NFL Premium Review: Ravens vs. Steelers in Week 12

1. With Big Ben turning back the clock, anything’s possible for Pittsburgh

There was uncertainty looming over Pittsburgh when QB Ben Roethlisberger was preparing to make his return after spending a year recovering from an elbow injury that sidelined him all of 2019. Twelve weeks in, that uncertainly is nowhere to be found as the Steelers sit atop the NFL with a perfect 11-0 record.

Big Ben has looked refreshed and is arguably playing the best football in his career as he’s commanding the Steel City offense to a historic year in PIT’s franchise history. On top of his rejuvenated play, Roethlisberger is highly experienced in the postseason and more than capable of leading a deep playoff run with the best defense in the league. 

2. Multiple ripple effects are sure to come from Bud Dupree’s season-ending injury

While not yet confirmed, the general consensus on Bud Dupree’s injury suffered against the Ravens is a torn ACL which would end his season. Should this be the case, there could be more at stake for Pittsburgh than what meets the eye. Prior to 2020, Dupree signed a franchise tag to remain with the Steelers this year and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2021 after a disappointing season (according to PFF) that makes his breakout 2019 campaign look like a possible outlier. 

With a long road to recovery ahead, his roster spot is far from guaranteed next year and PIT will potentially let him walk rather than take a chance. Enter 2020 3rd round pick Alex Highsmith, who is likely to take over Dupree’s duties in his absence and will be given a chance to shine in this new opportunity now that T.J. Watt will most likely be double-teamed much more now, which could hurt his DPOY chances down the stretch. The Steelers defense as a whole has been a premier unit with Dupree but have the pieces in place to overcome the injury just like they did when Devin Bush went out. 

3. From Super Bowl favorites to on the cusp of missing the expanded playoffs

The Ravens were faced with a daunting task this week after several starters were placed on the reserve-COVID list and deemed out for this pivotal game in their season. Though putting up a valiant effort, the Steelers were just too much to handle and Baltimore is now in an even deeper hole than before. While not all hope is lost, BAL will basically have to win out to keep its playoff dreams alive and hope teams like Cleveland and Indianapolis slip up somewhere down the road to increase its chances of not being left on the outside looking in. 

Even though players such as Lamar Jackson could return for Week 13, it’s more likely that BAL will be without a majority of its starters for at least another week, making a playoff run that much more challenging. This Ravens team entered the season with a lot of hype and it was less than a year ago when Vegas considered them the Super Bowl favorites entering the 2020 postseason after a 14-2 regular season. Now it seems like everything is falling apart from things they can control (passing offense, beating good teams, consistent defense, etc.) and things they can’t (COVID, key injuries, weather vs. NE).