Sunday’s rivalry matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens was one of the day’s most anticipated games, and it did not disappoint. The Steelers had a slow start on offense, but by the second half, it was anybody’s game. In the opening drive, the Steelers showed why they were the top defensive team in the NFL by producing a pick and a touchdown. Proceeding that, the Ravens held the Steelers offense to only 89 yards in the 1st half. The first half was truly a defensive show between the Steelers (number 1 defensive team) and the Ravens (number 4 defensive team.) Nonetheless, this game answers a lot of questions and raises a few for both teams.
Baltimore Ravens
Stanley’s injury: Baltimore’s Pro-Bowl star Ronnie Stanley went down on Sunday with an ankle injury and did not make it back on for the rest of the game. Stanley, who had signed a five-year, $98.75 million extension only 48 hours previously, suffered a season-ending injury in one of the most crucial games in the Ravens’ early season. Stanley’s injury is a huge loss for the Ravens and their offensive unit. He is one of the best left tackles in the league and provides outstanding pass protection and run block for the Ravens offensive line. This loss is going to put a strain on the Ravens offense, which has already shown signs of struggling.
Rushing game: One thing the Ravens can brag about Sunday’s game was their rushing. Mark Ingram was out with an ankle injury from their game against the Eagles, and J.K. Dobbins was the starting running back. The Ravens ran for a total of 265 yards, with Dobbins making 113 of them. In the first half, the Ravens had control of the game by dominating the Steelers’ defense with their imposing run game. It should be reassuring to the Baltimore Ravens that they have their rushing game figure out.
Passing game: Lamar Jackson is the league’s reigning MVP, but did he deliver an MVP performance at Sunday’s game? While the rushing game was much to brag about, Lamar Jackson’s passing game was not. He threw for 208 yards and had 13 completions with 28 attempts. Lamar’s actual throwing ability isn’t the problem, but his decision making. The Ravens had a chance to win it in the final moments, with 8 seconds left on the clock and 23 yards from the end zone. Jackson made a mediocre pass to a heavily covered Snead in the endzone, despite having other receivers open, something John Harbaugh was obviously not happy about. Going forward, Lamar needs to work on his decision making when it comes to his passing game.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Defensive woes: The Pittsburgh Steelers began the game a little depleted on defense, without one of their cornerbacks and a linebacker, then lost two defensive linemen during the game. Even without their two starters, they managed to pick off Lamar Jackson in his first drive. Despite the pick, they gave up 269 yards on defense to give the Ravens the early advantage
Offense: In a game with dominant defensive teams, it’s up to the offense to give either team the edge to win. In the first half, it really looked like the Ravens had that edge, then Big Ben happened. After only acquiring 89 yards in the first half, the Steelers came out in the second half with a lot to prove as the league’s current number 1 team. They switched up their strategy on offense, abandoning their run game and relying a lot more on Big Ben’s skills and experience to give them the advantage on the Ravens defense.
Despite the many moving parts, this game was a close one and it was not obvious who would come out on top, even in the final moments. However, the Steelers showed that they were able to live up to their 7-0 record, and Ravens showed that they have some work to do on offense.
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