Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore Ravens Front 7 The X-Factor Against Steelers

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:21 p.m. ET

Fansided, Steve Rudden/FanSided via Ebony Bird

The Ravens head to Heinz Field to take on the Steelers in what will be another classic battle. Will the Ravens show up?

The Christmas Day game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers is going to be another classic. It seems like each and every game comes down to the wire and comes down to the final minutes.

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For the Ravens to win, the defensive line/linebackers need to be the x-factors. You could see how well they did in containing Le’Veon Bell in the first match-up this season.

Now that Elvis Dumervil is back on the field, it gives the Ravens defense a little more flexibility with their pass rush. Terrell Suggs isn’t double teamed as much when Dumervil is on the field as teams have to prepare for both those dynamic pass rushers.

The Ravens run defense took a step back against the Eagles last week. They definitely need to step up their game if they want to have a chance to win this week.

Brandon Williams, Timmy Jernigan, and Lawrence Guy need to get pressure on Big Ben to limit his time in the pocket. The least amount of time Ben has, the more chances the Ravens will be able to sack him.

If the Ravens defensive line/linebackers show up on Sunday, they will definitely have a much bigger chance of winning. If not, it might be a long afternoon for John Harbaugh and the Ravens.

Baltimore needs this game more than the Steelers. With a loss, the Ravens would need to win in Week 17 and a lot of help just to make the Wild Card.

The blueprint to beating to Steelers isn’t as easy as people think because they can beat you multiple ways. That’s why the Ravens need to play sound defense upfront, but it might be even more difficult if Jimmy Smith is out.