This week, the Steelers (10-4) have a chance to stake their claim as “King in the North” for the first time since 2020 when they travel to Baltimore for a Week 16 matchup with the Ravens (9-5). It’s Round 2 for this rivalry in 2024, with Pittsburgh taking the first bout 18-16 in Week 12 thanks to six Chris Boswell field goals and another impressive defensive performance against wunderkind QB Lamar Jackson.

Since that matchup, it seems every game for the Steelers has come with an intriguing historical trend to either break or maintain. The Steelers entered their Week 12 showdown with the Ravens having won 7 of their last 8 in the series. Pittsburgh had been dominating the rivalry, and that trend held true with their 8th win in 9 games, thanks to Boz’s right leg.

The next week, Pittsburgh had to travel to Cleveland for Thursday Night Football. The Steelers hadn’t won a single road TNF matchup against a division opponent in the Mike Tomlin era, and that trend continued with a loss to the Browns in the snow.

Skip ahead to Week 15 against those same Browns. Cleveland had not won a regular season game in Pittsburgh in 20 years, and they weren’t able to break that curse this year either, losing by 13 to the hated Steelers.

And then there was this latest bout against history, which spelled trouble for the Steelers right out of the gate. Pittsburgh had to travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles, a team they had not beaten on the road since 1965. That’s 10 losses in a row over the last 59 years. Again, history repeated itself, with the Eagles cruising to a 27-13 win over the Steelers.

That brings us to Week 16, and the Steelers crucial 2nd matchup against the Ravens. If Pittsburgh wins, they lock up the AFC North crown with 2 weeks to play. If Baltimore wins, the Steelers still control their destiny, but would have to win two very difficult games (vs. Chiefs, vs. Bengals) to close out the season, while Baltimore navigates a trip to Houston and a home game against Cleveland to close things out.

The historical storylines hit hard again this week, and they happen to fall in the Steelers favor on all accounts this time around. First, there’s the chance for Pittsburgh to go a mind-boggling 9-1 in their last 10 matchups with Baltimore if they win this week. But wait, there’s more! Steelers’ beat writer Dale Lolley dropped this gem on his X account on Wednesday:

The Steelers are 8-0 when facing a division opponent within one game of them in the standings in Week 13 of the season or later in the past decade.

— Dale Lolley (@dlolley_pgh) December 18, 2024

That’s still not all going the Steelers way this weekend! According to Steelers PR team member Michael Bertsch via his X account, Pittsburgh is 6-1 in games where a win would guarantee a division title for the Steelers, including going 3-0 vs. Baltimore in such situations.

The @steelers can lock up the AFC North Saturday at Baltimore.

Pittsburgh has played seven games under Mike Tomlin where it was guaranteed to win the division with a victory.

Tomlin and the Steelers are 6-1 in such games, including 3-0 vs. Baltimore.#HereWeGo #BertschyBits pic.twitter.com/vc3QqZbV9V

— Michael Bertsch (@SteelersPRMike) December 16, 2024

Will the historical trends continue to hold true for Pittsburgh when it comes to this weighty Week 16 showdown against the Ravens? If yes, Pittsburgh will have clinched a division title and a home playoff game in 2024. It figures to be a hard-fought, close contest between these two teams again, but Pittsburgh has the clear advantage when it comes to the historical implications of this particular matchup.

Tune in on Saturday at 4:30PM on FOX to find out how this one plays out!