If it makes you feel better, you can rest in knowing that we arrived exactly where we said we were supposed to. The Baltimore Ravens visit the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18. The AFC North is on the line. Wild horses weren’t going to keep Lamar Jackson from playing. After being a full participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday, he offered his own prognosis. “I’m playing”.
He and his teammates hope he can recapture some of the magic. Pittsburgh is again without DK Metcalf, as he continues serving a suspension for going ‘Hulk Smash’ on a fan.
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Stop us if you have heard this a time or two. The winner of this game earns a playoff berth. The loser earns the right to ask questions about ‘what could have been’. Here’s how we see this one unfolding.
Lamar Jackson throws two touchdown passes.
We’ve been waiting on that magical Lamar Jackson performance. It’s been a while, unless we’re counting his return vs. the Miami Dolphins. He knows this Steelers team well, though, and despite not being gone long, he returns to a team that’s better than the one he left.
Familiarity plays a part here. So does the knowledge that Pittsburgh sometimes falls asleep behind the wheel.
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Jackson has lacked some of the action as of late. Still, with everything that is on the line in this one, his best can be expected. Figure two touchdown passes in this one.
Derrick Henry rushes for 150 yards and a touchdown.
If you thought Lamar Jackson was hesitant about running before, wait until you see him after exiting a game early with a back contusion.
Truth be told, Jackson is one of the best dual threats we have ever seen. Still, we’d rather he leave the running to running backs in this one.
The top goal here is to win, but the secondary goal is to get everyone to the playoffs as healthy as possible. Henry is coming off one of the best performances we have ever seen from him.
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This isn’t hard. The Ravens need to ride the hot hand. Let The King carry you into the postseason.
Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely combined for a dozen receptions.
Mark Andrews and Lamar Jackson have basically grown up together. Isaiah Likely is the gifted youngster who, as you know, missed some time with an injury.
Both have been favorite targets of Jackson’s. Both figure to play significant roles here.
We’re calling for a dozen catches between them. You can argue among yourselves about how they are split.
The secondary forces two turnovers.
In games like this, big plays are needed. The Ravens’ secondary has done a good job of forcing turnovers. They do so again here.
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Baltimore could really use some extra possessions in this game, so let’s aim for two as a solid number and expectation. Two forced fumbles, two interceptions, or even a combination of an interception and a forced fumble would be ideal. It doesn’t matter what form it takes.
Aaron Rodgers is limited to fewer than 250 yards passing.
As great as he has been over his career, Aaron Rodgers’ twilight years have seen him look more mortal. He was at times befuddled during Pittsburgh’s loss to the Cleveland Browns, setting up this Waterloo moment.
We won’t go so far as to say the Browns exposed the Steelers’ offense. There was, however, a lot to see in the Browns’ performance that the Ravens can mimic.
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Rodgers will make plays, but Baltimore will make more. The Ravens are road favorites as they should be.
In the end, Baltimore’s fans will be happy with what they see from Zach Orr’s unit. Prepare for a nice tune-up and confidence builder as the Ravens turn the page to the NFL Playoffs with a win in Pittsburgh by one score or less. Prediction: Ravens 27, Steelers 24
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Ravens vs. Steelers: Bold predictions for the battle for the AFC North
