The Baltimore Ravens have looked the part of a Super Bowl contender for most of the 2024 NFL season, though they find themselves sitting in second place in the AFC North.
The Ravens trail the Pittsburgh Steelers for the No. 1 spot in the division heading into their Week 16 matchup.
Not many analysts or fans expected Pittsburgh to be where it is now, so it’s a testament to head coach Mike Tomlin for being able to put the team in a position to win the AFC North and make the playoffs.
The pivotal matchup is likely to be a grind-it-out sort of game, as history has shown.
The teams are quite familiar with each other, and with the high stakes, it’ll be hard to predict what will happen.
However, one analyst believes this is no longer a heated rivalry like it used to be because the Steelers have dominated the head-to-head record the past few years.
“Eight of the nine games have been won by the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Chris Canty said on “First Take.”
.@chriscanty99 says that Ravens-Steelers is no longer a rivalry game ?
"Eight of the nine games have been won by the Pittsburgh Steelers." pic.twitter.com/QQyCwkzGV4
— First Take (@FirstTake) December 20, 2024
Canty explained that Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has struggled against the Steelers defense, leading him to believe even more that the teams have moved past their bitter rivalry.
Though Jackson may have his troubles performing against Pittsburgh, expect the two-time NFL MVP and his teammates to give it everything they have.
NEXT: Lamar Jackson Could Make NFL History This Season
