Steelers 2026 opponent preview: Baltimore Ravens bring a fast, veteran core back to AFC North play

Baltimore comes to the forefront of the Steelers’ 2026 schedule previews with two dates on the calendar, including a Sunday, Dec. 20 game at Acrisure Stadium and a Week 18 matchup at M&T Bank Stadium. The Steelers’ look ahead frames the Ravens as a team built around top-end playmakers and a coaching staff that, by 2026, has already lived through the swings of an NFL season that can shift quickly from contention to survival mode.

In 2025, the Ravens finished 8-9 and placed second in the AFC North. The preview describes a season that started 1-5, then shifted after a bye week when Baltimore won five straight games. It did not end with a playoff berth, though, and the preview points to late-season consequences, including losses in division games that closed the door.

Baltimore’s 2025 trajectory was closely tied to the health and production of quarterback Lamar Jackson. The Steelers’ preview notes that Jackson missed games due to injury and that his workload and overall rushing volume fell to the lowest levels of his career. When Jackson did play, the offense still produced at a level that kept Baltimore within reach of the division race rather than drifting into the background.

The Ravens’ roster identity, according to the preview, is defined by players who have become routine Pro Bowl contributors. Safety Kyle Hamilton was recognized after finishing second on the team with 105 tackles and earning both a Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro selection. Inside linebacker Roquan Smith also logged a major workload, leading Baltimore with 130 tackles and drawing his third consecutive Pro Bowl nod.

On the offensive side, the preview highlights Zay Flowers as a centerpiece target. Flowers recorded a career-high 86 receptions and 1,211 receiving yards, and he tied for the team lead with five receiving touchdowns, earning a second Pro Bowl appearance in his first three NFL seasons. The Ravens’ receiving production mattered in 2025 not only for scoring but also for maintaining rhythm while the team dealt with the type of disruptions that can make play-calling feel either urgent or overly cautious.

The Steelers’ opponent preview also sketches Baltimore’s defensive baseline from last season. The Ravens allowed 23.4 points per game, and they finished in the bottom third of the league in points and yards allowed. The preview singles out pass coverage as a consistent challenge, noting Baltimore allowed the second-most passing yards per game and produced one of the league’s lower sack totals.

For Pittsburgh, the practical takeaway in this matchup is that Baltimore’s ceiling depends on whether its elite core can stay on the field and whether the defense can reduce the big-play damage that showed up in the passing game. The Steelers will enter December with a familiar AFC North context, where the first half of a season can make the second half feel like a different season entirely, and where divisional games can determine both playoff odds and tiebreaker outcomes. The two-meeting structure also means momentum swings are likely to be felt more quickly than in non-division matchups, because the teams will see the same opponent again before the season ends.