Linebacker Patrick Queen has already played his first game against the team that drafted him, the Baltimore Ravens. But Queen will make his return to M&T Bank Stadium for the first time since signing an historic contract to join the Pittsburgh Steelers this past offseason.
That, along with the chance to clinch the AFC North title, should be more than enough to have Queen ready to play the Week 16 matchup. But Ravens long snapper Nick Moore, who made second-team All-Pro in 2022, added even more spice to the showdown.
While appearing on The Ryan Ripken Show on December 19, Moore hyped the Baltimore offense line and challenged Queen to stop the Ravens rushing attack with former All-Pro running back Derrick Henry.
“We’ve got one of the best centers in the game. We’ve got one of the best left tackles in the game. We have a very dominant offensive line,” Moore said during his guest appearance. “These guys are going to be looking to set the tone for our team, and they’re going to do that by moving people out of the way.
“Getting [Derrick Henry] the ball and letting him get downhill, and then we’re going to find out who’s the mane. How big a boy is PQ when it’s 22 and 6?”
The No. 22 and 6 Moore referred to was Henry and Queen, respectively.
Henry has been a handful for most teams this season. He has rushed for 1,474 yards and is averaging 105.3 rushing yards per contest this season.
Bad Blood Between Patrick Queen, Ravens
One game apparently wasn’t enough to clear the air between Queen and the Ravens. The 25-year-old jettisoned Baltimore this offseason to sign a 3-year, $41 million contract with the team’s biggest rival. The deal was the biggest for a free agent in Steelers history.
Since leaving, a lot of words have been exchanged between Queen and various Ravens players. One offseason comment from Queen even got a little personal, as he said the Steelers had a “better atmosphere” for him and implied he fit in better with Pittsburgh than Baltimore because he likes “meat and stuff” as opposed to seafood.
Whether that was the cause or not, the Steelers and Ravens played a very spirited rivalry game on November 17. The two teams combined for 19 accepted penalties in the contest. The Steelers prevailed in the showdown with an 18-16 victory.
The Week 16 rematch could be even more heated, especially after Moore emphasized how much the Ravens want to establish being the bully in the game. With a victory, the Steelers can clinch the AFC North.
Should the Ravens win, Baltimore will pull even with Pittsburgh at 10-5 with two weeks remaining in the season.
Queen, Steelers Held Derrick Henry in Check During Week 11
While Moore challenged Queen during his podcast appearance, one could very easily view his comments as equally challenging his own offensive line. Moore may have felt compelled to do that after the Steelers were the more physical team in the first rivalry matchup this year.
In Week 11, the Steelers forced 3 takeaways and held Henry to only 65 rushing yards. While Henry averaged 5 yards per carry, the 65 rushing yards were his fewest in a game since the season opener.
The Ravens will likely need to establish Henry and get him the ball more than 13 times on December 21 to win the rematch. Queen and the Steelers defense will obviously be aiming to prevent that from happening.
The Steelers will enter the matchup ranked fourth in rushing yards allowed per game. Queen has posted 109 combined tackles, including 5 tackles for loss, 3 quarterback hits, 5 pass defenses and 1 forced fumble this season.
His forced fumble came in Week 11 versus the Ravens. Queen also had 10 tackles in his first matchup against the team that drafted him.
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Ravens All-Pro Puts Steelers’ Patrick Queen on Notice Before Week 16 Showdown