The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for a rematch against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16 … unfortunately without their top wide receiver, George Pickens, without safety DeShon Elliott (who’s arguably having an All-Pro campaign in his first year with the team) and potentially without cornerback Donte Jackson, who’s questionable with a nagging back injury. So naturally, coming off a loss against the Philadelphia Eagles and heading straight into a matchup with one of the league’s most prominent offenses, these circumstances begged a couple of questions:

Earlier this week, we polled fans about their confidence in the direction the team is heading and where the team’s greatest weakness lies on the roster. Here’s what they had to say.

Fan confidence is as low as it’s been since Russell Wilson took over at QB

Generally speaking, Russell Wilson’s tenure as a starting quarterback for the Steelers has been excellent for fan confidence, with 90% or more of fans expressing confidence in the team’s direction ahead of all but two matchups since he took over (coming off Week 12’s loss against the Browns and now, coming off a loss against Philly). One can assume that a win over the almighty Ravens would have fan confidence floating right back up in the 90’s again, given that a win would clinch the AFC North.

Fans acknowledge that WR is the greatest weakness

This may have been an obvious choice, but it still felt like a question worth asking given some of the recent struggles in the secondary. 55% of fans pinned wide receiver as the Steelers’ greatest roster weakness, while 22% of fans indicated offensive line, 20% indicated the secondary and just 3% indicated quarterback.

Wide receiver has already been touted frequently as the team’s greatest weakness, with GM Omar Khan facing widespread criticism for his lack of action to acquire more depth opposite George Pickens this offseason. Of course, it wasn’t for a lack of trying; Khan’s failed conquests included the pursuit of Brandon Aiyuk and Davante Adams, among others. Plus, there’s consideration of the fact that the trade of Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers for mere dimes on the dollar looks much better in hindsight after seeing how his year has panned out.

After a disastrous 2024 campaign, including high tensions after being traded to the Baltimore Ravens ahead of the deadline, Johnson was officially released Friday afternoon ahead of Baltimore’s game with the Steelers. He’ll run through waivers, as is the case for all NFL players after the trade deadline, which will clear Monday afternoon at 4 p.m. ET. Per ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, Johnson is expected to be claimed on waivers, with the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs among those teams rumored to have interest. Mum’s the word on the Steelers’ potential interest level in a possible reunion.

Given that Johnson is a free agent in 2025, one would assume he’d be claimed by a contender (or fringe contender) looking to make the playoffs. Here’s a look at the current draft order as it stands today, per Tankathon:

Quarterback sitting at 3% is another fascinating result in this poll, especially given some of the ups and downs on offense as of late. Still, with Russell Wilson on a one-year deal and set to potentially snag a large contract in the years to come, it seems likely that fans would welcome a second contract… as long as the price is right.

Most NFL fans polled are backing the Ravens to cover the spread (-6.5)

This means that most NFL fans who were polled are expecting the Ravens to win by a touchdown (or more).

Per Sport Radar, here’s a look at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ performance against the Ravens in their last nine matchups dating back to 2020:

The Steelers are 6-0 as underdogs
Pittsburgh has covered the spread in 7 of 9 matchups total, and ALL 6 of their matchups as underdogs
8 of 9 matchups have hit the UNDER