The Pittsburgh Steelers know exactly the kind of game they're getting into for Week 11. They will be going up against their hated rivals to kick off their slate against AFC North opponents in 2024. Games between the Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens are always insanely tough, and there is no reason why this upcoming contest should be any different. The only wrinkle in this matchup is that the newcomers from the trade deadline have not had much time to be informed about the series. They will have to learn all about the hatred first-hand.
Mike Williams is one of those new trade acquisitions for the Steelers. He was asked about the rivalry as a whole, and he seems to be confident in his abilities in a game like this.
"One of the strength and conditioning coaches was like, 'Bro, this Ravens game is like a real rivalry,'" said Williams. "'It's the closest thing to a college atmosphere.'" I'm like, 'Da**, I guess big time players got to make big time plays in these moments,' so I'm looking forward to the opportunity."
Williams is no stranger to making big-time plays. He and Justin Herbert made plenty of magic together during their time with one another on the Los Angeles Chargers. He had two seasons with 1,000 receiving yards, including a nine-touchdown campaign in 2021. The Steelers are hoping to see plenty of that, and they got a nice little taste of what he can do in Week 10.
In his Steelers debut, he only had one catch, but it was a memorable one. Quarterback Russell Wilson found him in the end zone for a 32-yard touchdown pass to give Pittsburgh a 28-27 lead over the Washington Commanders. That play ended up being the game-winner.
What makes it even better was that he had to step up to make that play. Calvin Austin III was originally supposed to run that route, but Head Coach Mike Tomlin held him out due to a potential concussion, as well as "big man one-on-one ball," as he later stated in his postgame press conference. Williams got his chance, and he proved that he can still make game-changing catches.
Ravens Won't Let Steelers Deploy Their New Weapon So Easily
Even though the Ravens have had plenty of issues with their pass defense, they always play the Steelers tough, no matter what. There likely is not a single team that either one prepares for more than each other. Wilson will want to continue to utilize his "moon ball," but he better be careful.
While the moon ball worked when it needed to against the Commanders, there were many instances where it didn't. Washington purposely played lots of off coverage to try and take that away, and they even picked off Wilson on one of those attempts. The Ravens could try to do the same thing and force the Steelers to play more dink-and-dunk.
Even with the Steelers' recent success against the Ravens, these games usually come down to one play or one drive in the fourth quarter. Williams better be ready to go if that's the case again. He may not get the chance to just fly by a single-coverage cornerback like he did to win in Week 10.
Even then, Wilson may have to look towards him in those big scenarios. The Ravens put all of their effort in shutting down George Pickens in their most recent meeting to end the 2023 season. They know exactly what he is capable of, so everyone else needs to be ready to make an impact if Pickens gets taken away again.
Van Jefferson also popped up on Wednesday's injury report. There is no word on his game designation yet, but if he is limited or out of the game entirely, Williams will get plenty of reps in this contest. It's time to prove that he is still a big-time player, and that he can still make those kinds of plays when he needs to.
