The Baltimore Ravens were gifted back first place in the AFC North following Sunday’s Week 13 slate.
After falling to the Cincinnati Bengals on Thanksgiving in embarrassing fashion, they fell to second place. Now, after the Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Baltimore once again holds the division lead by way of tiebreaker.
Pittsburgh’s loss to Buffalo did more than give the Ravens the lead back, though. It wrote the whole blueprint for how they should attack their bitter rival in Week 14.
Ravens see Steelers’ fatal flaw exposed on Sunday
Baltimore’s Week 14 clash with Pittsburgh has a lot riding on the line. The two will be fighting for the AFC North crown in the final five games of the regular season, and with the Wild Card likely out of reach, a division win is likely the only route to the postseason. They meet each other again in Week 18, but the outcome of next Sunday’s game will quickly shift the momentum.
While the Ravens are reeling after taking a 32-14 loss on Thursday, so are the Steelers. They were also exposed against the Bills, dropping that bout 26-7. The offense clearly lacks an identity, and while the defense has found some success across the 2025 campaign, it is that unit that Baltimore can exploit.
Despite having a prolific quarterback in Josh Allen, Buffalo leaned on their electrifying rushing attack to take down Pittsburgh in convincing fashion. Of course, they have the top running game in the league, but they were relentless with running back James Cook.
Cook toted the rock 32 times for 144 rushing yards. Backup rusher Ray Davis handled nine carries, going for 62 yards on the ground. Allen also got in on the action, running the ball eight times for 38 yards. As a team, they accounted for 249 rushing yards. Pittsburgh knew they were running the ball, and they still could not stop it.
The Ravens must approach their matchup with the Steelers in a similar fashion. We are entering the part of the season where running backs feast, and who better to unleash than Derrick Henry? Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken showcased a questionable game plan this past week, giving Henry just 10 carries. That must change next week.
Henry is not in the midst of a historic campaign like 2024, but he is still enjoying a fine season. His 931 rushing yards rank fifth in the NFL, and his 4.7 yards per carry rank tied for 12th among backs with at least 100 carries.
Obviously, the Ravens cannot expect the same success, especially given the state of their offensive line, but it is clear this should be a matchup where Henry gets 20 carries at the very least. In all honesty, he should receive 25 or more, but Baltimore has many other mouths to feed, which includes running back Keaton Mitchell, who should also be a key part of the game plan.
The Steelers possess the 17th-best run defense in the league, allowing 117.7 rushing yards per game. While their pass defense ranks 28th in the league, Monken cannot afford to keep overlooking the rushing attack, especially after seeing what the Bills did on Sunday.