Steelers, Ravens carry slim playoff hopes into finale

Updated Jan. 6, 2022 8:15 p.m. ET

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH (8-7-1) at BALTIMORE (8-8)

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS.

BETTING LINE: Ravens by 5 1/2, according to

AGAINST THE SPREAD: Steelers 7-9; Ravens 8-8.

SERIES RECORD: Steelers lead 31-24.

LAST MEETING: Steelers beat Ravens 20-19 on Dec. 5, 2021 in Pittsburgh.

LAST WEEK: Steelers beat Browns 26-14; Ravens lost to Rams 20-19.

STEELERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (24), RUSH (28), PASS (16), SCORING (21).

STEELERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (21), RUSH (31), PASS (12), SCORING (22).

RAVENS OFFENSE: OVERALL (7), RUSH (5), PASS (13), SCORING (16).

RAVENS DEFENSE: OVERALL (25), RUSH (1), PASS (32), SCORING (T-20).

TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Steelers 0; Ravens minus-9.

STEELERS PLAYER TO WATCH: Outside linebacker T.J. Watt needs 1 1/2 sacks to break Hall of Famer Michael Strahan's single-season mark of 22 1/2 set in 2001 in a 16-game schedule. Watt's been able to near that milestone despite missing significant time this season with groin, hip and knee injuries that forced him to sit out two games completely and miss a portion of a handful of others. Watt picked up 3 1/2 sacks in Pittsburgh's first meeting with Baltimore this season.

RAVENS PLAYER TO WATCH: RB Devonta Freeman ran for 76 yards last week against Los Angeles. The Ravens have shown an ability to control the ball with lengthy drives this season, and the running game is an important part of that.

KEY MATCHUP: Pittsburgh WR Diontae Johnson vs. the Detroit secondary. Johnson has a career-high 100 receptions for 1,110 yards, and he caught eight passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns in the first meeting between these teams.

KEY INJURIES: The Steelers are likely to be without CB Joe Haden, who was placed on the COVID-19 list on Wednesday. LT Dan Moore Jr. (ankle) and LG Trai Turner (knee) both missed practice during the week. LBs Devin Bush and Joe Schobert and DL Chris Wormley were activated off the COVID-19 list after sitting out the win over Cleveland. Otherwise, the Steelers are relatively healthy. ... Ravens QB Lamar Jackson (ankle) has missed the last three games, and there was no immediate indication that anything significant had changed this week. ... CB Anthony Averett (ribs/chest), T Patrick Mekari (hand) and LB Odafe Oweh (foot) missed practice time this week, and FB Patrick Ricard (knee) went on injured reserve.

SERIES NOTES: Pittsburgh has won three straight meetings and seven of the last 10. ... The Ravens missed a 2-point conversion with 12 seconds left in their one-point loss to the Steelers earlier this season. ... The will be the 31st meeting — including playoffs — between Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin and Baltimore's John Harbaugh. That ties Curly Lambeau and Steve Owen for the second most in league history. Lambeau and George Halas have the record at 49.

STATS AND STUFF: The Steelers can make the playoffs with a victory over the Ravens combined with an Indianapolis loss to Miami as long as the game between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles Chargers doesn't end in a tie. ... Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger is expected to make the 247th and final regular-season start of his 18-year career. Roethlisberger is 16-10 during the regular season against Baltimore, 2-1 in the playoffs. He came alive late in the first meeting this season back on Dec. 5 in Pittsburgh, throwing for a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns as the Steelers rallied from a 10-point deficit. ... Roethlisberger will retire as the most-sacked QB in NFL history and enters Sunday with 61 of the 553 sacks he's endured coming at the hands of the Ravens. ... Regardless of the outcome, the Steelers will finish at .500 or better for the 18th straight season, the longest active streak in the NFL. ... In order to make the playoffs, Baltimore needs a win, plus losses by the Chargers and Colts and a loss or tie by the Dolphins. ... The Ravens have played a league-high eight games decided by three points or less, going 4-4. The four losses, by a combined five points, have all occurred during their current five-game losing streak. ... Mark Andrews of the Ravens has 1,276 yards receiving, 140 behind the record for a TE set last season by Kansas City's Travis Kelce. ... Only four players have started every game for the injury-plagued Ravens so far: LB Tyus Bowser, LB Patrick Queen, T Alejandro Villanueva and G Kevin Zeitler.

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