Typically, the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers travel on parallel paths when they navigate through any NFL campaign. That’s because they usually feature similar makeups, with each club possessing a talented offense while also being able to rely on a stout defense. Unfortunately for the Ravens, though, that hasn’t been the case so far this season, as while the rival Steelers enter Week 4 of the 2015 season at 2-1, Baltimore has been going in the opposite direction, surprisingly being 0-3.
Either way, when the two AFC North teams clash this Thursday night, there’s no doubt it will be one of the more high-profile games on this weekend’s slate. Over the past decade, the Ravens and Steelers have competed against each other in one of the most intense rivalries in the NFL, and thus, the average ticket price of $196.38 for this upcoming divisional affair has to be viewed as one of the best values on the schedule for Week 4. Furthermore, the get-in price is just $84 to see these familiar foes go at it once more at Heinz Field.
Even if you’re not a fan of either team, these are matchups always worth seeing in person. Luckily, for those who want to make it happen, you have the ability to do so with ease by going through Hipmunk.com. They have cheap flights to Pittsburgh available from most major airline carriers, and for fans who want to turn it into an extended football getaway, Hipmunk also has affordable Pittsburgh hotel listings, with rooms starting as low as $63.
Although the Ravens are winless, they have one key thing going in their favor when the two teams hit the field on this week’s edition of Thursday Night Football. On the other side of the field, the Steelers will be missing their star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who is on the shelf for 4-6 weeks with a knee injury, which he sustained in the club’s Week 3 contest versus the Rams. This could be a huge boost for a Ravens defense that certainly needs it after losing one of their key players in Terrell Suggs. Baltimore’s defensive unit has struggled mightily since, yielding more than 30 points in each of the past two weeks.
Baltimore doesn’t have the makeup of a team that is going to just lie down, which will have them as quite the challenge. John Harbaugh’s group has fallen far from the preseason Super Bowl favorite numerous NFL experts pegged them as, and if they don’t find a way to take down the Steelers in a huge road contest, their season could already be over. The one thing resting in Baltimore’s favor could be the history of this rivalry, as the Ravens and Steelers tend to play each other very tightly, while the last six matchups have been split right down the middle, with each side getting three wins. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has had an up-and-down start to the season, but he tends to be at his best when under the microscope. That will certainly be the case this week, when Flacco and Co. face a must-win game in the worst way. If the last two games are any indication, Flacco has been trending upwards again, which could bode well for the club’s outlook in Week 4.
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