Steelers' Lack Of TDs Is No Big Deal For 2024 Super Bowl Run: "We Went 5 Straight Games Without Scoring An Offensive Touchdown"

The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens are among the best rivals in football. Part of why these games are so highly anticipated is that they are so physical. The Week 11 game held high expectations for both teams and offered the Steelers a chance to finally prove themselves. 

The Ravens, led by quarterback Lamar Jackson, have been the league's sweethearts. Jackson has played so well that he is widely considered a lock for his third MVP Award. Despite a slow start to the season, the Ravens have picked up speed and become the team that most analysts expected. 

On the other hand, Pittsburgh wasn't expected to do much this season. After beating the Ravens, they are now solidly in first place of the AFC North with a record of 8-2, and fans are starting to ask when they will be given the respect they deserve. Now the national media is starting to really take notice and on ESPN's Get Up, show host Mike Greenberg asked if the Steelers are now legitimate Super Bowl contenders. 

Rex Ryan, who helped coach the Ravens before becoming a head coach, acknowledged that a team could go all the way to the Super Bowl by winning games with only field goals like the Steelers have done twice this season. When Ryan was the Ravens' defensive coordinator, they did something similar. 

"In that year with Baltimore that you're referring to, 2000, we won the Super Bowl," said Ryan. "We went five straight games without scoring an offensive touchdown. Five straight. This team, right here, is showing signs of that. Here's what I love about it: the defense. Who do you have to stop? Patrick Mahomes, you got to stop Josh Allen, you got to stop Lamar Jackson; there's one team that knows how to do it, and that's the Pittsburgh Steelers."

The Steelers have the highest-paid defense in the NFL and have not been given the respect they deserve this season. Every time the Steelers win a game, they hear that they haven't really played anyone yet. The Ravens were supposed to be a litmus test that validated them. 

The players, especially the defense, came up big. Former Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen joined the Steelers in the 2024 offseason and had a huge game against his former team. Queen said that he felt the Ravens didn't want him and is thrilled to be somewhere he fits so well. The Steelers are glad to have him, as he led the team in tackles, fumbles, and recoveries. Ryan said the Steelers will continue to be successful if they keep deploying Queen along with T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith when he returns from injury. 

"You turn those two edge guys loose, give them two-way goes, you have two spies underneath to help out," explained Ryan. "They don't let quarterbacks run and beat you, scrambling out of the pocket. Mahomes does, Josh Allen does, so does Lamar Jackson. Well, they have a formula to handle those guys."

They said the 2000 Ravens defense and the current Steelers defense "majored in intimidation." This isn't easy for defenses to do because the NFL is so protective of its quarterbacks. However, Ryan and the other hosts agree that the Steelers have found the secret to disrupting the offense. 

Steelers' Mike Tomlin Gets Another Coach Of The Year Nod

Mike Tomlin made a surprising decision earlier this season to bench Justin Fields and start Russell Wilson at quarterback. Few people initially agreed with his choice; however, now that Wilson is 4-0, many herald his genius. 

His name has been mentioned several times as a solid candidate for NFL Coach of the Year, including during the most recent episode of Get Up. Damien Woody said that he believes Tomlin is a shoo-in for the award at the end of this season. 

Tomlin not only made that difficult decision, but also made personnel choices that led to the Steelers winning football games and outperforming everyone's expectations. 

Do you think the Steelers are legitimate Super Bowl contenders? Click to comment below. 

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