Category: NFL Football

Come and join this merry band of Steelers’ faithful for some lively debate about our Steelers, good food, music, and the merits of the odd cold beverage.

Live from Delaware, it’s Saturday Night! I, NAS204PSU, am here to bring you this Saturday Night Open Thread (aka SNOT).

This is pre-written, but hopefully we are all basking in the glory of locking up the division after sweeping the Ravens. If not, stay away from ledges, edges, and bridges (especially Jeff).

Tonight #9 Tennessee take on #8 Ohio State (8PM eastern ABC/ESPN) in the first round of the FBS playoffs. Here’s hoping the Volunteers can all pull together and crack the Buckeyes’ nuts tonight.

This 6 pack of questions is here to get the conversation going is below, also let us know what you’re eating/drinking!

1. What did the Ravens game tell you about our Steelers this year:
   A) SOS=Same Old Steelers
   B) DELTA=this years team is different
   C) FDR= we’re Feeling DangeRuss
   D) Write in:__________

2. How big of a Christmas gift would it be to have Carson Wentz be the QB for our KC-Wednesday-Holiday game? Use the scale below:
Tiny=gift card
Small=$20 white elephant gift
Medium= video game/book you wanted
Large= big screen TV
Huge= Steelers season tickets

3.Lots of NFL teams have made QB changes this past week:
OUT= Winston (CLE) Cousins (ATL), Levis(TEN), Devito (NYG).
IN: DTR(CLE), Penix(ATL), Rudolph (TEN), Lock(NYG)
Which of these changes actually helps the team in the long run, if any?

4. The 12 team CFB will be 3 games deep when this posts. What are your thoughts so far? Good? Bad?

5. Traditional Christmas food in my family is Smith’s ham, pierogis, haluski, with desserts of nut rolls and sugar cookies. What is peak Christmas cuisine for you and yours?

6. Give your top 5 Christmas songs. If you’re a grinch, just give 5 songs you love that not enough people have heard!

BONUS: Die Hard is a Christmas movie!

The Pittsburgh Steelers had an opportunity to clinch the AFC North with a win against the Baltimore Ravens. Unfortunately, they didn’t take advantage, losing a road game against the Baltimore Ravens — their second loss against the Ravens over their last 10 matchups.

It was a rocky first half for the black and gold, entering halftime down 17-10 to the Ravens, unable to stop much of anything, as star RB Derrick Henry had his way with 75 rushing yards and Lamar Jackson punctuating matters with two passing touchdowns to boot — one to Isaiah Likely and another to Rashod Bateman, despite having just 89 total passing yards over the first two quarters.

The Steelers came back in the second half — briefly, tying it up 17-17 with an 88-yard drive resulting in a 12-yard moonball from Russell Wilson to Cordarrelle Patterson. Unfortunately, the Ravens answered pretty quickly after that with a 60-yard touchdown of their own to take back the lead, 24-17.

It appeared as though momentum was shifting, too, as Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted Jackson in the first drive of the fourth quarter, but unfortunately, Pittsburgh handed it right back with a pick-six from Marlon Humphrey on a target from Wilson to TE MyCole Pruitt. 31-17, Ravens.

It was as a game of what could have been, as two costly turnovers (a fumble and pick six) from Wilson shifted momentum in the other direction.

The Steelers do have a path to win the AFC North with a tie breaker over the ravens, both 10-4 coming out of Week 16. The Steelers will host the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day.

Do the Steelers come back to clinch the division after this loss? Commiserate with your fellow Steelers fans in the comments!

Okay, that first half didn’t go quite as planned… but all things considered, it could have been worse. It feels as though the Steelers are down about 45 points, but it’s only seven, despite their lack of playmakers on defense. So… onto the second half!

How are you feeling, Steelers fans? What’s your final score prediction?

More hits keep coming for the Pittsburgh Steelers on the injury front — this time for wide receiver Ben Skowronek, questionable to return to Sunday’s contest against the Baltimore Ravens with a hip injury, Burt Lauten of Steelers PR reported.

Skowrenek was the team’s leading receiver at the point of his exit from the game, catching each of his two targets for 25 receiving yards, including a crucial eight-yard catch to convert on third down on the team’s touchdown drive. He was able to exit the field and head to the locker room under his own power.

The team has been notoriously short at receiver all season long, even when fully healthy, but without star wideout George Pickens, the loss feels especially impactful after his contributions to start the game. He’s totaled just three catches for 44 receiving yards this year with the Steelers over eight games active.

Skowrenek’s biggest contributions have been on special teams this season, including a monster fumble recovery against the Washington Commanders, which set up the ensuing touchdown from Russell Wilson to Pat Freiermuth.

More bad news for the Steelers defense

The Pittsburgh Steelers defense entered Week 16 in dire straights on the injury front, and the bad just got worse, as second-year cornerback Joey Porter Jr. exited the game with a calf injury. He is questionable to return, Burt Lauten of Steelers PR announced.

Porter sustained the injury with just over six minutes left in the first quarter on a tackle against RB Derrick Henry, who amassed 52 rushing yards over the Ravens’ first two drives.

Front Page Edition

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens First Half Open Thread

Don’t forget to tell us your preparation for today’s Steelers game.

Tough sledding for the black and gold…

We’re just under 90 minutes out from kickoff of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 16 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, and both teams have officially announced their gameday inactives.

Here’s a look at the Steelers inactives for Week 16’s rematch against the Ravens.

Steelers inactives Week 16

• QB Justin Fields (abdominal)
• WR George Pickens (hamstring)
• S DeShon Elliott (hamstring)
• CB Donte Jackson (back)
• DT Larry Ogunjobi (groin)

The Steelers are down several playmakers in this game on both offense and defense. As expected, Steelers QB Justin Fields, WR George Pickens and S DeShon Elliott are out, having been ruled out ahead of this matchup. However, two of their questionable players, CB Donte Jackson and DT Larry Ogunjobi are both inactive in this matchup, putting some big concern on the defensive side of the ball to contain Lamar Jackson & Co.

The Steelers played Week 15’s contest against the Philadelphia Eagles without Elliott and Ogunjobi, but Jackson’s departure took place mid-game.

Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick played more snaps at strong safety in that game, while Damontae Kazee filled in with snaps at free safety. On the defensive line, Dean Lowry saw the biggest bump in snaps, playing 46% of defensive snaps after being inactive in Week 14. Montravius Adams also got a chunk of snaps at 35% with some rotation from Isaiahh Loudermilk (33%).

Notably, Jackson’s inactive status has paved the way for a return for Cory Trice Jr., active for the first time since Week 3, when he suffered a hamstring injury that landed him on IR. Last week, CB James Pierre played the bulk of snaps in Jackson’s relief with five total tackles. Pierre also notched an 18-yard interception in Week 14 against Jameis Winston.

Kyle Allen will back up starting QB Russell Wilson, without an emergency third QB.

Given that the Steelers will play their next game on Wednesday, December 25 (one of two games on the Christmas Day slate), the Steelers’ approach of caution seems understandable, though the absence of key playmakers does make their chances of clinching a division title all the more grim.

Ravens inactives Week 16

• CB Jalyn Armour-Davis (hamstring)
• WR Nelson Agholor (concussion)
• S Marcus Williams
• RB Keaton Mitchell
• C Nick Samac
• OLB Adisa Isaac

The Baltimore Ravens entered Week 16 with concerns about their wide receiver position. WR3 Nelson Agholor was ruled out with a concussion, having played just over 45% of offensive snaps this year behind Zay Flowers and WR Rashod Bateman. Bateman entered this game as questionable with a foot injury, having been limited in Wednesday’s practice and sitting out on Thursday. The team got the news that he intended to play barring a setback during warms, Ian Rapoport reported, and he’s now officially active.

Among those who were questionable for the Ravens ahead of this game and are active are starting RG Daniel Faalele (knee) and OLB Odafe Oweh (ankle).

The Ravens will also be without cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis, out with a hamstring injury, though his loss is one of depth. He’s played an intermittent role on special teams this season but hasn’t played since Week 13.

There’s no doubt that the Ravens have the edge in terms of health ahead of this matchup. Baltimore sits as a 7-point home favorite for Week 16.

We asked. You answered.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for a rematch against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16 … unfortunately without their top wide receiver, George Pickens, without safety DeShon Elliott (who’s arguably having an All-Pro campaign in his first year with the team) and potentially without cornerback Donte Jackson, who’s questionable with a nagging back injury. So naturally, coming off a loss against the Philadelphia Eagles and heading straight into a matchup with one of the league’s most prominent offenses, these circumstances begged a couple of questions:

Earlier this week, we polled fans about their confidence in the direction the team is heading and where the team’s greatest weakness lies on the roster. Here’s what they had to say.

Fan confidence is as low as it’s been since Russell Wilson took over at QB

Generally speaking, Russell Wilson’s tenure as a starting quarterback for the Steelers has been excellent for fan confidence, with 90% or more of fans expressing confidence in the team’s direction ahead of all but two matchups since he took over (coming off Week 12’s loss against the Browns and now, coming off a loss against Philly). One can assume that a win over the almighty Ravens would have fan confidence floating right back up in the 90’s again, given that a win would clinch the AFC North.

Fans acknowledge that WR is the greatest weakness

This may have been an obvious choice, but it still felt like a question worth asking given some of the recent struggles in the secondary. 55% of fans pinned wide receiver as the Steelers’ greatest roster weakness, while 22% of fans indicated offensive line, 20% indicated the secondary and just 3% indicated quarterback.

Wide receiver has already been touted frequently as the team’s greatest weakness, with GM Omar Khan facing widespread criticism for his lack of action to acquire more depth opposite George Pickens this offseason. Of course, it wasn’t for a lack of trying; Khan’s failed conquests included the pursuit of Brandon Aiyuk and Davante Adams, among others. Plus, there’s consideration of the fact that the trade of Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers for mere dimes on the dollar looks much better in hindsight after seeing how his year has panned out.

After a disastrous 2024 campaign, including high tensions after being traded to the Baltimore Ravens ahead of the deadline, Johnson was officially released Friday afternoon ahead of Baltimore’s game with the Steelers. He’ll run through waivers, as is the case for all NFL players after the trade deadline, which will clear Monday afternoon at 4 p.m. ET. Per ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, Johnson is expected to be claimed on waivers, with the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs among those teams rumored to have interest. Mum’s the word on the Steelers’ potential interest level in a possible reunion.

Given that Johnson is a free agent in 2025, one would assume he’d be claimed by a contender (or fringe contender) looking to make the playoffs. Here’s a look at the current draft order as it stands today, per Tankathon:

Quarterback sitting at 3% is another fascinating result in this poll, especially given some of the ups and downs on offense as of late. Still, with Russell Wilson on a one-year deal and set to potentially snag a large contract in the years to come, it seems likely that fans would welcome a second contract… as long as the price is right.

Most NFL fans polled are backing the Ravens to cover the spread (-6.5)

This means that most NFL fans who were polled are expecting the Ravens to win by a touchdown (or more).

Per Sport Radar, here’s a look at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ performance against the Ravens in their last nine matchups dating back to 2020:

• The Steelers are 6-0 as underdogs
• Pittsburgh has covered the spread in 7 of 9 matchups total, and ALL 6 of their matchups as underdogs
• 8 of 9 matchups have hit the UNDER

Avoiding Chores Edition

(10) SMU vs (4) Penn; PSU -8.5: 12:00am ET

Houston @ KC; KC -3.5: 1:00pm ET

Let us know which teams and what players you’re watching today.

We go over the lines on FanDuel Sportsbook and pick out our favorite player prop bets to consider for the Steelers’ Week 16 rematch against the Ravens.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are heading into Baltimore in Week 16 for their second annual rumble with the Ravens. Here are a few of our favorite player props to consider for the Steelers’ Week 16 rematch with the Ravens.

Chris Boswell OVER 6.5 kicking points (-130)

Those who bet on touchdown props probably won’t remember the Ravens’ last matchup with the black and gold all that fondly, as the match was a total field goal bonanza. The Steelers didn’t score a single tuddy all day, with kicker Chris Boswell accounting for every single one of their 18 points scored. He’s been a point of reliability this season, currently leading the league with 38 field goals scored and the opportunity to make NFL history this year, should he surpass David Akers’ record (44) set back in 2011 with the San Francisco 49ers.

Given the absence of star WR George Pickens in this game, it wouldn’t be particularly surprising to see the Steelers lean more heavily on their kicking game with Ol’ Reliable. Boswell has scored 7+ kicking points in all but three games this season, including each of the past five.

Jaylen Warren OVER 51.5 rush + receiving yards (-115)

The Steelers’ absence of playmakers (or potential limitations as they deal with injuries) on defense could tilt game script in favor of Jaylen Warren in Week 16, setting him up for another 52+ scrimmage yard outing. In fact, he’s hit this total in all but three matchups this season, with last week’s loss against the Philadelphia Eagles being the first time he’d missed this mark all the way dating back to Week 6. Week 15 was a bit of an oddity, marking the first time all year that the team didn’t yield 226+ net yards on offense, with a season-low 41 offensive plays run — the previous season-low for a single game had been 57 plays, back in Week 5. The Steelers are 7-point underdogs ahead of kickoff, and that should play into more opportunities for Warren, who’s established himself as the preferred passing-down back.

Lamar Jackson OVER 51.5 rushing yards (-110)

It’s no secret that Lamar Jackson is one of the best dual-threat QBs in the NFL. After all, he’s hit this rushing total in half of his games this season (and it’s a pretty darn high one). There’s some reason to believe he’ll hit it again in Week 16 against the Steelers. Though Pittsburgh has largely been proficient at containing rushing QBs this year, they head into this matchup without safety DeShon Elliott — a huge asset in run support — with two other starters on defense questionable, including CB Donte Jackson and DT Larry Ogunjobi. In their last meeting, Jackson totaled 46 rushing yards on just 4 attempts (11.5 YPA — a season-high). Expect his containment to be a bigger issue without Elliott on the field this go around.