Game Overview ::
By papy324 >>
- The notable injuries for the Steelers early in the week are Najee Harris (DNP), Donte Jackson (DNP), and Alex Highsmith (DNP).
- The notable injuries for the Ravens are Kyle Hamilton (DNP) and Isaiah Likely (LP).
- Lamar Jackson has been the best fantasy performer of the year but his matchup on the road against the Steelers couldn’t be any tougher.
- Derrick Henry has looked rejuvenated with the Ravens but he also draws a difficult matchup on the road.
- The Ravens throw to a lot of different pass catchers and there is added uncertainty as to how Diontae Johnson will be deployed.
- Mark Andrews played the most snaps of the season last week with Likely sidelined.
- Russell Wilson has given the Steelers offense a boost in real life but he isn’t throwing enough to generate big fantasy scores.
- Najee Harris is in a timeshare with Jaylen Warren. They both get work in Arthur Smith’s RB-centric offense but they both draw a miserable matchup on the ground against the Ravens.
- George Pickens has the best matchup on the Steelers against a Ravens defense that has been torched by WR1s.
- The Steelers defense is very cheap for an elite unit, playing at home, in a division rivalry game.
How Baltimore Will Try To Win ::
The 7-3 Ravens come into Week 11 fresh off their second dramatic victory over the Bengals. The Ravens won the first meeting in OT (after Cincy missed a game-winning FG), and their second meeting on a failed two-point conversion attempt (with multiple uncalled facemasks). It’s incredible to think how different the standings would look if the Ravens had lost either of those games, but in our timeline, the AFC North is a two-horse race between Baltimore and Pittsburgh. John Harbaugh has long been one of the best coaches in the league, and his impact on the success of Lamar Jackson isn’t talked about enough. It’s easy to forget statuesque Joe Flacco was the Ravens QB for a large portion of Harbaugh’s tenure, even winning a Super Bowl. The truth is that Flacco was never more than league average. What’s remarkable is that making Flacco successful required a totally different style of offense than what the Ravens have run with Jackson. There aren’t many coaches who are able to adapt their entire style of play to fit their QB’s strengths. It’s much more common for a coach to say, “I need the right player for my system” then it is for a coach to say, “I’ll make the right system for my player.” Jackson was raw when he entered the league but Harbaugh’s system made the most of his legs and allowed him time to develop as a passer. We’ll never know how Lamar would have turned out had he been drafted by a different team but there is a real chance the only difference between Lamar becoming an MVP or becoming Justin Fields is getting drafted by John Harbaugh.
The Ravens play slow (28th in seconds per play) and favor the run (28th in PROE). They profile as a grind-it-out offense but don’t let the above numbers fool you, the Ravens have been the best offense in the league. They have been putting up yards in bunches and have been equally dominant through the air as on the ground (first in both in DVOA). To put into perspective just how good the Ravens offense has been, they lead the league with a positive 38% overall DVOA value. The Commanders are second with a positive 21% value. The rest of the top ten have between a 17%-10% positive DVOA value. Wow. It’s not like they’re putting up a bunch of hollow yards either. They also lead the league in points (318). The Ravens offense has been the best in the league and it’s not particularly close. This week will be a tough test, on the road, in a rivalry game against a stingy Steelers defense that has allowed the second fewest points (146). The Steelers are tough against the pass (10th in DVOA) and the run (9th in DVOA). The Steelers also sport a fierce pass rush led by perennial defensive player of the year candidate T.J. Watt. The Ravens O-line has been good (11th ranked by PFF) making the pass blocking battle a strength-on-strength matchup. The Ravens tend to play close-to-the-vest games against the Steelers but this is a more explosive Ravens team than they’ve had in the past. Expect Baltimore to try and score but with a willingness to play more conservatively if the game flow seems like it’s going to be low scoring.
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