Steelers’ Defender Sounds Off on First Rivalry Matchup With Ravens

Cornerback Levi Wallace has faced the Baltimore Ravens one time previously in his career. But that while he was a member of the Buffalo Bills.

Wallace’s second matchup against Baltimore will have a little bit different spice, as it comes with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Steelers-Ravens rivalry has developed into one of the best in the NFL since Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh became head coaches in Pittsburgh and Baltimore, respectively. Since 2008, each franchise has won at least 14 contests in the rivalry, and 19 of the 31 matchups have been decided by 4 points or fewer.

Wallace isn’t expecting much to change when the Steelers and Ravens renew their hatred for each other in Week 14.

“It’s going to be a physical game for us,” Wallace told the media on December 7. “At the same time, we’ve got to keep the deep ball off of us. They have good receivers outside as well. They do a lot of good route concepts. We’ve got to be locked in the whole game.”

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Lamar Jackson’s Absence Impact the Steelers-Ravens Matchup?

The Steelers could be catching the Ravens on the right week. Quarterback Lamar Jackson sprained a PCL in Week 13 and is unlikely to play on December 11.

But history repeats itself, the Week 14 matchup between Pittsburgh and Baltimore will still be close.

Wallace and the Steelers defense is not taking Jackson’s backup, Tyler Huntley, lightly. In relief for Jackson last week, Huntley completed 84% of his passes for 187 yards and rushed for 41 additional yards.

“He’s just kind of like Lamar [Jackson],” Wallace told the media. “He’s a good runner and a really good passer as well. I think they tend to stretch out a little bit more on offense and just looking at the film last year, I think the Steelers played him here too. He’s a really good player, and so we have to have a lot of respect for him because he can do both, just like Lamar.”

Since drafting Jackson in 2018, the Ravens are 6-10 in games where Jackson doesn’t start. They went 1-4 without the 2019 MVP winner behind center last season. One of those losses came against the Steelers, which held Huntley to 141 passing yards and a 52% completion percentage with no touchdowns and 2 interceptions, in Week 18 last year.

Even still, the challenging thing about the Ravens offense is the run-first scheme they successfully installed when Jackson arrived. Baltimore has gone through a few different backup quarterbacks over the last few years, but they all have possessed similar attributes to Jackson, which has minimized the style change of the unit when Jackson hasn’t played.

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Steelers Defenders Ready for Ravens

While Wallace is preparing himself for his first Steelers-Ravens showdown, Pittsburgh defenders more familiar with the rivalry are getting ready too.

Slot cornerback Cam Sutton spoke glowingly about his memories of the rivalry and the excitement that will come with its return on December 11.

“I love this rivalry,” Sutton told the media. “Within the division I love all of our games. This is the biggest one I have enjoyed over time. I have seen a lot in six years.”

Pittsburgh’s oldest starting defender, defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, talked about the remarkable amount of close games between the Steelers and Ravens over recent years.

“When you play Baltimore there’s usually something at stake for both teams, vying for playoffs,” Heyward said. “It’s a gritty game that usually comes down to a one score game.”

Since the start of the 2008, the Steelers and Ravens have played 23 one-score games. Six of the last seven contests in the rivalry were decided by 7 points or fewer.

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