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Baltimore Ravens vs. Steelers: Thanksgiving night Q&A

By Chris Schisler

Nov 1, 2020; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) rushes past Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt (90) during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 1, 2020; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) rushes past Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt (90) during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Baltimore Ravens
Nov 8, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts in the second half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /

Last Call:

@Bij_Sadoughi asks: What are the mid-season playoff scenarios for the Ravens?

Answer: Even if the Ravens beat the Steelers the wild card is the only reasonable path to the playoffs. Losing to the Titans didn’t help. There is a very real possibility that the head to head with the Ravens could give Tennessee the final playoff spot in the end. If the playoffs were to start now the Ravens would be left out. The Titans, Browns, and Raiders would be the three wild card teams.

The Chiefs just did the Ravens the favor of beating the Raiders. The Ravens have a chance to knock the Browns down a peg by sweeping them. That’s a must. The Dolphins are in the hunt but still play the Chiefs, Raiders, Patriots, and Bills. The Ravens and the Raiders both have fairly easy schedules the rest of the way. The Browns have to play the Ravens, Titans, and Steelers.

That’s a lot of information. Here is what it means. If things shake out the way they should (remember it’s 2020 so no promises) the Raiders, Titans, and Ravens should be the last three playoff teams in whatever order. The Ravens need to beat the Browns to keep this narrative a truthful one.

@parham_russ asks: I’m curious to see what this team has left. Is the vision still intact? Harbs are you still capable of leading these men into warfare?

Answer: We’re going to find out. The vision that the Ravens came into the season with is dead. They’re not the contender that they thought they were. I suppose this doesn’t mean they can’t be a contender, yet they are not who we thought they were (and we can’t let them off the hook). I had to have a little fun with this with a riff on the Dennis Green line. Look, this isn’t fun times.

Harbaugh is a coach that I’ve see-sawed on for a while. When it’s good, it’s good. When it’s bad it’s bad. The Titans game really made me question his command with this team. Harbaugh is experienced and he’s been through tough times and has come out better on the other side of them. Things seem stale. We’ll see. I need to step back and let this one play out.

@ThatRobFuseMan asks: Are we panicking too early at 6-4? I mean, I have seen more dire seasons where we actually got to the wildcard under Flacco.

Answer: Rob, you’re absolutely right. It’s hard though man. It’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The favorable schedule helps. The expectations for this team are not being met. It’s hard to accept that, so I don’t expect rationality to be the go-to for fans.

This has been a more typical Ravens season. If it wasn’t for the 14-2 2019 season things would feel different. We are overreacting in the sense that the season is far from over. On the other hand, we’ve lost key players for the season. On the other hand, it feels like things are going one way.

Next. 3 potential positives for Ravens against the Steelers. dark

The thing I keep going back to is this, it doesn’t feel like an old-school Ravens team. That may be unfair, and prisoner of the moment thinking. It just feels that way. This team should get to the playoffs. Though, it doesn’t feel like the Super season we were expecting. It’s hard not to overreact to that.

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