The Pittsburgh Steelers played their biggest game of the 2024 season on Sunday when they took on the Baltimore Ravens. This was Pittsburgh's first game within the AFC North division, and they were able to upset Baltimore with an 18-16 victory. The game had a lot of stakes going into, as the winner would walk away with sole possession of first place in the AFC North. The Steelers already had the lead in the division, and that lead has now grown after keeping Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense contained.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Patrick Queen surveys the offense while playing the Baltimore Ravens in 2024.
There were a lot of story lines going into this AFC North clash, with the biggest being Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen going up against his former team. Queen spent the first four seasons of his career with Baltimore, but signed with Pittsburgh during free agency ahead of the 2024 season. Queen certainly had a chip on his shoulder as he revealed earlier in the week that Baltimore never even offered him a second contract. Head Coach Mike Tomlin was asked what he thought about Queen during his post game press conference, where he took a slight dig at Baltimore.
"You know, one man's trash is another man's treasure." Tomlin said. "I'm glad he is on our team."
Tomlin was clearly excited when Queen inked his deal with the Steelers during the 2024 offseason. He had seen Queen play up close while the linebacker was with the Ravens, and he certainly wanted him in Pittsburgh. Queen had a fairly slow start to the season, but he has played his best games over Pittsburgh's last two victories over the Washington Commanders and the Ravens.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Patrick Queen disrupts a pass from Joe Flacco in 2024.
Queen made his mark against the Ravens for the Steelers, and he was a big reason Pittsburgh was able to walk away with a win. The linebacker had 10 tackles on the day, including one for a loss. He also made one of the bigger plays of the game when he stripped the ball away from Isaiah Likely with under a minute to go in the first half. Pittsburgh was down 7-6 at the time, but the forced fumble and recovery by Queen set Pittsburgh up for a field goal to take the lead going into the half.
The Ravens not offering Queen a new contract following the 2023 season wasn't much of a surprise. He had a good year with the team in 2023, but Baltimore already has one of the best inside linebackers in the league in Roquan Smith, who exited Sunday's game in the second half with an injury. Baltimore isn't in the best cap situation, so offering another big deal to an inside linebacker probably wasn't on the table.
Whatever the reason was behind Baltimore not being able to retain Queen, the linebacker certainly has a bit of anger towards the organization. He has a chip on his shoulder from the whole situation, and he gets to take that anger out on Baltimore twice a year for the foreseeable future.
Jared Wickerham / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Patrick Queen celebrates as he runs off of the field against the Washington Commanders in 2024.
Steelers' Patrick Queen Is Finally Hitting His Stride In Pittsburgh
Queen was ridiculed by some fans for his play at the beginning of the year, and it certainly took the linebacker some time to gel with the rest of the defense. Now he is beginning to look like the All-Pro linebacker that he was during the 2023 season. He made multiple big plays against the Ravens, and he recorded seven tackles and two tackles for loss against Washington in Week 10 against the Commanders.
If Queen can continue this play the Steelers ceiling for the 2024 season will only rise. He was a critical addition to the defense, and he has become one of the leaders of the unit as he wears the green dot.
What did you think of Tomlin's comments on Queen? Do you believe the linebacker has been playing better? Let us know in the comments below!
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