Ravens OC Says Steelers Defense Will Be A ‘Real Challenge’

The Pittsburgh Steelers will renew their rivalry with the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, and Baltimore offensive coordinator Todd Monken is preparing for a challenge. While his offense has been one of the best in football this season, Monken praised Pittsburgh’s defense at all levels and specifically shouted out the Steelers’ safety duo of Minkah Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliott.

“They’re really good across the board. Good up front, really active linebackers. Obviously, we know one of them pretty well, so they’re active. Minkah’s a very savvy, instinctual player, [DeShon] Elliott, they get around the line, great blitzer, tough. Corners are really good cover guys. So a real challenge; you can see that on film. It’s a staple of who they’ve been,” Monken said Thursday via the Ravens’ website.

While the Steelers and the Ravens are two teams usually built on defense, this year it’s been Baltimore’s offense that’s really taken off while its defense has struggled a little bit. Baltimore’s pass defense has gotten torched, but the Ravens are still 7-3 thanks to the play of Lamar Jackson, who once again looks like an MVP candidate, while Derrick Henry leads the NFL in rushing and has bolstered their backfield.

But Pittsburgh has historically had success against Jackson, and while Fitzpatrick hasn’t gotten a lot of splash plays this season, he’s taken away the middle of the field in a coverage role as quarterbacks have avoided throwing in his direction. Elliott’s addition is a big reason why. He’s been a really sound tackler and someone who Bill Cowher compared to Troy Polamalu for his ability to blitz around the line of scrimmage.

Pittsburgh’s defense is anchored by T.J. Watt, whom Monken said the team will need to bring help against, in addition to Cameron Heyward, who’s playing some of the best football of his career. Pittsburgh’s defense is one of if not the best that the Ravens have faced this season, but it’s a rivalry where both teams know each other well, so it’s going to be a true chess match to see who can come out on top. As Monken alluded to, it’ll also be the first game where LB Patrick Queen plays against his former team, and he might have some extra motivation given that Baltimore didn’t offer him a contract to this offseason.

It’ll be a matchup of two elite units and two of the best teams in football, and it’s going to be a challenge for both sides to stop each other. The game will probably come down to whether the Steelers’ defense can step up against a Baltimore offense that’s been firing on all cylinders.