in Baltimore was a good example of how the right game plan can even the scales. That 5-11 team had no business sweeping the Steelers and they found a way to do it any way.
While the Ravens don’t have that bad of a team, the situation favors Pittsburgh. Think about it. A Ravens team that can’t run the football without putting their back up quarterback into the action, is without two of their best offensive linemen. Yes, James Hurst has become one of the Ravens best linemen. The Steelers have gotten good at getting to the quarterback and Ronnie Stanley is out. Marty Mornhinweg cannot play this straight up, he must pull out all the stops.
The Steelers are going to be aggressive. There’s no way that the purple and black can have two starters out up front without the black and yellow coming after Flacco. Mornhinweg has to slow the pass rush down with timely draws, quick passes and screens. Strategy is going to be the biggest difference in this game. If Marty Mornhinweg wants to prove something, calling a heck of a game is the way to do that.