No small number of analyses predicted that a significant factor in last week’s game was going to be the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line’s ability to handle the swarming Baltimore Ravens blitz. And rightfully so. The Steelers and Ravens bring pressure at a larger and more efficient clip than anybody else in the league.
The battle in the trenches largely played out as predicted. Lamar Jackson faced 13 blitzes on 37-total dropbacks. Moreover, he faced pressure in 20 of his dropbacks. On the other side of the ball, Ben Roethlisberger also faced 13 blitzes, on 34-total dropbacks. However, according to Pro Football Focus, Roethlisberger was only truly pressured eight times throughout the whole game, an indication that the Pittsburgh offensive line was the clear victor in the battle of the trenches.