The Pittsburgh Steelers will renew their rivalry with the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, and Baltimore offensive coordinator Todd Monken is getting ready for a problem. Whereas his offense has been probably the greatest in soccer this season, Monken praised Pittsburgh’s protection in any respect ranges and particularly shouted out the Steelers’ security duo of Minkah Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliott.
“They’re actually good throughout the board. Good up entrance, actually energetic linebackers. Clearly, we all know considered one of them fairly nicely, in order that they’re energetic. Minkah’s a really savvy, instinctual participant, [DeShon] Elliott, they get across the line, nice blitzer, powerful. Corners are actually good cowl guys. So an actual problem; you possibly can see that on movie. It’s a staple of who they’ve been,” Monken stated Thursday via the Ravens’ website.
Whereas the Steelers and the Ravens are two groups often constructed on protection, this 12 months it’s been Baltimore’s offense that’s actually taken off whereas its protection has struggled somewhat bit. Baltimore’s move protection has gotten torched, however the Ravens are nonetheless 7-3 due to the play of Lamar Jackson, who as soon as once more seems to be like an MVP candidate, whereas Derrick Henry leads the NFL in dashing and has bolstered their backfield.
However Pittsburgh has traditionally had success towards Jackson, and whereas Fitzpatrick hasn’t gotten a number of splash performs this season, he’s taken away the center of the sector in a protection position as quarterbacks have averted throwing in his route. Elliott’s addition is an enormous purpose why. He’s been a very sound tackler and somebody who Bill Cowher compared to Troy Polamalu for his means to blitz across the line of scrimmage.
Pittsburgh’s protection is anchored by T.J. Watt, whom Monken stated the workforce might want to carry assist towards, along with Cameron Heyward, who’s taking part in a few of the greatest soccer of his profession. Pittsburgh’s protection is considered one of if not one of the best that the Ravens have confronted this season, but it surely’s a rivalry the place each groups know one another nicely, so it’s going to be a real chess match to see who can come out on high. As Monken alluded to, it’ll even be the primary sport the place LB Patrick Queen performs towards his former workforce, and he might need some further motivation on condition that Baltimore didn’t provide him a contract to this offseason.
It’ll be a matchup of two elite models and two of one of the best groups in soccer, and it’s going to be a problem for each side to cease one another. The sport will in all probability come down as to whether the Steelers’ protection can step up towards a Baltimore offense that’s been firing on all cylinders.
