News, notes and all of today’s Week 8 matchups
The fierce NFL rivalry between the Steelers and Ravens lost some of its luster last year when Pittsburgh stumbled to the finish without injured quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Baltimore swept the Steelers, capping a 14-2 regular season by playing its backups in a 28-10 rout. The Ravens had already clinched the top seed in the AFC, and Pittsburgh had only a faint hope of reaching the postseason with a victory.
Flash forward to today, when Roethlisberger and the Steelers (60) face the surging Ravens (5-1) in a showdown for first place in the AFC North.
Now that’s more like it.
” You should anticipate it being a physical and rough and tumble game because history tells us that,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “I think how the two teams are playing this year also gives you that indication.”
Pittsburgh has the league’s topranked defense and is the lone remaining undefeated team in the NFL with help from Roethlisberger, who’s as sharp as ever in his return from an elbow injury. The Ravens have won three in a row and own the top rushing attack in the league.
The stakes are high in the renewal of arguably the best rivalry in the NFL. Baltimore linebacker Pernell Mcphee was a participant in the age- old clash between the Packers and Bears, which he insists is a distant second.
“What makes it better than the Bears and Green Bay is that they’re not physical. That conference isn’t physical like the AFC North,” Mcphee said. “They haven’t had the history with defensive players like the AFC North. It’s just two great organizations going against each other. It’s going to be a fistfight from play one to the last play.”
Ravens cornerback. Jimmy Smith echoed thed sentiment, noting, “It’s still the No. 1 circled, red- dot game for us.”
The Steelers have at least one sack in 63 straight games, the third-longest stretch in NFL history. The run began in Baltimore on Nov. 6, 2016, and includes a fivesack performance last season when Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson made his first start against the Steelers.
“It can’t just be one guy, one cowboy just trying to do his own show,” Pittsburgh defensive lineman Cam Heyward said. “It requires a lot of guys not only sacrificing to do what’s good for the team but also just understanding that we have to have our rush lanes and we have to have the ability to cover up those big lanes, because you’re going to get torched if you don’t.”
Baltimore, meanwhile, has forced a turnover in 19 successive games, the longest active streak in the league.
Roethlisberger isn’t showing his age (38) or any lingering effects from the injury that ended his 2019 season after two games. He has completed 68% of his passes with 13 TDS and only four interceptions.
“It’s the best I’ve seen him. He’s always been great, but he’s locked in,” Ravens defensive tackle Calais Campbell said.
Roethlisberger is getting more playmakers involved, most of them on short, quick passes designed to move the chains and control the clock at the same time. Six players have been targeted at least 20 times through six games, and four players have led the team in receiving yards in a given game. It’s a trend Tomlin admits is by design.
“No question, we go into the game with an understanding of who may have an opportunity to have a big day from a matchup or schematic standpoint,” he said.
The Ravens’ offense and reigning MVP Jackson have not reached the level of effectiveness they showed last year, when they led the league in scoring. The running game is sound, but Baltimore ranks 31st in passing.
“It’s not as bad as everyone thinks it is. It’s not as great as it was maybe last year, but we’re right there,” tight end Mark Andrews said. “This last half of the season is going to be really big for us, and I’m confident in our ability to throw the ball, as well as run the ball.”
Jackson said, “I’m with Mark.”
PATRIOTS AT BILLS
If ever the Bills are going to put aside the torture that has been their matchups with the Patriots for nearly two decades, it’s now. The Patriots have won seven straight in the series and are 35-5 against the Bills since Bill Belichick took over as coach in 2000. Tom Brady was 32-3 against Buffalo and set the NFL record for most wins against one opponent. New England’s 76 wins over the Bills are their most against anyone. But these Patriots have dropped three in a row, struggling in all phases on the field and the sideline. Not that the Bills are setting the NFL afire. Buffalo has combined for 51 points, 998 yards and 692 yards passing in the past three games. In Buffalo’s first four games, the offense generated 123 points, 1,639 yards and 1,326 yards passing.
VIKINGS AT PACKERS
This usually is a prime NFC North game. Obviously not in 2020 with the Vikings floundering. The Packers have won the past three matchups, with the 43-34 victory in the season opener indicative of where these teams were headed. Packers coach Matt Lafleur is 8-0 in NFC North games. That doesn’t mean Aaron Rodgers is complacent about facing Minnesota. “Anytime you play a Mike Zimmer team, you’ve got to be ready for everything,” Rodgers says.
COWBOYS AT EAGLES
Lots of stats comparing these two disappointments, but more appropriate would be the attitudes in Dallas (timid, even passive) and Philly (resourceful and aggressive). Sure, both sides have experienced major injuries, with the Eagles missing nearly half their starters and the Cowboys down to a third-string quarterback if No. 2 Andy Dalton (concussion) can’t go. At least the Eagles have shown some grit in the face of adversity. As for the stats, the Cowboys are last in turnover margin (minus-13) and giveaways (16), and tied for last in takeaways (3) and interceptions (1). They’ve allowed the most points in the NFL, 34.7 per game. The Eagles might have found a keeper in WR Travis Fulgham, who has 357 yards receiving since playing his first game in Week 4— the most in the first four games with the Eagles since Terrell Owens had 364 in 2004.
CHARGERS AT BRONCOS
The least of the division games, with both of these clubs also-rans in the AFC West. The Chargers have lost seven consecutive AFC West games, but rookie Justin Herbert’s 308.4 passing yards per game lead the AFC. Former Chargers RB Melvin Gordon leads the Broncos in rushing yards (349) and touchdowns (five) but he also has three fumbles, two last week.
RAMS AT DOLPHINS
Tua Time. Strange timing, perhaps, considering the havoc Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd could cause in the starting debut of QB Tua Tagovailoa. But coach Brian Flores opted to make the move during Miami’s bye week even though Ryan Fitzpatrick was on a hot streak. The Dolphins are on pace for their highest-scoring season since 1986, averaging 26.7 points per game.
JETS AT CHIEFS
Can a 19-point spread seem too low? In this case, probably. The Jets gained 4 total yards in the second half last week against Buffalo. Sam Darnold returned from a shoulder injury and was sacked six times. Chiefs coach Andy Reid can tie Curly Lambeau (229) for the fifth-most wins in NFL history. QB Patrick Mahomes has thrown a TD pass in 18 consecutive games, the longest streak in franchise history and currently the longest string in the NFL. Anyone want to bet the Jets will get in the way of Reid or Mahomes?
COLTS AT LIONS
Although QB Philip Rivers has been sacked a league-low six times, look for the Colts to establish Jonathan Taylor in the run game against a leaky run defense ranked 26th. Detroit has won consecutive games for the first time in more than a year, but needed yet another unfathomable collapse by Atlanta to do so. Matthew Stafford led the 36th game-winning drive of his career against the Falcons.
TITANS AT BENGALS
Two clubs in need of a defensive makeover, but at least the Titans have overcome those shortcomings: Tennessee has won four games with a scoring drive in the final two minutes of regulation or overtime. Cincinnati can’t stop the run, and even good defenses struggle with Titans star RB Derrick Henry. At least top overall draft selection Joe Burrow is producing, with five 300-yard games. He’s the first rookie in league history to do that in seven games.
SAINTS AT BEARS
The Saints have won five straight in this series. Alvin Kamara leads the NFL with 824 yards from scrimmage, an average of 137.3 per game, and Drew Brees is heating up even without No. 1 target Michael Thomas. The Bears rank 29th in yards per game and 27th in scoring (19.7 points), and their ground game is virtually nonexistent. Their defense wore down when Chicago was pummeled by the Rams on Monday night.