Ravens' Long-Term Odds Remain Unchanged Following Loss
The Baltimore Ravens entered their regular season as one of the NFL's likeliest teams to seize their conference's top seed, and even after their embarrassing collapse to the rival Buffalo Bills, their dream remains similarly alive.
ESPN's Bill Barnwell analyzed the AFC's top contenders, comparing the site's Football Power Index indicators of how well each team is built for regular season dominance after a week of results compared to where everyone was projected at the offseason's end. The Bills very publicly got the better of the Ravens, but as the writer goes on to explain, Baltimore showed plenty of positive signs that the algorithm took into account.
Their chances lightly sank from 20.4% to 16.8%, giving Buffalo a window to seal the runaway-first place odds, but FPI stands firm in its belief of Baltimore's roster. Lamar Jackson's usually-high scoring offense missed on some of the sort of plays they've been known to nail, while their lauded defense turned in what already looks to be attributed as a fluke performance.
"The Ravens recovered only one of three fumbles and went 1-for-3 in the red zone, the latter a surprise for the league's most efficient red zone offense a year ago," Barnwell wrote. "The Ravens averaged nearly 9 yards per play, the most any team has generated against a McDermott defense since he was the coordinator for the Panthers in 2016 and went up against eventual league MVP Matt Ryan and Kyle Shanahan."
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This article first appeared on Baltimore Ravens on SI and was syndicated with permission.
Pittsburgh Optimistic About Key Defender’s Return vs. Seattle
The Pittsburgh Steelers came away with a win in Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season after beating the New York Jets. Pittsburgh's offense shattered expectations as the group was able to score consistently and put up 34 points in the victory, but the defensive side of the ball for the Steelers left a lot to be desired. New York's offense is not considered to be all that great, which makes the struggles on defense especially concerning for Pittsburgh. There are some reasonable excuses to be made for the defense's poor performance, including health and a questionable scheme.
Going into the Week 1 matchup against the Jets, it was hard to know what to expect from New York's offense. The group is operating under a new head coach, offensive coordinator, and quarterback. That is hard to game plan for since that group had never taken the field for a real game before, which means Pittsburgh's defense was guessing a bit. Another issue was health, as Pittsburgh lost DeShon Elliott and Joey Porter Jr. during the contest and were without outside linebacker Nick Herbig going into the game.
The young defender spoke to the media on Friday, and he was optimistic that he would be back on the field against the Seattle Seahawks.
Herbig had been dealing with a hamstring injury since the preseason, which is not the first time in his career that this has happened. He has been able to string together some good days of practice leading up to Week 2, which is a good sign that he will be able to go for the home opener against Seattle.
Herbig is in his third year in the league, and he has been able to produce well while not getting the most opportunities, as he is playing behind TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith. He also allows the coaching staff to be confident in the position while either Watt or Highsmith take a play or two off. This allows the two stars to remain fresh throughout the game, which is crucial for when the game gets close and Pittsburgh needs both players at their best.
The young outside linebacker also adds some talent to the special teams units, as he is a consistent contributor in that regard. He may not be a starter, but he is very important to the team and he would be a valuable, starting edge rusher for nearly every other organization in the NFL. Hopefully this is the last health-related hiccup Herbig faces in the 2025 season, but he does have a history with soft tissue injuries.
Steelers' Nick Herbig Can Make An Immediate Impact For Pittsburgh
Herbig was only able to suit up for 13 games during the 2024 season, but he still managed to register five and a half sacks during the season. In his rookie year during the 2023 season, he recorded just three sacks, which shows considerable improvement from year to year. Hopefully Herbig can continue to build on his success, as Pittsburgh only recorded one sack during the season opener against the Jets.
The last time Herbig faced off against the Seahawks he made an incredible impact. He recorded a strip sack late in the game, and also recovered the fumble himself. The game was close, and it was in a situation where Pittsburgh had to win in order to have a shot at making the playoffs. Hopefully the young defender can make a similar play on Sunday, as the Steelers are still looking for their first takeaway on defense.
