Tag: AFC North

Russell Wilson gifts exuberant Christmas presents to offensive linemen

Russell Wilson celebrates Christmas in style, gifting his offensive linemen lavish presents that showcase his generosity and leadership.

It is safe to say Russell Wilson is trying to keep his offensive linemen in high spirits, as the former Super Bowl XLVIII-winning quarterback has gifted his offensive line impressively lavish Christmas gifts.

‘Tis the season to be spending, as Wilson gifted a $10,000 Airbnb gift card, a Black and Gold Louis Vuitton duffle bag, a bottle of his wife Ciara’s Ten To One Rum, and custom Steelers-inspired shoes from his Good Man Brand to the entirety of his offensive line.

For context on how far Wilson went for his o-line this Christmas, Bengals QB Joe Burrow took a cheaper approach: Japanese katanas for his offensive line. It appears the difference in generosity is quite grand in the AFC North, as Wilson spared no expense for the big men up front.

LT Dan Moore Jr., LG Isaac Seumalo, C Zach Frazier, RG Mason McCormick, and RT Broderick Jones will aim to reward Wilson’s generosity with an impressive display of strength in both pass protection and run blocking against the Kansas City Chiefs—in one of Week 17’s Christmas Day matchups at 1:00 PM EST.

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Ravens DB Marlon Humphrey ranks No. 3 in the NFL in total interceptions

ho needs a podcast when you can get a pick-six? Baltimore Ravens DB Marloon Humphrey has returned to rare form heading into NFL Week 17.

Baltimore Ravens defensive back Marlon Humphrey ranks at No. 3 in the NFL with six total interceptions through 16 weeks played. Having outlived a hefty amount of criticism early in the season, Humphrey has done his due diligence to re-establish his prestige and elitism on the field.



Humphrey also leads the Ravens with 13 pass deflections and has 56 tackles. His journeyman, rookie defensive back Nate Wiggins, has tallied 11 pass deflections. Both play as a tandem to help seal up the back end.



Humphrey continues to make defensive plays at the right time, and as the Ravens push into the postseason, the pass defense will need to excel on third downs. Right now, the team sits at No. 23 in opponent third-down conversion percentage, and it will need to improve to compete with the higher-tiered teams down the stretch.

Who needs a podcast when you can get a pick-six? It’s not that Humphrey was ever lacking as an entertainer, but since he lessened the passion of his punchline podcast, Humphrey has produced serviceable statistics that are worth mentioning heading into Christmas Day.

Three ways the Steelers can secure the 2024 AFC North title

The Pittsburgh Steelers need any of these three scenarios to fall in their favor in order to be crowned the 2024 AFC North champions.

There is a plethora of reasons for concern with the Steelers seemingly on the verge of losing out on the opportunity to become 2024 AFC North champions.  However, there are three scenarios in which the Pittsburgh Steelers can secure the divisional title over the Baltimore Ravens.

Steelers win out vs Chiefs and Bengals

The Steelers can still control their own destiny by coming out victorious in Weeks 17 and 18. While difficult, if the Steelers defeat the Chiefs and Bengals, the Ravens will lose any opportunity to win the divisional title.

Ravens lose out vs Texans and Browns

Although incredibly unlikely, the Steelers could technically secure the AFC North crown—regardless of their performance in Weeks 17 and 18—if the Baltimore Ravens lose to both the Texans and Browns to conclude their season.

Steelers beat Bengals and Ravens lose to Browns

If the number one seeded Kansas City Chiefs defeat the Steelers, and the Ravens beat the Texans in Week 17, all hope is not lost!  The Cleveland Browns can provide the assist in defeating Baltimore, as long as the Black and Gold can defeat the Bengals in Week 18.

There are a variety of scenarios in which the Steelers can earn the right to call themselves ‘Kings of the North’, but only if the team can pull itself together after dropping two straight losses.

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Steelers should consider the playoffs over Christmas Day win

Winning in the playoffs is more important than an AFC North championship and a win over the Chiefs.

From the moment the Pittsburgh Steelers clinched a spot in the AFC playoffs, sights were set on winning the AFC North. But now, with two games left to play, a banged up Steelers team might want to look at the big picture and a more important goal.

This week the Steelers are taking on the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day on a short week and have a long list of injured players. First instinct is for the Steelers to get as many of the injured players back on the field to try and beat the top team in the AFC.

But is that really what’s important?

Even at full strength, it’s a longshot for the Steelers to get past the Chiefs who seem to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat every week. This, coupled with a huge Week 18 game against division rival the Cincinnati Bengals might prompt the team to hold back this week and make sure everyone is ready for that final game and more importantly the playoffs.

The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since 2016  and this team at full health is more than capable of breaking that streak. It’s unlikely the Ravens will lose to the Browns in Week 18 so the Bengals game is a must-win if the AFC North is the goal. But bigger than that, finally getting that elusive playoff win must trump everything else.

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Kyle Van Noy & Ravens DC Zach Orr have both rapport and sacks galore

Baltimore Ravens DC Zach Orr has developed LB Kyle Van Noy into an incredible pass rusher over the last two seasons.

Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy continues to thrive in the pass rush for his team. In the 34-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in NFL Week 16, Van Noy picked up five tackles, 1.5 sacks, one stuff, and a fumble return.

Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr, having worked with Van Noy as the team’s linebacker coach last season, understands how to deploy his veteran pass rusher in the scheme. Orr’s leadership has only elevated Van Noy’s game, polishing him as a supreme pass rusher on the outside. 

Van Noy has totaled 10.5 sacks through 16 weeks, and he will continue to wreak havoc as long as defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike is a force in the middle of the field. Having had such a promising NFL career, Van Noy’s involvement is the perfect additive to a defensive unit slightly plagued on the back end.

With the Ravens ranked at No. 31 in opponent pass yards allowed per game, Orr has relied on the play of his defensive front to tally sacks and take pressure off the secondary. Indeed, Van Noy’s work has contributed to the cause.

Kyle Hamilton put the Hammer down on the Steelers; Ravens win 34-17

Baltimore Ravens all-pro safety Kyle Hamilton put the hammer down on the Pittsburgh Steelers in NFL Week 16

Baltimore Ravens all-pro safety Kyle Hamilton put the hammer down on the Pittsburgh Steelers in NFL Week 16. Hamilton was all over the field, finishing with eight tackles, one pass deflection, and one forced fumble, making his presence felt on defense.




Hamilton’s keen coverage of Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III led to a turnover on downs to end the third quarter, which is worth mentioning. Since Orr moved Hamilton back to the deep safety position, the Ravens have performed relatively well against the deep pass. Orr understands that the defense is no longer the stronger unit on this team, but his ability to yield big plays might help the team in the post-season run.

Things weren’t all glamour and gold for the Ravens, who allowed the Steelers to rush 117 yards and have two passing touchdowns. However, defensive coordinator Zach Orr could scheme defensive stops when needed.

How the Ravens can beat the Steelers to the AFC North title

In spite of the result today, things are still looking better for the Pittsburgh Steelers than they are for the Baltimore Ravens. 

Saturday was, in some ways, the de facto AFC North division title game. The Pittsburgh Steelers could have clinched the division had they won, but the Baltimore Ravens prevailed, 34-17, leaving the race wide open for these final two weeks of the regular season.

Both teams are 10-5, but the Steelers are in first place via tie-breakers. Therefore, neither team can clinch in Week 17.

Either team can claim the AFC North by going 2-0, provided the other team goes 1-1 or 0-2 during the run-in.

That’s self-explanatory, but what happens if the Ravens and Steelers split their final two and thus finish 11-6?

Well, one permutation of outcomes would hand the division title to Baltimore instead of Pittsburgh.

In the early 2000s, Canadian rocker Avril Lavigne asked, “Why’d you have to go and make things so complicated?”

Because we have to; that’s our job here.

It all comes down to the divisional record tie-breaker. If both teams finish 11-6, the Steelers would have to lose at home to the Cincinnati Bengals on January 5, and Baltimore would have to win at home against the Cleveland Browns on the same Sunday.

In other words, this is coming down to the final day, but despite this weekend’s result, the Steelers still look better than the Ravens.

Steelers’ defense makes history for all the wrong reasons vs Ravens

Derrick Henry’s 162-yard rushing performance broke records, marking the most yards by a Ravens RB against the Steelers defense.

While the 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers defense has enjoyed tremendous success throughout the season, Week 16’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens will be forever etched in history—at the expense of the Black and Gold.

Heading into the contest, the Pittsburgh Steelers boasted one of the NFL’s best run defenses, but Ravens RB Derrick Henry more than put them to the test—rushing for 162 yards on 24 attempts.

Henry’s Week 16 performance against the Steel City was not only dominant but also historic, as no other Ravens player had ever rushed for more yards against any Steelers defense.

To play devil’s advocate, the Pittsburgh Steelers faced one of the NFL’s greatest running backs of all-time in Henry—who is in the midst of his greatest season to date—while also missing one of the league’s best run defenders, DeShon Elliott, who was sidelined with a hamstring injury.

It is not only understandable why Henry set the Ravens’ rushing record against the Steelers, but it is also a valuable lesson during the regular season—allowing the defense to hone their craft ahead of a potential deep playoff run.

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Steelers’ turnovers and injuries spell disaster in Week 16 loss to Ravens

Injuries and turnovers doomed the Steelers in Week 16, as the Ravens denied them the AFC North title with a 34-17 victory.

Hearts have shattered all throughout the Steel City. With the Pittsburgh Steelers on the cusp of clinching the AFC North, the Baltimore Ravens prevented the Black and Gold from securing the divisional title in Week 16.

The Ravens soundly defeated the Steelers 34-17, with injuries and turnovers playing a huge role throughout the Week 16 contest.

Heading into the matchup, the Pittsburgh Steelers were down several key starters on both sides of the ball: WR George Pickens, SS DeShon Elliott, DT Larry Ogunjobi, and CB Donte Jackson. Black and Gold injuries continued to pile up as the team lost starting CB Joey Porter Jr. and ST/WR Ben Skowronek during the game.

As if this wasn’t bad enough, Russell Wilson’s fumble in the red zone—when he could have easily slid to avoid the big hit—and his costly pick-six all but handed the Ravens the Week 16 victory and potentially the division.

There is little time to correct their mistakes, however, as the Pittsburgh Steelers must now turn their attention to the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day in Week 17.

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Tomlin owns Steelers inability to stop the run vs Ravens

The Steelers couldn’t slow down Derrick Henry and that was the difference in the game.

Of all the things that went wrong for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday against the Baltimore Ravens, none stood out as much as the team’s inability to slow down the Ravens run game.

Baltimore running back Derrick Henry ran roughshod over the Steelers’ defense to the tune of 162 yards on 24 carries. The image of Henry dragging Pittsburgh defenders will dance in our heads all the way until Christmas like sugar plums.

After the game, head coach Mike Tomlin acknowledges the Steelers’ shortcomings in run defense in the most Tomlin way possible.

“We didn’t control the run game,” Tomlin said. “We never did.”

In fairness, the Steelers were minus defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, safety DeShon Elliott and cornerbacks Donte Jackson and Joey Porter Jr. Losing four of 11 starters makes it tough to stop any NFL-caliber offense, much less all the weapons the Ravens bring to the table.

There’s no time for the Steelers to sit around and ponder what went wrong. Pittsburgh is working on a short week and have to prepare to take on the Kansas City Chiefs and their 13-1 record on Christmas day in Pittsburgh.

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