The Steelers held off the Baltimore Ravens to win 18-16 and take sole possession of 1st place.
When you talk NFL rivalries, the Steelers v. Ravens is always in the conversation. It is defined by hard hitting and timely defense and Sunday’s game held up that standard. The Steelers won the turnover battle and kept the Ravens offensive fire power in check to earn a hard fought 18-16 victory in Pittsburgh on Sunday.
The Steelers front seven led the defensive efforts. They were exceptional in limiting Derrick Henry, the number two leading rusher. Henry was held to just 65 yards on 13 carries. Larry Ogunjobi recorded five tackles, contributing to the overall defensive effort. Cam Heyward chipped in four tackles and two pass breakups, demonstrating his durability and impact on the game. It was a very good day for Dean Lowry who had his first sack of the season.
The linebackers had a dominant performance, creating three turnovers that sunk the Ravens. Nick Herbig, Patrick Queen, and Payton Wilson were the standout performers, each contributing to the team’s success with their impactful plays.
Herbig, forced a fumble from Derrick Henry on the first drive of the game, marking Henry’s first fumble in 538 touches. Queen, who was playing with a chip on his shoulder had a game changing strip of Isaiah Likely late in the first half, leading to a Steelers field goal and a 9-7 halftime lead. Wilson, made a crucial interception with 8:14 remaining in the game, thwarting the Ravens’ potential game-winning drive. T.J. Watt also played a significant role, adding a sack and three tackles to the Steelers’ defensive effort.
The Steelers’ secondary severely limited the Baltimore passing game, with Minkah Fitzpatrick leading the way with seven tackles and DeShon Elliott recovering a fumble.
Joey Porter Jr.’s pressure on Lamar Jackson during the crucial two-point conversion attempt proved to be a game-changing play, preventing the Ravens from tying the game and sending it into overtime. His strong defensive performance, including two passes defended and he did not allow a catch.
The defense effectively limited Lamar Jackson and the high-powered Ravens offense, holding them to just 207 passing yards and a low quarterback rating.
What else can you say about Chris Boswell, who was the difference in the game. Boswell accounted for all the Steelers points, kicking six field goals on the day. The second time he has done that this season. Three of the six were 50-plus yards. He’s now 29 for 30 on the season, with his lone miss coming from 62 yards.
Najee Harris ground out 63 yards bruising yards on 18 carries, the most important yard coming on 3rd-and-1 with 54 seconds left to ice the game. Jaylen Warren chipped in 41 yards on nine carries. Justin Fields came in and ran twice for 17 yards, with a gaffe of missing the first down mark that would have ended the game.
Russell Wilson battled and finished the game with 23-36 for 205 yards passing with no touchdowns. It was an uneven performance, but it was good enough to get the job done. George Pickens led the team in yards 89 and catches 8. Darnell Washington is starting to be a threat in the passing game, he contributed with 42 yards.
The coaches had a good game plan and executed it, leaving the Steelers atop the AFC North. It is a short turnaround as the Steelers head to Cleveland on Thursday night.
BEER WE GO, STEELERS BEER WE GO.
My “GAME BEER” goes to: A lot of people for consideration, but going with the difference maker in the game, that is “Little Bos” Chris Boswell, who accounted for all the Steelers points. Also Considered: Payton Wilson for a KEY interception, Patrick Queen, who is getting better every week and was able to stuff his old team, forcing a key fumble. The defensive line as a unit. Joey Porter Jr. who didn’t give up a catch and decked Lamar Jackson on the two-point conversion.
Beer of the Game: I went with Modello, advertising played a role as I was originally planning on going with Smithwicks, but the commercial inspired me and yes we had the beer on hand! KGB stayed with Flannel Fest from Sam Adams and finished the game with Yuengling Lager, both had a sugar rim.
“Steel the Snacks”: KGB went with Maryland style crab cakes and homemade chipotle mayo and honey mustard. What else would you choose? It was a dominant performance for the snacks as the game changed when they came out.
My Stat of the week: So many to choose from but must go with the obvious one, the Ravens came in averaging 32 points a game. They scored 16 points on the day, that is a mine blowing stat. The national media felt like this was the week the Steelers would finally get exposed, it clearly didn’t happen. Consider the Steelers have won eight of the last nine vs. the Ravens, even if you do not count the pandemic year, which I wouldn’t, it has been a great run in the rivalry. All the games are competitive.
My Thoughts on next week: As in THIS week, like Thursday night. The Browns would love to knock off the Steelers and playing a short week after playing the Ravens is a pretty rough way for the schedule makers to jam up the Steelers. Records aside this is a grudge match.
Jersey of the Week: T.J. Watt, #90 Home Black, was trying to help T.J. bust out after a “slump”.