The Baltimore Ravens head into Week 11 with a strong 7-3 record, but their upcoming road matchup against the 7-2 Pittsburgh Steelers is about more than just standings.
This game is a chance for Baltimore to keep moving up the AFC playoff standings, and it also brings a few familiar faces back to town, including former Ravens safety DeShon Elliott, now suiting up for Pittsburgh.
Elliott recently joined Marlon Humphrey’s Punch Line podcast, where he didn’t hold back on his thoughts about the Ravens’ defense, adding fuel to an already fierce rivalry.
DeShon Elliott questions Baltimore Ravens' defense ahead of Week 11 matchup
Elliott, who spent 2018-2021 with the Ravens, isn’t shy about Baltimore’s defensive struggles this season. Though the Ravens have a top-ranked run defense, their pass defense sits dead last in the league. “Defensively, I don’t know what y’all got going over there,” Elliott said on Humphrey’s podcast.
He pointed out the team’s low ranking, hinting that Baltimore’s legendary defensive reputation is in question this season.
Now on a Steelers squad that Elliott describes as “mentally tough,” he’s looking forward to a gritty AFC North battle, saying, “This will be fun. I haven’t been able to play against Baltimore the way I wanted to because last year I played for a team that was soft.”
Taking a subtle jab at his former squad, the Miami Dolphins, Elliott made it clear he’s thrilled to play against the Ravens with a team he feels matches his intensity.
For Baltimore fans, hearing Elliott call out his former team’s defense might sting, but he was quick to clarify he didn’t choose to leave. He shared that Ravens GM Eric DeCosta could have re-signed him but chose to bring in Marcus Williams instead. So, in Elliott’s view, he’s not a “traitor,” as Humphrey joked, but a player looking to make a fresh start on a team ready to embrace him.
Elliott pushed the narrative further by saying that many Baltimore players leave the team and then go on to be better players elsewhere, a comment that is surely not going to bode well with the Purple and Black:
(Contains explicit language)
My boy PQ ducking smokeeeeee @Patrickqueen_ 🤣@punchlinepod44 pic.twitter.com/VV69XZ2VHc
— Jack Settleman (@jacksettleman) November 13, 2024
With the Ravens’ pass defense still under the spotlight, Baltimore has something to prove on Sunday.
They’ll be tested by a Steelers offense eager to take advantage of any weaknesses in Baltimore’s secondary, while former Ravens defenders like Elliott and linebacker Patrick Queen are motivated to make their presence felt against their old team.
As Sunday’s game approaches, this AFC North matchup looks as intense as ever. For the Ravens, it’s a chance to quiet critics inside and outside their locker room and show Elliott and the Steelers that Baltimore’s defense can still pack a punch.