By HUNTER O. LYLE
Well it wasn’t all that pretty, but the Steelers got it done.
In another ‘nose to the grindstone,’ gritty performance by Pittsburgh’s defense, the Steelers were able to once again take down their divisional rivals, maintaining their grip on the AFC North. At 8-3, this is the best record through 11 games the Steelers have had since 2020 – a year marred by pandemic postponements and irregularities. However, if they want to keep it up, their offense can’t take nights off anymore.
Against one of the worst defenses in the league – Baltimore ranked 26th against the pass and 25th against the rush ahead of Sunday’s game – Pittsburgh couldn’t get their offense rolling. Between the horrible 4-for-16 third down efficiency and the inability to reach the endzone for the second game this season, the pistons just weren’t firing for the black and gold.
A week after praising Russell Wilson, the 13-seasoned veteran was sacked four times in just the first half. Now, of course a good portion of the blame could be put on the offensive line, but it can’t be discounted that Wilson seemed cemented in the pocket despite the mounting pressure. When he did move, he was frantic with the ball, such as when he panic-tossed a lob into the endzone for his sole interception of the game. Had it not been for Payton Wilson’s stunning interception a few plays later, the ball game may have had a totally different ending.
Payton Wilson also finished with two solo tackles in a day that the Steelers’ defense showed why they’re the best in the league – even without Alex Highsmith. Patrick Queen got some revenge on his former team with a strip along with Nick Herbig, who earned his forced fumble on the opening drive and with constant pressure on Jackson Lamar, Pittsburgh held the Ravens to their lowest scoring performance in the regular season since January – coincidentally in another meeting with the Steelers. It’s always fun to watch the defense at work, but the sighs elicited from the other side of the ball are getting tiresome – thank the Universe for Chris Boswell.
However, there were a few things I liked about Pittsburgh’s Sunday afternoon offense, namely: the implementation of Justin Fields.
Although he did risk the win with a too-short-slide, Fields did his job almost perfectly. Coming in on a second-and-11 in the third quarter, Fields used his famous mobility to burst from the pocket for a gain of eight. He did the same for nine in the fourth, albeit, on what should have been an easy first down. Given the fact that Wilson doesn’t have the legs of a much younger quarterback, putting Fields in for short gains, especially when in the red zone, could add another dimension to the Steelers’ offense as well as another way to shake up an opposing defense.
All in all, a fifth consecutive win is worth whatever troubles come along with it. Come Thursday, the Steelers should tack on their sixth straight even despite the shortened rest. Hopefully in the next three weeks, when Pittsburgh faces the Cleveland Browns (2-8) twice and the Cincinnati Bengals (4-7), they can figure out how to get their offense at an elite level and keep it there. They’re going to need it to finish out one of the hardest remaining schedules in the league.
