Baltimore Ravens

5 Key Stats For Ravens Battle With The Steelers

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:43 p.m. ET

Fansided, Chris Schisler/FanSided via Ebony Bird

Jan 3, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Crockett Gillmore (80) celebrates with Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) and Ravens guard Marshal Yanda (73) after scoring a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth quarter during the 2014 AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Ravens have a Christmas Day battle with the Pittsburgh Steelers. It may not seem very festive, so here are some stats to get you in the holiday spirit.

Merry Christmas, happy holidays and everything in between ladies and gentleman. In the season of perpetual joy, where we open our heart and spend time with family we have an all out fight between to AFC North foes. Nothing quite like two teams who hate each other on Christmas, right? If the Ravens win, it will be the most festive of Christmas’s in Baltimore. It would be so merry that we would probably ask for 12 days of Christmas to be an actual thing.

More from Ebony Bird

Beating the Steelers in Pittsburgh is never easy. That’s a fact. The Steel City has seen their team win four of their last six home games. If there is one team that is accustomed to beating Ben Roethlisberger and company, it’s the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens have won four games against their bitter rivals in a row. Nine of the last 12 has a nice ring to it.

The Ravens are going for a fifth straight win in America’s best rivalry in sports. If they get this one, everything that they have done this season counts. Should the Ravens lose, it will likely be nothing more than a wasted season and a missed opportunity. Stats are a great measuring stick, so let’s look at the 5 stats that preview this game best.

MD, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell (26) runs as Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Zach Orr (54) defends during the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

5. Stopping Le’Veon Bell:

Bell is simply one of the best running backs in football. With 1,146 rushing yards he the third leading rusher in the NFL. Bell rushed for 236 yards against the Bills and it was his fifth game over 100 yards this season. Bell is also a capable receiver; he has 72 receptions for 601 yards this season. By the way, this all came in 11 games. If you have seen the Steelers play this season, you know that Bell is often sparked on the ground by getting involved in the passing game.

The Ravens held Bell to 32 yards earlier this season, a season low. It is a little misleading as Bell only was handed the football 14 times. The Ravens jumped out to a 21-0 lead which took Bell out of the equation. The Ravens run defense has done some pretty impressive things. Until last week, the Ravens were a defense you just could not run against. Ryan Matthews and the Eagles got over 130 rushing yards against the Ravens. The defense spent the entire season as the number one ranked rush defense, but now are number two.

The Ravens performance against the Eagles was not typical. While it is easy to fall into the Bell is better than Matthews train of thought, it ignores Baltimore’s body of work. Brandon Williams, Michael Pierce, Timmy Jernigan and Lawrence Guy didn’t go anywhere. C.J. Mosley is a Pro Bowl player and Zach Orr is sixth in the NFL for tackles. The Ravens were looking ahead to the Pittsburgh game. They survived while stumbling. Expect a much more alert effort on Sunday.

Dec 27, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith (22) intercepts Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) (not pictured) pass intended for wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) during the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore Ravens defeated Pittsburgh Steelers 20-17. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

4. Antonio Brown Is A Game Changer Without jimmy Smith

Brown is the best receiver in football. If a Baltimore boy is saying it, than accept it as the truth. Brown is a game changing talent. He can beat you deep. He can beat you across the field and with any route. The Steelers lean on Brown, who has 96 receptions this season. Take Bell’s 72 receptions out of the picture and the next leading receiver is Eli Rogers with 38 receptions. Brown has 11 touchdowns this season.

Jimmy Smith may not be the best cornerback in football but he has proven to be an antidote to Brown defense infecting poison. The Ravens have been schooled when Smith has been hurt this season. Odell Beckham took over the game when Smith left against the Giants. The Cowboys picked on Shareece Wright without mercy. The Patriots had their way with the Ravens, as Tom Brady racked up over 400 yards.

Smith is the last person the Ravens defense could lose. This is a big blow to the Ravens. While it is not fatal to their chances in this game, it certainly hurts.

Dec 18, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Mike Wallace (17) runs with the ball in the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

3. Ravens Want To Lean On Mike Wallace:

The Ravens are going to want to lean on Mike Wallace against his former team. In their meeting with the Steelers in November, Wallace had 124 yards and a touchdown. The rest of the Ravens receivers had 117 yards combined. Of course, Wallace got most of those yards on a 95 yard play, but he exposed a weakness in the Steelers defense. Speed kills and you don’t always have to use the deep ball to test this theory.

The Ravens should throw quick slants, crossing routes and post patterns to Wallace. The intent should not be to beat the Steelers deep, but to get Wallace the ball in the open field. The Ravens should be doing this any way. In fact they should get Breshad Perriman involved this way too.

The Ravens are going to need offense to win this game. This is not one of those contests in which the defense can do it all on their on their own. Like the Beatles song, Dean Pees needs a little help from his friends. Using speed in the open field is the best way for the Ravens to do that.

Nov 27, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker (9) high fives fans after beating the Cincinnati Bengals 19-14 at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

2. A Kicking Battle In A Kicking Hell

If you asked NFL kickers their ideal kicking setting, it would be surprising if anyone said Heinz Field in December. That’s why the kicking battle is so paramount in this game. Before Chris Boswell took the job, the Steelers lost to the Ravens because of their kicker situation. Justin Tucker could be counted on for the game winner, and Josh Scobee could not. Now the Ravens and Steelers have two of the best kickers in football.

The best kicker in the NFL is Justin Tucker. This is not an opinion it is a fact, like the sky is blue and the grass is green. Tucker is 33-34, with his only miss being a blocked kick. He has hit 10 kicks of 50 yards or more. Weather is a factor for any kicker, but Tucker seems immune to bad conditions. He has the best kicking prowess that I have ever seen.

Boswell has attempted 24 field goals and he has made 20 of them. Three of his four misses were at Heinz Field. Tucker also has more experience on Boswell. If this thing comes down to a kicking battle both teams are prepared. Nevertheless, put my money on Tucker.

Nov 6, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs (55) gets introduced prior to the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

1. Expect A Close Game:

The Ravens and the Steelers typically have close games that come down to the wire. They have played 41 games. The Steelers have won 21. The Ravens have won 20. The Ravens have scored 787 points against the Steelers; the Steelers have scored 798 against the Ravens. 26 games in this series have been decided by 8 points or less, many of which have come down to a last second field goal.

The bottom line is that the Ravens are ready for a close game and so are the Steelers. Mistakes are usually what costs you in this type of a game. The Ravens have to limit the bone headed mistakes. Every fumble, interception, sack and penalty has extra weight when your very familiar opponent is also accustomed to going the full 15 rounds. In a heavy weight fight like this, the Ravens cannot give themselves a knockout punch.

Happy holidays Ravens Flock! Keep it tuned to Ebony Bird before and after the Ravens clash with the Steelers. We will get you ready for the game every single time!