The Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Baltimore Ravens 16-14 on Sunday in a game chock full of missed opportunities for the black and gold. Mitch Trubisky turned the ball over three times and in what would turn out to be the margin of victory for the Ravens, Calais Campbell was able to block a Chris Boswell 40-yard field goal when the score was still 13-7.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
After the blocked attempt, the highest paid defense in the NFL allowed the Ravens to run the ball down the field into field goal range and the Steelers fell behind two scores with just over five minutes to play. Baltimore’s ability to run the ball shortened the game and put a struggling offense, missing their starting quarterback, Kenny Pickett, in a hole that the futile run defense just kept digging deeper.
“We could have beat them,” Minkah Fitzpatrick commented after the game. “We knew what they were going to do. We knew we had to stop the run [and] they were going to take deep balls off of us and we didn’t do one of those things. It’s a huge, huge missed opportunity for us.”
Tyler Huntley, who started the game for the Ravens has demonstrated he is a capable, if not proficient passer. While he was in the game, the Ravens at least had a legitimate threat to pass the ball, but the game plan was to run the ball and maybe play-action off the run when necessary. It wasn’t necessary as JK Dobbins gashed the Steelers for 120 yards on 15 carries including a backbreaking 44-yard run after a 17-yard punt by Pressley Harvin.
In the second half, Fitzpatrick delivered a devastating hit to Huntley, knocking him from the game and forcing Anthony Brown, an undrafted free agent rookie quarterback into the game. Unlike the Roquan Smith hit on Pickett, Fitzpatrick delivered a textbook shoulder hit that forced Huntley into the concussion protocol. It was unfortunate for the former Utah signal-caller who has flashed significant ability in relief of Lamar Jackson, but it was a clean hit.
When Brown entered the game with a 1st and 10 from his own 1-yard line, the Ravens decided to let him throw the ball and that short completion was a mortal blow to the Steelers run defense. From that point forward, they did not sell out to stop the run and they paid dearly for it. Baltimore is one of the best rushing teams in the NFL and with a third string quarterback, everyone in the stadium knew what was coming when they had the ball.
The Steelers did not stack the box, did not zero blitz the undrafted free agent and consequently did not stop the run. The Pittsburgh defense only gave up 16 points, but they gave up 4 scoring drives and couldn’t stop the final drive despite knowing what the Ravens intended to do when they had the ball.
Steelers.com
The Steelers are in disarray and with a second concussion, it is unlikely that Pickett clears concussion protocol before they visit the suddenly hot Carolina Panthers who will be playing for a very real shot at winning the NFC South. The Panthers offense, led by Sam Darnold, is a run first offense like Baltimore and with DJ Moore, have an extremely dangerous weapon on the outside.
Pittsburgh will need to stop the run and force the Panthers to throw the ball, just like they had to do in Acrisure Stadium against the Ravens. If the Steelers want to win on the road this week, they will have to execute against the same game plan at a higher level, the only question is can they?
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Will the run defense play better on Sunday against Carolina or are the Steelers just going to mail it in? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
