Ravens vs Steelers: Bold predictions for a fight for AFC North control

The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers both entered Thanksgiving weekend with identical 6-5 records. Both had an opportunity to strengthen their case as the AFC North's best team. Both teams fumbled.

The Ravens lost on Thanksgiving night to a Cincinnati Bengals team most thought was better than them. Three days later, the Steelers had their opportunity vs. the Buffalo Bills, and they blew that. Both teams are at an even .500 with five games remaining.

Two of those games force them to cross paths. The first of the pair comes in Week 14 on Sunday. The stakes couldn't get any higher. The winner takes a one-game lead on the other and an all-important head-to-head tie-breaker.

It feels like the Ravens are the better team, but one can never tell how these rivalry games will go. That won't stop us from guessing. Here are some bold predictions for Sunday's clash.

Lamer Jackson throws two touchdowns, and Derrick Henry runs for another.

If you've paid attention to these, you've noticed we often try to forecast the production of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. That hasn't gone well. One or the other always seems content to let us down.

If Lamar passes for TDs, King Henry has trouble finding the end zone. Then, as if on cue, Henry gets hot, and Lamar seems to lose his mojo.

Jackson hasn't thrown a TD pass in any of his last three games, but who's counting? Henry has scored at least one TD in each of the past three games. The guys get in sync here. How about a pair of TD passes for Jackson and another rushing score for Derrick Henry?

The Ravens notch 450 yards of total offense.

When the scoring is hot, heavy, and frequent, it sounds like the offense is really having a good day. The Steelers often have no issues with allowing one. They can be generous, and with the Christmas season approaching, they'll be festive and in a giving mood—figure 450 yards for Baltimore's offense and some newfound faith in offensive coordinator Todd Monken.

Baltimore's defense forces three turnovers.

When Aaron Rodgers gets loose with the football, his generosity to the opposing defense knows no end. He has thrown two interceptions in a single game three times this season, in Weeks 2, 7, and 10.

He hasn't thrown one since then, but he coughed the ball up by way of a fumble in Week 13. That's his first lost fumble to go along with seven picks in 11 games. It feels like he's due, and with that left wrist troubling him, there's a chance that he's more prone to error, especially if he morphs into that other Aaron Rodgers. You know the one, the guy who looks every bit of 42 years old and counting.

The Ravens limit the Steelers to 20 points or fewer.

The Steelers have eclipsed the 20-point threshold in every game they have played this season, minus three, but this feels like a Ravens get-right game after the home loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Expect a more impressive outing and some postgame entertainment.

Mike Tomlin has a postgame meltdown at his press conference.

Rivalries aside, coaches don't get any cooler than Mike Tomlin. No one is more entertaining (or more honest) in front of a microphone. A Ravens win is loading. So is a viral Tomlin moment, and doggone it. We can't wait to see both when they occur.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Ravens–Steelers bold predictions for a fight for AFC North control