OWINGS MILLS, Md. — This was always going to be a thankless regular season for the Ravens.
Even a historic 17-0 record would have prompted critics to reply, “That’s great, but what about January?”
That’s just reality when you’ve been so impressive in the regular season and nearly as disappointing in the playoffs over the course of the Lamar Jackson era.
Four months ago, the only truly bold prediction one could have made about a team perceived by many as the Super Bowl favorite was for the Ravens to miss the playoffs entirely. Little did anyone know at the time that it would require a late Christmas gift from the Cleveland Browns just to keep Baltimore alive ahead of the final week of the regular season.
To be clear, a victory over Pittsburgh on Sunday night to improve to 9-8 and win a mediocre AFC North doesn’t make this a successful season unless the Ravens go on to make real noise in the postseason. Arguing otherwise only lowers the bar and let’s the organization off the hook for mediocrity. But a win would serve as a reset for what’s been one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history to date and hold off increasingly loud criticism for John Harbaugh, speculation about Jackson, and doubts about an inconsistent offense and a poor pass defense for one more week at least.
January was always supposed to define this year’s Ravens, so perhaps it’s fitting that they get to begin the playoffs a week early with a winner-take-all showdown against their biggest rival.
In contrast, the Steelers entering Week 18 with a 9-7 record and a chance to win their way into the playoffs was about the best anyone reasonably expected from Mike Tomlin’s team before the season. That said, Pittsburgh is now in danger of choking away a two-game division lead in the final two weeks while the Ravens are coming off one of their most impressive wins of the season — with backup Tyler Huntley at quarterback, no less — in Green Bay last week.
8A loss for either side could carry franchise-altering consequences with so many Pittsburgh fans calling for Tomlin’s firing and more and more Ravens fans clamoring for a new head coach to lead a team that’s repeatedly fallen short in January despite having a two-time NFL MVP at quarterback. A victory won’t result in the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye, but the opportunity to be part of a playoff field that doesn’t include Kansas City or another apparent juggernaut is enough for observers to sit up and pay attention to the team that handles its business Sunday night.
In a January in which it feels like anything could happen in the AFC, the idea of the Ravens rebounding from a nightmare 1-5 start with a five-game winning streak, losing three of their next four, and finally rounding into form over the final two weeks to then exercise past postseason demons would be an incredible story.
Stranger things have happened, but it starts by beating the Steelers to get that chance to roll the dice.
Watt ready to go for Pittsburgh
A day after Jackson deemed himself ready to return from the back contusion that sidelined him last week, the Steelers revealed eight-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker and former NFL Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt will play Sunday night.
Sidelined for the last three games since undergoing surgery for a partially collapsed lung last month, Watt practiced fully Friday and does not carry a game status designation into Week 18. In fact, no one on Pittsburgh’s active roster carries one into the regular-season finale.
The Ravens officially listed cornerback Marlon Humphrey and wide receiver Rashod Bateman as questionable due to what Harbaugh described as “a pretty serious flu situation” for both, but the head coach remained optimistic that they’ll be ready to play by Sunday night. Bateman missed the entire practice week while Humphrey came down with the illness late in the week.
8Reserve defensive tackle Taven Bryan was also listed as questionable after being designated to return to practice from injured reserve last week. Baltimore would need to move Bryan to the 53-man roster by 4 p.m. Saturday for him to be eligible to play against the Steelers.
Below is the final injury report for Week 18:
BALTIMORE
QUESTIONABLE: WR Rashod Bateman (illness), DT Taven Bryan (knee), CB Marlon Humphrey (illness)
PITTSBURGH
none
