The Pittsburgh Steelers fell short to Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night, putting both AFC North squads at 10-5. For the third consecutive week, wide receiver George Pickens was inactive due to his hamstring injury, and Russell Wilson was unable to overcome it. Wilson had two extremely costly turnovers for the Steelers, which led to the 34-17 blowout.
Jared Wickerham / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Russell Wilson talks to his team on the bench during a game against the Baltimore Ravens at the end of the 2024 regular season.
The Steelers had some key defenders sidelined versus Baltimore along with Pickens, which is why Jackson and the Ravens offense were able to gain 418 total yards compared to Pittsburgh's 315. Running back Derrick Henry totaled 162 rushing yards on 24 touches, which is a career-high against Pittsburgh. Jackson and the offense accounted for three of the team's four touchdowns, while Marlon Humphrey had a big-time pick-six off of Wilson early in the fourth quarter.
Not only did Wilson give Humphrey and the Ravens a touchdown immediately following Minkah Fitzpatrick's big play, he also fumbled after a 20-yard run on Baltimore's four-yard-line. Instead of taking the first down and sliding, Wilson made an effort for a touchdown, but took a big hit which jarred the ball loose.
Wilson's two costly mistakes essentially spotted the Ravens 14 points. After Wilson's fumble in the second quarter, the Ravens would then go on a 96-yard touchdown drive. Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo was critical of Wilson's performance after the disappointing loss.
"Russell Wilson made two critical errors that sunk the Steelers' chances of winning the AFC North on Saturday," Fittipaldo wrote. With a chance to go up by a touchdown in the second quarter, Wilson scrambled for a 20-yard gain but didn't slide and was stripped at the Raven's 3-yard line. Instead of the Steelers going up by a touchdown, the Ravens drove 96 yards to score a touchdown on the ensuing drive, a 14-point swing that loomed large for the rest of the game."
Fittipaldo continued describing what was an inconsistent outing from the quarterback, detailing that even though Pittsburgh was give multiple chances to get back in it, the team couldn't get it done.
"But even with that mistake, the Steelers were still in the game until Wilson threw a pick-six to Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey early in the fourth quarter. The touchdown gave the Ravens a 31-17 lead, and that was the ball game. Wilson finished 22 for 33 for 217 yards and two touchdowns, but his two turnovers played a huge role in the game's outcome. Grade: D."
Wilson's costly mistakes now put the Steelers in a much more difficult position as far as winning the division. The Steelers should remain in first place if both squads win their final two games, due to a conference record tie-breaker.
The issue, however, is that Pittsburgh's next two games are far from easy. The Steelers finish the season hosting the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day and the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18. The turnovers that Wilson had on Saturday will have to be cleaned up if the Steelers want any shot at beating either AFC team.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers' Russell Wilson and the offense in a huddle during a game against the Baltimore Ravens in 2024.
Along with the turnovers, Wilson was under a lot of pressure against the Ravens' front seven and was taken down for a sack three times. Wilson and the offensive line have struggled buying time, and his poor interception was because he was forced to throw quickly.
Steelers Were Unable To Overcome Defensive Injuries Versus Ravens
DeShon Elliott, Larry Ogunjobi and Donte Jackson all missed Week 16's game in Baltimore, which put the team in a difficult spot. TJ Watt was also clearly not 100 percent yet from his ankle injury suffered in last week's loss, and Joey Porter Jr. quickly went down with an injury and couldn't quite get right in the second half.
Missing its top two corners, one of its two starting safeties, and having a banged up Watt, Pittsburgh's defense was vulnerable, hence the career-high on the ground for Henry.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers' Payton Wilson and Elandon Roberts make a tackle on Ravens' running back Derrick Henry in 2024.
While the Steelers' performance was disappointing, Saturday's game would have looked a lot different if just a few of those key players were able to suit up. The Steelers need to get healthy, especially on the defensive side, before their final two games in Pittsburgh. If the team wants the division title, they'll likely have to win out.
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