The AFC North just keeps delivering drama, and the Baltimore Ravens are right back in the thick of it.
After a humbling Thanksgiving loss to the Bengals knocked them off the top of the division, Baltimore didn’t have to wait long for a lifeline. Thanks to the Steelers’ loss to the Bills on Sunday, the Ravens now sit back atop the AFC North - not by record, but by tiebreaker. And with just five games left in the regular season, every inch of ground matters.
But Pittsburgh’s loss didn’t just help the Ravens in the standings - it may have handed them the game plan for their critical Week 14 matchup.
Steelers’ Run Defense Gets Exposed - and the Blueprint Is Clear
Let’s not sugarcoat it: both the Ravens and Steelers are coming off rough outings. Baltimore got hit hard in a 32-14 loss to Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh didn’t fare much better, falling 26-7 to Buffalo. But while the scoreboard tells part of the story, the tape tells the rest - and what it shows should have the Ravens licking their chops.
The Bills didn’t beat the Steelers through the air. They didn’t need to.
They simply ran the ball - and ran it often. Buffalo rolled up 249 rushing yards on the day, led by James Cook’s 32 carries for 144 yards.
Backup Ray Davis chipped in 62 yards on just nine carries, and even Josh Allen got involved with eight rushes for 38 yards of his own. The Steelers knew the run was coming, and still couldn’t stop it.
That’s the kind of vulnerability Baltimore can’t afford to ignore.
Derrick Henry Needs to Be the Centerpiece
If there was ever a time to unleash Derrick Henry, it’s now. This is the stretch of the season where bruising backs take over - when cold-weather football becomes a battle of attrition, and the team that controls the ground game controls the clock, the tempo, and often the scoreboard.
And yet, in Week 13, Henry saw just 10 carries. That’s not going to cut it. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken will need to rethink that approach quickly, because the Steelers just showed they can be worn down by a persistent, physical ground attack.
Henry may not be posting the video-game numbers we saw in 2024, but he’s still producing at a high level. With 931 rushing yards and an average of 4.7 yards per carry - good for fifth and tied for 12th in the league respectively among backs with 100+ carries - he’s more than capable of carrying the load.
And in a game like this, he should be seeing 20 carries at minimum. Realistically?
25 or more.
But Henry doesn’t have to do it alone. Keaton Mitchell has shown flashes this season and should absolutely be part of the equation. Between the two of them, Baltimore has the tools to replicate what Buffalo did - and maybe even improve on it.
Don’t Get Cute - Stick to What Works
Yes, Pittsburgh’s pass defense is ranked 28th in the league. Yes, that might tempt some coordinators to air it out.
But the Ravens can’t afford to get away from what’s working league-wide against this defense. The Steelers’ run defense sits middle of the pack - 17th in the NFL, allowing 117.7 rushing yards per game - but that’s a bit misleading.
When teams commit to the run, as Buffalo did, Pittsburgh struggles to hold up.
This isn’t the time to get fancy. It’s December.
It’s AFC North football. And it’s a must-win game that could define Baltimore’s season.
The Ravens and Steelers will see each other again in Week 18, but this one sets the tone. A win here doesn’t just give Baltimore breathing room - it puts them in the driver’s seat for the division.
So the assignment for Week 14 is simple: run the ball. Run it early, run it often, and run it with purpose.
Derrick Henry is built for games like this. The blueprint is there.
Now it’s up to the Ravens to follow it.