PITTSBURGH — The Steelers have never played their first division game this late in the season, but it might be worth the wait.

They finally begin games with their AFC North opponents on Sunday when they face the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium. And it might not be a stretch to label it one of the best mid-season matchups between the division rivals in their contentious and battle-hardened history.

It is the first time each team has come in with the same number of victories since a Dec. 5, 2010 meeting in Baltimore when the Steelers and Ravens were tied for the division lead with 8-3 records. The Steelers won that game 13-10 and went on to Super Bowl XLV.

It only enhances their Week 11 matchup that each team is also coming off pulsating, final-minute victories — the Steelers (7-2) against the Washington Commanders, 28-27, and the Ravens (7-3) against the Cincinnati Bengals, 35-34.

The Steelers' comeback victory in Landover, Md., was so enthralling — from Russell Wilson's 32-yard touchdown to newcomer Mike Williams with 2:22 remaining to getting Commanders rookie defensive tackle Jerry Newton to jump offside with 1:02 remaining — that nobody even mentioned it's Ravens week in the locker room, something that typically creeps into a post-game conversation.

Even Mike Tomlin, who typically sounds that horn as an early warning, never brought it up after the game.

"It's a good team win," Tomlin said. "Not only is it a well-earned victory, but there's some real growth associated with it. We learned a little bit about ourselves, hopefully in a positive way (Sunday)."

The matchup with the Ravens will take center stage in the NFL this weekend, even though it is a 1 p.m. ET game. And for good reason.

After making it to the AFC Championship game last season, the Ravens are living up to the expectation of being the division favorite and possibly being the AFC representative in the Super Bowl. But it's the Steelers who have stolen some of the thunder with their fast start and a four-game winning streak that has kept them at the top of the division.

The last time both teams were so evenly matched at this point of the season was on Nov. 18, 2012, when the Ravens were 7-2 and the Steelers were 6-3. The Ravens won that game at Acrisure Stadium, 13-10.

On Nov. 6, 2011, the Steelers were 6-2 when they lost to the 5-2 Ravens, 23-20. And, on Dec. 14, 2008, the Steelers were 10-3 and the Ravens 9-4 when the Steelers won, 13-9, in Baltimore, the game that all but secured the division title and sent the Steelers on their way to Super Bowl XLIII.

This is another one of those classic showdowns.

"Grinding," said receiver George Pickens when asked how the Steelers were able to overcome a 10-point deficit in the second half against the Commanders. "Like I always say, one day at a time. Games like this show to take one day at a time, not looking too early to make a big play. We just run our plays."

Alex Highsmith's ankle

Outside linebacker Alex Highsmith was scheduled to have a magnetic resonance imaging on Monday to determine the extent of the ankle injury he sustained late in the fourth quarter against the Commanders. It is not known how long he will be sidelined, but it could be at least a couple games.

The good news: His top backup, Nick Herbig, is expected to return against the Ravens after missing the past four games with a hamstring injury.

It also makes the trade to acquire outside linebacker Preston Smith for a seventh-round choice all the more fortuitous. Smith played 23 snaps in Washington and had two tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry.

Tight end resurgence

In the past three games, tight end Darnell Washington has been targeted eight times, as many as the No. 1 tight end, Pat Freiermuth. He also has six catches for 71 yards in those games, one fewer than Freiermuth. And he actually played more snaps (50) against the Commanders than Freiermuth (45).

While it has been a good thing for the offense to get the 6-foot-8, 270-pound Washington more involved in the pass game, the Steelers are nonetheless not utilizing Freiermuth as much as they should.

Freiermuth had three catches against the Commanders, including one of the team's three touchdown receptions for 3 yards. His other two catches were an 8-yarder that set up his touchdown and a 6-yarder on third-and-3 that kept alive the winning touchdown.

Freiermuth is the team's most dependable and sure-handed receiver. He has been targeted just 34 times this season, 21st among the league's tight ends. It is fewer than half of the top three targeted tight ends in the NFL: Kansas City's Travis Kelce (76), Las Vegas' Brock Bowers (73) and Tampa Bay's Cade Otton (70).

The Steelers threw a hefty new contract at Freiermuth before the season. It's time they start throwing more passes his way, too.

Warren's fumbling continues

Jaylen Warren led the Steelers with 66 yards rushing on 14 carries, 37 of which came on the drive in which he fumbled at the Commanders 1 with seven minutes remaining. It was Warren's fifth fumble in the past two seasons and the third that was recovered by the other team.

That is not a good way to earn repeated playing time with Tomlin.

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