PITTSBURGH — One of the greatest rivalries in the NFL is renewed in prime time as the Ravens take on Pittsburgh at Heinz Field.
Needing a victory to remain one game ahead of Buffalo and Los Angeles for the final wild-card spot in the AFC, the Ravens (7-5) are aiming for revenge after the Steelers (10-2) handled them easily in a 26-9 final at M&T Bank Stadium on Oct. 1. Of course, the defense was without defensive tackle Brandon Williams in that game as Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell rushed for 144 yards on 35 carries.
Pittsburgh will clinch the AFC North division title with a win on Sunday night.
Baltimore has officially deactivated outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith, who missed practices all week with a shoulder injury and was designated as doubtful to play. His absence likely means more snaps for rookies Tyus Bowser and Tim Williams in the rotation behind starters Terrell Suggs and Matt Judon.
As expected, wide receiver Jeremy Maclin (back) is active despite being listed as questionable on the final injury report. The veteran missed Thursday’s practice, but he was a full participant a day later as head coach John Harbaugh made it clear that his availability wasn’t in real jeopardy.
Wide receiver Breshad Perriman is a healthy scratch for the third time in four games, the continuation of a nightmare season for the 2015 first-round pick.
Rookie defensive end Chris Wormley is active for the first time since Week 9, giving the Ravens another pass-rushing option in sub packages with Smith unavailable. Rookie cornerback Jaylen Hill is also active for the first time since the Tennessee game as he essentially takes the injured Jimmy Smith’s game-day roster spot.
The Steelers are hurting at inside linebacker with 2016 Pro Bowl selection Ryan Shazier (back) and top backup Tyler Matakevich (shoulder) both ruled out on Friday. As a result, outside linebacker Arthur Moats is expected to shift inside to play next to Vince Williams.
Sunday’s referee is Walt Coleman.
According to Weather.com, the Sunday forecast in Pittsburgh calls for cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 30s with winds averaging around 12 miles per hour and no chance of precipitation.
The Ravens are wearing their white jerseys with black pants, the first time they’ve worn that uniform combination since the Week 3 debacle in London. Pittsburgh will be donning black tops with gold pants.
Sunday marks the 48th overall meeting between these AFC North rivals with the Steelers enjoying a slight 23-20 advantage in the regular season and a 3-1 edge in postseason encounters. The Ravens are trying to avoid being swept by Pittsburgh for the first time since 2008, which was Harbaugh’s first season in Baltimore.
Below are Sunday’s inactives:
BALTIMORE
WR Breshad Perriman
RB Terrance West
CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste
OL Jermaine Eluemunor
OL Maurquice Shakir
LB Za’Darius Smith
DE Bronson Kaufusi
PITTSBURGH
QB Joshua Dobbs
CB Joe Haden
S J.J. Wilcox
LB Tyler Matakevich
LB Ryan Shazier
OT Matt Feiler
DT Daniel McCullers
