The Baltimore Ravens cleared a major hurdle in their hopes of reaching the Super Bowl this weekend.

They’ve had major problems with the Pittsburgh Steelers in recent years, but the Ravens beat the Steelers 34-17 on Saturday and are now 10-5 in first place in the AFC North with two games left in the regular season. After a rough stretch midway through the season, the Ravens have begun to turn things around and are starting to resemble the championship-caliber team everyone expects them to be.

Baltimore’s defense had one of its best games of the season against the Steelers (who were missing their best wide receiver in George Pickens). They held them to 1.7 points per drive and had three sacks and five tackles for a loss, as well as returning an interception for a game-winning touchdown. This defense has come a long way from earlier in the season when it routinely allowed explosive plays and was ripped through the air. They held Pittsburgh’s passing game to -0.27 expected points per dropback and did well to survive the few explosive plays Russell Wilson was able to produce.

According to TruMedia, the defense generally dominated the Steelers in the second half, posting a success rate of just 31.8%. When Pittsburgh tried to get back into the game, they were able to really step it up, especially when it came to throwing the ball. All Wilson and his teammates could manage was 6.1 net yards per attempt in the second half, which simply wasn’t enough as the Ravens’ offense took over the game.

That’s why improving the defense is so crucial for this Baltimore team – the offense is capable of winning a Super Bowl. Lamar Jackson threw three more touchdowns, giving him 37 passing touchdowns with just four interceptions this season, and Derrick Henry was able to rush the Steelers to end the game. In the second half, Henry had 87 yards on just 11 carries and averaged an obscene 5.4 yards before Contact. When the game becomes one-dimensional and the Ravens only have to rely on the run game to close out the game, they become one of the most dominant teams in the league. They might have finally found the perfect running mate for Jackson to actually win that elusive Super Bowl they had Are capable of winning.

Jackson had the good game against the Steelers that had gotten away from him, Henry redeemed himself after fumbling in the first matchup between these teams, and the defense was able to match their talent level. Winning a home game in the first round of the playoffs will be important, but this Ravens team should still be viewed as a dangerous and credible threat to compete for the Super Bowl title. The Ravens’ offense was still able to score 30 points in three of the last four games, failing only in a loss to the Eagles. The stability that Henry has brought could be the reason the Ravens can actually pull through this time.

The top of the AFC is incredibly deep this year, but Baltimore should rightly be considered in this group. If it is possible Only If there’s enough defense, the rest of the conference should pay attention.