The Ravens’ playoff journey will continue.
Meanwhile, the Steelers will enter the offseason with a lot of questions.
On Saturday night, Baltimore defeated Pittsburgh 28-14 in the AFC Wild Card Round, clinching a spot in the Divisional Round. The Ravens have advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the second year in a row (last year they finished the first round with a bye as the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC).
Here’s what we learned from Saturday’s game:
Ravens: These Ravens have what it takes to win the Super Bowl. This is something Lamar Jackson & Co. hasn’t been able to accomplish in previous years, despite their regular season success. That’s because the Derrick Henry effect in the run game means they don’t have to rely too much on Jackson’s feet. The former Tennessee Titans star led a Ravens rushing attack that gained 299 yards on 26 carries for 186 yards and two touchdowns in the win over the Steelers.
Henry threw for 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns in the regular season, but frankly, that’s not enough for the Ravens. Reaching the Super Bowl (and hopefully winning it) is the standard after multiple playoff losses during the Jackson era, including a loss to the Chiefs in last season’s AFC Championship Game.
Even against a struggling Steelers team, Henry’s ability to start the playoffs is a much-needed sight for the franchise and brings some comfort. This is also a reminder of how historically dominant Henry is at this point in the calendar. He entered the postseason with the highest average rushing yards per game (99.8) since December during the Super Bowl era, including the playoffs (min. 30 games played). Saturday night’s performance tied him with Hall of Famer Terrell Davis for most rushing yards of 150 or more in the playoffs (4).
On the other side of the ball, Baltimore’s defense started to bend in the third quarter, allowing a number of explosive pass plays against the Steelers. It cannot compete with the level of AFC offense the team may face in the divisional round or conference championship game. But the Ravens were good enough defensively in the first half (earning a shutout win) and had the No. 1 defense in the league throughout eight weeks of the regular season, so it didn’t matter how the Wild Card ended up. It shouldn’t be a problem. concern.
After all, the Ravens have Jackson, Henry and an outstanding defense. It certainly hurts Baltimore to have lead receiver Zay Flowers sidelined (at least temporarily) with a knee injury. But overall, the team has everything it needs to make a Super Bowl appearance. Failure to represent the AFC in New Orleans should be considered a failure.
Steelers: This becomes the most pressing question in Pittsburgh: Who will be the starting quarterback in 2025?
A few months ago, Russell Wilson, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, was an easy answer. There was talk that he would receive a contract. at least $30 million per season. After all, he began his tenure as the Steelers’ QB1 with a heater. He played efficient football. He led Pittsburgh to 6-1 in its first seven games. However, in the final four weeks of the season, everything fell apart offensively and they lost. His play has regressed. Now add this playoff failure to the conversation.
Then there’s Justin Fields, who is also set to become a free agent. As Pittsburgh’s starter for the first six weeks of the season, he got it. He made good decisions, didn’t turn the ball over and was a big threat rushing with his feet. He’s also only 25 years old. But he has yet to show the ability to threaten defenses vertically — which Wilson was able to do when he was inserted as a starter and opened up Pittsburgh’s offense.
The truth is, there are no easy answers for the Steelers. With a late first-round pick, they probably won’t be in a position to take a quarterback at this position, which is considered a weak draft anyway. If they don’t re-sign Wilson or Fields, free agency will have to be considered.
But still, will better play at the signal-caller be enough to cheer up a Steelers team that has lost six straight in the playoffs?
Ben Arthur is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked at The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network. titans I continued as a beat writer for a year and a half. He covered seattle seahawks He was with SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) before moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter. @benyarthur.
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