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The 2021 regular season is almost over, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for the Baltimore Ravens in Week 18. While the Steelers get ready for their latest road game of the season, it is time for the BTSC staff to put on their prognostication hats and guess the winner of the contest.
Who will get closest? We will be keeping tabs, so let’s get the picks. Check out the staff picks below, and even a pick from an enemy guest!
Jeff Hartman
The games between the Steelers and Ravens are rarely blowouts. In fact, they are usually one score games, and sometimes they are one-point games. I see another one-point affair in Baltimore this Sunday, but another John Harbaugh 2-point decision backfires, again, and gives the Steelers the win. While I don’t think they make the playoffs, Ben Roethlisberger goes out with a much better game played compared to the Monday night game vs. the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers find a way to win, and Big Ben rides off into the sunset with back-to-back wins over the Browns and Ravens.
Pick: Steelers 24, Ravens 23
Dave Schofield
Maybe I’m crazy, but ever since last Monday I just have a different feeling about this Steelers team. It felt different during the game against the Browns, and it felt different all week. Something about the situation just has me believing they will take care of business again and keep their emotional high going into Baltimore and come through with one last victory.
Pick: Steelers 22, Ravens 13
Bryan Anthony Davis
I’m still riding high after the final game at Heinz Field of Big Ben Roethlisberger’s phenomenal career and the win over Cleveland. I’ve got to bank on the fact that the Steelers will be riding high as well. It doesn’t matter what happens in Jacksonville. The most important thing is how the Steelers close out their slate of games on their own. Steelers got lucky with returnees from the Covid list and should be close to full strength. Even if they don’t get the help that they need, they could set up 2022 well and that’s key.
Pick: Steelers 16, Ravens 13
Michael Beck
I honestly believe the Steelers keep their playoff hopes alive by winning this game. It will feel much like 2018 but this time watching the end of the Jags and Colts game hoping for a miracle. The defense will feast on Huntley and T.J. Watt breaks Michael Strahan’s sack record. I’m hammering the Steelers for one last win
Pick: Steelers 24, Ravens 17
K.T. Smith
I don’t know if the Steelers have another performance in them like they mustered last week. That was fueled by the emotion of Ben Roethlisberger’s last game at Heinz Field against a Cleveland team that had been eliminated from playoff contention. This one will be much tougher. On the other hand, Baltimore is playing without Lamar Jackson and has been decimated by injuries. They’ve also lost five straight games, which is unheard of for a consistently-tough Ravens team. I’m not certain the Steelers will win on Sunday, but I’m less certain about Baltimore. Go Steelers.
Pick: Steelers 20, Ravens 17
Geoffrey Benedict
Everyone is riding high after the Steelers beat the Browns, at home, on Monday night. But the Steelers record with any one of those situations is fantastic, a shorter week, on the road facing the Ravens with playoff chances on the line? The Steelers are going to need more from the passing game than they got last week, and an equally good performance from the run game and defense.
I think they are up to the challenge.
Pick: Steelers 17, Ravens 13
Rich Schofield (Big Bro Scho)
Need the team to ride the high of last week, but every time I feel I've said that they let me down. The Steelers got a lot of guys back off of the COVID List, which makes me feel much more confident. The Steelers do all they can to send Big Ben out on top.
Pick: Steelers 21, Ravens 16
Shannon White
Not sure who wrote the script, but the storied career of Ben Roethlisberger has come full circle, quite possibly ending in the same stadium where it all began. This perceived last season of his HOF career will definitely come to an end unless the Steelers manage to emerge victorious against their greatest rivals. Lamar Jackson has been ruled out, but QB Tyler Huntley is almost as elusive, and throws the ball maybe even better than Jackson. The Steelers defense needs to focus on preventing Huntley from scrambling for big gains, and make slowing down TE Mark Andrews a priority. The Ravens decimated secondary has been struggling big time, but so has the Steelers passing attack. The winner of this game could come down to which offense protects the ball better. Regardless of the final results, and whether the Steelers sneak into the playoffs or not, I have one final thing to say:
Thank you, Ben Roethlisberger! For all the blood, sweat, and tears leading the greatest franchise in the NFL into battle for the past 18 seasons. The epitome of a warrior and a Pittsburgh Steelers QB. God bless you and yours in your future endeavors.
Pick: Steelers 23, Ravens 16
Andrew Wilbar
As much of a long shot it may be for the Steelers to get into the playoffs, it’s still a shot, and who wants to see Ben Roethlisberger lose in what is likely his last game in the NFL? Yes, draft positioning is important, but what better way to send out an all-time great than with a big win against a hated rival? Thank you, Ben, for 18 great years of football! Let’s send #7 out with a huge victory against the Ratbirds!
Pick: Steelers 18, Ravens 7
Matty Peverell
With a shot in the playoffs on the line, you’d hope the Steelers could turn up and turn it on for this game, let alone the fact it’s Big Ben’s final ever NFL game if they don’t, and another chance to leave the Ravens flapping in the wind to no avail. Come on Steelers, here we go, here we go. T.J. Watt for the sack record, Ben for his final 2-3 TDs, Minkah for an INT, and Friermuth for another red zone TD. Let’s do it, while the Jags do us a solid and take care of the Colts!
Pick: Steelers 26, Ravens 16
Mark Davison
The Pittsburgh Steelers played their best game of the 2021 season. As a Steelers fan I was so happy to witness Ben Roethlisberger go out victorious at home. However at the same time I was a little bit angry. Where was this Steelers brute and physical attitude all year? In any case the Steelers now have a shot at the playoffs. So for the last time this year I’d like to say here we go Steelers and for the first time Go Jags!
Pick: Steelers 24, Ravens 18
Anthony Defeo
With all of the talk about the Jaguars’ and their chances of upsetting the Colts, we kind of forgot that the Steelers have to handle their own business against the Ravens before anything else even matters. Lamar Jackson has been ruled out at quarterback for Baltimore which is a huge deal for the Steelers and their chances of handling their business.
I think they will. Will it matter? That’s the question.
Pick: Steelers 14, Ravens 10
What is your prediction? Let us know in the comment section below, and feel free to tell the contributors above why they are dead wrong, or spot on!
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