The Pittsburgh Steelers face one of their biggest rivals this Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers are 29-23 all-time against Baltimore and have won the last four matchups. The Steelers, however, have an inside source this year - Miles Boykin. The wide receiver played for the Ravens for three years prior to being released and picked up by Pittsburgh this past off-season.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 25: Miles Boykin #80 of the Baltimore Ravens makes a reception over the defense of Troy Hill #22 of the Los Angeles Rams during the second half of a game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 25, 2019, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
"When I was with Baltimore the mantra was if we don't turn the ball over, we are gonna win 90 percent of games we are playing just because if we get to midfield, we get a chance to score points already," Boykin told the media.
Boykin is of course referencing the Ravens' future Hall of Fame kicker, Justin Tucker. He is always incredibly solid and reliable, in 20 games against the Steelers, he is 50 for 52 on-field goals and perfect on extra points with 34.
Steelers' Miles Boykin's Key
Tucker is about the most reliable kicker a team could have. He doesn't collapse under pressure and the Ravens know if they can get him to midfield they can count on him to get three points. The Ravens routinely use this to their advantage to win games, it shortens the amount of yardage their offense has to pick up.
The reason that the mid-field area is so critical is that Tucker is 19 for 22 between 50-59 yards. He is perfect on short field goals of under 30 yards and is 323 out of 357 all-time. That gives him a kicker rating of 90.5 percent. When the clock is winding down or the game goes into overtime, Tucker shines. He has had seven kicks in his career with the clock expiring and is five out of five in overtime games. He also holds the record for the longest field goal in history, 66 yards.
BALTIMORE, MD - DECEMBER 29: Justin Tucker #9 of the Baltimore Ravens kicks a field goal before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium on December 29, 2019, in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
The Steelers are riding high on their current two-game win streak going into the game against Baltimore. If they are going to have a shot at beating the Ravens, they need to follow Boykin's advice and prevent the Ravens from getting to mid-field. The Steelers still have a slight chance of making it into the playoffs, just 2.3 percent to be exact. The Ravens, at 8-4 are currently leading the division and currently are on a 4-game win streak. Both teams need this win to help them make the playoffs.
The Ravens may be without their starting Quarterback Lamar Jackson this weekend. It seems likely that they will instead face his backup, Tyler Huntley. Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin spoke about Huntley during his press conference this week and stated that he has been given a lot of opportunities and has improved dramatically as a player.
"I look at it from his perspective," Tomlin said Tuesday during his weekly press conference at the UPMC-Rooney Sports Complex. "That's a guy that had an opportunity to get an extended amount of play last year. When you don't have a long playing resume, and you go into an offseason, it's somewhat mystical the areas of your game that you need to work on."
TJ Watt tied the record for most sacks in an NFL season in 2021 / Photo Credit: Steelers.com
Facing Huntley is not like facing other NFL backups. It does not give the Steelers a slam-dunk win. During the Week 13, 9-10, win over the Denver Broncos, he came in for Jackon who went out with a knee injury. He was 27 for 32 and 187 yards and one interception. However, he did score the game-winning touchdown as the clock wound down. He ran for 41 yards on 10 carries.
This gives the Steelers an added worry, Huntly is capable of putting points on the board or picking up the yardage needed to get mid-field to rely on Tucker's leg. With the Steelers struggling in the red zone and failing to turn three points into six, this could wind up the "battle of the legs" between Tucker and Matthew Wright. We all know from experience and Boykin, that the Ravens are taking Tucker to the bank.
Steelers’ Matthew Wright attempts 1 of his 4 field goals against the New Orleans Saints | Photo Credit: Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
What difference do you think Huntley makes if he plays for Jackson? What are your keys to keeping the ball off the tip of Tucker's shoe? Comment below!
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