Expert predictions for Ravens vs. Steelers: How likely is a 3-0 start in AFC North play?

The Ravens (3-1) will face the Steelers (2-2) at 1 p.m. Sunday in Pittsburgh. Here are predictions from The Baltimore Banner’s sports staff.

Kyle Goon, columnist

When it comes to Ravens-Steelers, one is tempted to drop the schematic breakdowns and simply presume which team will be more physical come Sunday. Such is the history of the rivalry. But it’s hard to overlook that the Steelers, as salty as their defense might be, could be without a fully healthy starting quarterback. And even when Kenny Pickett was healthy, they struggled mightily on offense under coordinator Matt Canada. Add that to a Ravens defense that was a wall in Week 4, and an offense finally getting healthy, and it is hard to square that this game could be all that close in spite of the tradition.

Ravens 27, Steelers 9

Jonas Shaffer, reporter

Records and momentum don’t seem to matter when the Ravens play the Steelers. Their past six meetings have been decided by five points or fewer, and in only one of those games did the final score surpass 40 points total. (AFC North football: fun for the whole family!)

Still, Pittsburgh’s obvious advantages in this matchup are hard to find. The Ravens will have by far the game’s best quarterback. They should have the game’s best run and pass defense. The Steelers’ age-old superiority at receiver has been minimized, if not wiped out altogether. Even Pittsburgh’s home-field advantage is up for debate; the San Francisco 49ers cruised there in Week 1, and the Ravens won impressively in Cincinnati and Cleveland. If Lamar Jackson can avoid trouble, and his pass protection holds up, this could be a blowout win.

But it probably won’t, because this is Ravens-Steelers.

Ravens 23, Steelers 13

Aron Yohannes, reporter

The Ravens and Steelers always have great matchups, and I don’t expect this one to be much different, even with Kenny Pickett’s status on shaky ground.

Baltimore’s offense faces another great test with the Steelers’ defense. Can it expose another strong unit on the road? That is the biggest question in this one. The Ravens took down the Browns’ sharp defense Sunday without starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley (knee) and top receivers Odell Beckham Jr. (ankle) and Rashod Bateman (hamstring). Plus, cornerback Marlon Humphrey (foot) and safety Marcus Williams (pectoral) have a shot to return. I feel confident the Ravens could replicate that production with all of them back in the lineup.

Ravens 24, Steelers 14

Giana Han, reporter

Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett says he’s good to go, but he hasn’t been looking his best at practice. Even if he were healthy, that still wouldn’t be good enough to best a Ravens defense that just stole the show from the league-best Browns on their home turf. Pickett’s offensive line and run game have been struggling — the Ravens’ run defense has been rock-solid. Pickett is missing one of his top wide receivers in Diontae Johnson — the Ravens’ secondary has had receivers locked down.

The real showdown will be between the Ravens’ offense and the Steelers’ defense, which features one of the league’s best pass rushers in T.J. Watt. But the Ravens just faced Myles Garrett and barely blinked. If they can carry their momentum over from Cleveland, they should do fine. With that said, anything can happen in a rivalry game.

Ravens 28, Steelers 10

Chris Korman, editor

Remember when this game would dominate the preview shows and it felt like so much was at stake? Miss those days, honestly. There’s just not much grit to this one anymore. It’s a tremendous coaching matchup — both John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin are truly elite — but the roster setup so drastically favors the Ravens, particularly at QB, that it’s difficult to get all that jazzed.

I guess the one concern here would be that Todd Monken just left a game’s worth of tape on how he wanted to deal with a monster pass rusher in Cleveland’s Myles Garrett, so the Steelers have lots of clues about how he’ll try to minimize T.J. Watt’s impact. But Monken has been around a long time, and there are multiple ways to play away from a singular force on a defense. As long as Jackson holds on to the ball and is anywhere close to as good passing as he was a week ago, this should break the gravitational pull of the “rivalry” game and be an easy Baltimore win.

Ravens 30, Steelers 13

Brandon Weigel, editor

Steelers week is here, and the Ravens appear poised to sweep all their divisional road games after a deft offensive performance against the highly touted Cleveland Browns defense. Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett, like all AFC North quarterbacks not named Lamar Jackson, has put up mediocre or worse numbers. And, as Baltimore gets back to full strength, the Steelers will likely be without left tackle Dan Moore Jr. and tight end Pat Freiermuth, and have a handful of starters on both sides of the ball nursing injuries, including Pickett (knee).

But come on; it’s Ravens-Steelers! The last time this game was decided by more than a touchdown was December 2019, when the Ravens won a postseason tuneup, 28-10, in Week 17. The opposing quarterback that day? Reserve Devlin Hodges.

Hard hits will be made, running backs will be stuffed at the line, T.J. Watt will do T.J. Watt things, and somehow coach Mike Tomlin will have Pittsburgh in it. Still, the Ravens will prevail.

Ravens 21, Steelers 16