Baltimore and Pittsburgh are set to meet on Sunday in one of the weekend’s biggest games. In one of the NFL’s fiercest rivalries, 26 of the last 32 Ravens-Steelers games have been one-score affairs, including the past eight contests.
Since John Harbaugh’s first season as head coach in 2008, 18 Ravens-Steelers games have been decided by three or fewer points.
Sunday’s matchup should be no different, and the game’s biggest and most crucial matchup will feature Steelers All-Pro pass rusher matching up against Ravens rookie right tackle Roger Rosengarten.
Watt ranks among the top 8 active players in sacks (5th), tackles for loss (8th), QB hits (4th), forced fumbles (2nd), fumble recoveries (4th) and strip sacks (2nd). Watt’s 19.0 sacks led the NFL in 2023. He is the first player in League history to lead the NFL in sacks three times (2020, 2021 and 2023).
Since allowing a sack to the Chiefs’ Chris Jones on his first snap, Rosengarten has allowed just two more sacks in his 278 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus. He’s coming off one of the season’s highest pass protection grades against the Bengals on Thursday night.
Rosengarten won’t indeed be a Raven until he defeats the Steelers, and Sunday offers that first opportunity.