PLAYER NOTES
–LB C.J. Mosley (thigh) did not practice Wednesday. He appeared to be hampered by the injury Week 8 against Carolina. If Mosley cannot play against the Steelers, the Ravens could be challenged to contain RB James Conner, who has three straight 100-yard games. Conner was held to 19 yards in the first meeting against the Ravens.
–LT Ronnie Stanley (ankle) was not able to practice Wednesday. He suffered the injury Week 8 against Carolina when quarterback Joe Flacco rolled on him during a sack. Stanley was able to return to the game.
–OLB Tim Williams (ankle) was wearing A walking boot at practice Wednesday. It’s not clear when he suffered the injury. Williams missed the game Week 5 against the Browns with a hamstring injury.
–CB Marlon Humphrey (thigh) was not practicing Wednesday after missing his second straight game Week 8 against the Panthers. He suffered the injury during practice almost two weeks ago. Humphrey has been the Ravens’ top cornerback this season, and the team has struggled in his absence.
–G Alex Lewis (neck) was held out of practice Wednesday after being ruled inactive against the Panthers in Week 8. Lewis was able to practice last week. He also did not play the prior game against the Saints after suffering a pinched nerve the against the Titans in Week 6.
–RT James Hurst (back) was not able to practice this week after missing his second consecutive game against the Panthers. The offensive line struggled in Hurst’s absence allowing two costly sacks and seven quarterback hits against the Panthers.
–G Bradley Bozeman (calf) was still not able to practice Wednesday. He was ruled inactive against the Panthers. He got his first career start Week 7 against the Saints for the injured Alex Lewis. Bozeman, a rookie sixth-round pick from Alabama, had to leave that game in the fourth quarter with an injured left calf. Bozeman was able to finish the game, but the injury has continued to hamper him.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: TE Hayden Hurst. Ravens offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg wants to get Hurst more involved in the offense. The rookie first-round pick missed the first four games of the season with a foot injury and has struggled to get into sync since his return. Hurst did play a season-high 30 snaps in Week 8 against the Panthers. He has just three receptions for 36 yards with a touchdown. Hurst will need to raise his game over the second half of the season.
GAME PLAN: The Ravens offense has sputtered since teams have adjusted by taking away opportunities for quarterback Joe Flacco to throw downfield. Pittsburgh is ranked 24th, allowing 265 yards passing per game. As a result, Flacco will once again look to go over the top to John Brown or Michael Crabtree to test that Steelers secondary. Brown caught three passes for a game-high 116 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown pass in the first meeting. Baltimore will need to keep its passing game revved up because the team has struggled to get its running game on track with Alex Collins and Javorius Allen sharing the load. The Ravens will need to get more out of these players to keep the Steelers’ dynamic offense off the field.
The Ravens are still ranked in the top five for overall defense, but they have struggled over the last two games against the Saints and Panthers. Baltimore is No. 1 with 27 sacks and that will be key against Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who has already thrown for 2,290 yards with 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Pittsburgh also a pair of talented receivers — JuJu Smith-Schuster and Antonio Brown — and two tight ends — Jesse James and Vance McDonald — that can break open a game. The Ravens are 10-1 when they hold Pittsburgh to 20 points or fewer since 2011, but 0-5 when the Steelers score more than 20 points.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
–Ravens secondary vs. Steelers WR Antonio Brown. Since making headlines for getting into a sideline argument with offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner, Brown has turned his focus back to football and is playing exceptionally well. He leads the league with eight touchdowns and has historically come up with big plays against Baltimore. The Ravens have struggled with CB Marlon Humphrey out of the lineup the last two games with a thigh injury. They could be in big trouble if he is not available this game. Fellow CBs Jimmy Smith has struggled since returning from a four-game suspensions and Brandon Carr has also played unevenly.
–Ravens QB Joe Flacco vs. Steelers LB T.J. Watt. Watt is tied for eighth in the league with seven sacks and has been a constant force for the Steelers. His goal will be to keep constant pressure on Flacco, who is prone to mistakes. The Ravens’ offensive line has dealt with several injuries and Flacco has been sacked 14 times this season. Flacco was sacked twice in the first meeting between the teams, and Pittsburgh will likely need to add to that total to win this game.
