Previewing the Ravens vs. Steelers Week 5 Showdown

The Ravens hope to continue their winning ways on the road this season

The Baltimore Ravens look to sweep their divisional road game series by closing out with a win against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium.

Teams (Records)

Baltimore Ravens: 3-1

Pittsburgh Steelers: 2-2

Odds (Courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

Spread: Ravens -4.5
Over/Under: 39
Moneyline: Ravens -218; Steelers +180

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

Last 5 Games In Series

The Steelers have won four of the past five matchups against the Ravens.

Matchup History

The Steelers lead the all-time series 33-25.

Injury Report

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, cornerback Marlon Humphrey is expected to make his 2023 debut against the Steelers.

Who Plays, Who Doesn’t?

A big factor in Sunday’s game comes down to the health of the Ravens. Go figure. But, according to multiple players and reports, they’re expected to have multiple starters back on the gridiron, including safety Marcus Williams, wide receiver Rashod Bateman, and cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis.

Left tackle Ronnie Stanley and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. were asked this week if they expect to play against the Steelers. Both said they expect to, which could mean the Ravens are nearly full strength.

However, it’s unlikely the Ravens see right tackle Morgan Moses, which may prove to be problematic as edge rushers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith are the most likely duo on the Steelers roster to steal this game from the Ravens.

Determined Ravens Linebackers

Patrick Queen spoke to the media on Wednesday and brought up his paltry 1-5 record against the Steelers.

“Sitting at 1-5 against them. It’s not a good record at all,” Queen said. “We’re looking to change that. That’s been the talk. Just trying to catch back up on that record. And obviously all those games were decided by very few points and we know where we went wrong in those games. That’s what we’re leaning on now is just correcting our past mistakes.”

He wasn’t the only Ravens linebacker hungry to defeat their rival. Roquan Smith said he is keeping the mantra of not being a Raven until you beat the Steelers to this season, too.

“And I remember [from] last year; you’re not a Raven until you beat the Steelers. I carry that over into this year, as well,” Smith said. “I feel like this season is a totally new season, so I’m not a Raven this season until I beat the Steelers. That’s my mindset, [and] that’s me going through my preparation week in and week out. I take great pride in being a Raven, so I want to make sure I earn that right, as well.”

Running the Football Remains

The excitement of the passing offense has been shown, with quarterback Lamar Jackson boasting his best-ever completion percentage and the Ravens moving the ball through a more refined passing attack, but the running game hasn’t gone anywhere. But rather than it being at the forefront, it’s in tandem with the passing game. Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken shared his thoughts on the run game through four weeks.

“I still don’t believe you can control a game if you can’t effectively run the football. It’s hard to control a game. It is what it is,” Monken said. “It’s hard to stay ahead of the chains. We wanted to when we came in [to Baltimore in 2023] – trying to blend, in terms of the physicality, some assemblances of the same run game that you could carry over and still be able to do some things schematically to help that. I think our staff’s done a great job of that, and I think there’s a comfort level with the players in terms of some of the things that we’re doing.”