The Pittsburgh Steelers will have former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen on their side in Week 11, a welcome shift in one of the NFL's best rivalries.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will play host to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday in a rivalry contest stocked to the brim with AFC playoff implications.
Pittsburgh will enter the contest as a slight underdog. Baltimore is one of the best teams in the sport, quarterback Lamar Jackson is playing the best football of his career, and running back Derrick Henry is doing his best to match the soon-to-be three-time MVP. It’s fair to suggest the Steelers will have their backs against the wall, even at home, against such a formidable opponent.
However, Pittsburgh has Jackson's number. He’s only 1-3 against the Steelers as a starter and manages to dodge them seemingly each time he lands on the injury report.
This time, though, Pittsburgh is even stronger. At 7-2, the Russell Wilson-led Steelers are exceeding expectations and look far more prepared for a daunting second-half schedule than the offseason would have suggested. With former Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen commanding the middle of an elite defense, there’s all the more reason to be confident.
Queen is out for revenge, and in his new home, he’s set to deliver it.
He spoke about crossing enemy lines on Wednesday.
"I wasn't wanted back,” Queen said, via Brooke Pryor. “I didn't get an offer back. It's definitely kind of upsetting, being there for four years, the bond that you grow with your teammates. At the end of the day, the first few months, you definitely go through those feelings."
The first-round linebacker ultimately signed a three-year, $41 million deal with the Steelers in free agency.
Queen took the biggest steps of his career after Baltimore traded for star linebacker Roquan Smith, a development that may have played into his departure. But the Steelers, notoriously good at cultivating defensive talent, have made good use of his skill set.
In nine games, Smith has logged 62 tackles and three passes defended, all the while helping mentor rookie Payton Wilson. The Ravens defense, despite some inconsistencies in the back end, aren’t necessarily feeling his absence. Even so, with a big enough impact on Sunday, Queen could assert himself as a significant piece for Pittsburgh’s upper hand in the rivalry.
The Steelers have won seven of their last eight against Baltimore. Coming through in Week 11 could be the most impactful in recent memory, given how much closer Pittsburgh is to legitimate contention compared to years past. Don’t expect Queen to let that opportunity slip.
