Tim Benz: Ravens defense is biggest challenge yet for Steelers offense

As the Steelers prepare to visit Baltimore Sunday, the Ravens defense of 2020 may not conjure the images of 10 to 15 years ago.

It’s still very good, though. And it is the best one this Steelers offense will have faced so far in this season.

Denver’s isn’t bad. Philadelphia’s can rush the passer. And Cleveland is ranked fifth against the run. Yet the Steelers vanquished them all, and none of them have the balance of this Ravens group.

This Baltimore defensive roster isn’t slathered with familiar, haunting names like Ray Lewis, Bart Scott, Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs. But players such as Marlon Humphrey, Matthew Judon and Brandon Williams have already carved out their own niche in the history of this AFC North rivalry.

New additions in rookie linebacker Patrick Queen and former Jacksonville Jaguars Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue are sure to inflict some damage over the eight quarters of football looming between the franchises this month.

“They have a mode of operation, and they probably acquire talent to fit that,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday. “They recruit players or acquire players that fit their mold and are capable of playing the style of ball that they desire to play. At the same time, they are smart guys.”

Statistically, on defense, the numbers for the Ravens are good in 2020. Yet they aren’t quite as impressive in some areas as they were a season ago when the club went 14-2 and had the top seed in the AFC playoffs.

• Currently, the Ravens are ninth in total defense at 339.8 yards per game. They were fourth a year ago at 300.6.

• The Ravens are 14th in the NFL against the pass at 230.8 yards per game. They were sixth in 2019 at 207.2.

• Versus the run, Baltimore is tied for 10th at 109.0 yards per game, compared to being fifth in 2019 at 93.4.

Those numbers don’t occur in a vacuum, however. Baltimore’s vaunted rushing offense still leads the NFL at 164.3 yards per game. Although that’s down from last year’s gaudy league-leading total of 206 yards per contest.

In time of possession, the Ravens have also dropped from first (34:24) to 15th (30:21) from a season ago. And they are 29th in average plays run per game. They were third in that category in 2019.

Blame Baltimore’s struggling pass offense for that. Only the Jets are behind Baltimore’s 177.8 yards per game throwing the ball.

So the defense is on the field more often and being asked to do more. Yet the whole still manages to look greater than the sum of the parts for the Ravens on that side of the line of scrimmage.

Because despite all that information, Baltimore’s defense is the best in football when it comes to points allowed, just 17.3 per game. That’s nearly identical to last year’s average of 17.6 when they were third in the league.

The Ravens also lead the NFL in creating fumbles. They have eight recoveries — the best in the NFL, and the Steelers’ rate of 4.3 sacks per game is the only one better than Baltimore’s 3.7.

“I can’t say enough about the quality play of their defense. They’re really getting after people,” Tomlin said Tuesday.

“They just have quality players at all levels through and through.”

Is any of that too daunting for a Steelers offense that has been evolving throughout the season?

Absolutely not. Especially since the Steelers offense mirrors Baltimore’s defense in many ways.

At 30.5 points per game, coordinator Randy Fichtner’s group has climbed up to sixth in the NFL. Yet it’s not in the top 10 in total yards gained, rushing or passing.

“I think we are just doing enough to get out of stadiums,” Tomlin said. “We desire to play better, obviously. But I’m thankful that we have enough competitive spirit and believe in each other enough that enough guys want to be the reason why we are successful, that we can make enough plays to persevere sometimes in the midst of adversity.”

The Ravens will create adversity. A lot of it. These teams have created so much adversity for one another over the last 20 years that Black and Gold versus Purple and Black usually equals football nirvana twice a year.

Sometimes three times a year. Like in 2001, 2008, 2010 and 2015.

Don’t be surprised if 2020 gets added to that list.

TribLive Steelers beat reporter Joe Rutter joins me for Wednesday’s “Breakfast With Benz” podcast to talk about that prospect. How the Steelers will try to attack the Ravens defense. And some other important points about the matchup discussed during Tomlin’s Tuesday press conference.

Listen: Tim Benz and Joe Rutter preview the Steelers game versus the Ravens