Steelers' Mike Tomlin And Teryl Austin Called Out By Ravens' Ronnie Stanley For Risky Strategy

The Pittsburgh Steelers got embarrassed for five straight games to end the 2024 season. It started after a 10-3 start, where Pittsburgh actually began to convince pundits they were legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Their defense is the highest paid unit in the NFL and the offense, led by Russell Wilson, seemed to be hitting its stride. However, the wheels came off as the Steelers lost four straight games to close out the regular season.

In the first round of the playoffs, the Steelers' hopes for a deep postseason run came crashing down with a 28-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens' star running back, Derrick Henry, was the focal point of Pittsburgh's defensive struggles. While it wasn’t expected to be easy to contain Henry, the Steelers’ defense failed to even slow him down, allowing the Ravens to rack up a staggering 299 rushing yards in the game.

Ravens tackle Ronnie Stanley spoke to the media after the game, expressing his shock over the Steelers' risky strategy to try to stop Henry. Stanley revealed that he and his teammates were caught off guard by the Steelers’ aggressive approach, which ultimately backfired and led to one of the most humiliating losses of the season. The Ravens capitalized on Pittsburgh's defensive missteps, further exposing the cracks in a once-dominant defensive unit.

"The way they were trying to play the defense, they were being a little risky," Stanley said. "We hit them on the seam. It was off the outside. The whole left side did a great job on that - the tight end, the guard, and Derrick, as well. When you hit the seam, that's what happens when you do good execution football."

When the Steelers managed to claw their way back into the game, thanks to some explosive plays from George Pickens, their hopes were quickly dashed. Despite the offensive spark, the Steelers defense once again couldn’t stop the Ravens' high-powered attack, led by Lamar Jackson and Henry. While stopping two of the most dangerous players in the NFL is no easy feat, the real concern was that the Steelers' strategy never even gave the defense a fair chance.

Stanley saw it, Steelers fans saw it, and even the commentators calling the game were quick to point it out—the game plan to slow down Henry was simply flawed. It wasn’t just a defensive breakdown; it was a complete failure to execute a workable strategy. The entire team was embarrassed as Henry ran roughshod over them, rushing for 186 yards, two touchdowns, and an eye-popping 7.2 yards per carry. The Steelers had no answer, and the Ravens made them pay for it in a humiliating fashion.

Steelers' Highest-Paid Defense Fell Flat In The Largest Moments Of The 2024 NFL Season

Despite Henry's greatness, it’s simply unacceptable for the highest-paid defense in the league to allow that kind of performance in a playoff game. Stanley’s comments about the Steelers playing too risky only emphasize the massive edge the Ravens had over Pittsburgh in that matchup. 

What’s most frustrating is how prepared the Ravens were, while the Steelers seemed completely unready for the challenge. Stanley’s post-game remarks only heighten the concerns that Steeler Nation is already grappling with after watching the team collapse over the final five games of the season.

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