The Pittsburgh Steelers are now tied atop the AFC North at 10-5 after losing to the Baltimore Ravens 34-17 today. If the Steelers win out they will win the division even if the Ravens finish with the same record. That said, there’s a lot to be concerned about.
Offense
-Jaylen Warren (12 Car 48 yards, 5 Rec 44 yards) seems as healthy as he’s been all season. Have to keep utilizing him.
-Najee Harris just never seemed to get into the groove of the game. He picked up 42 yards on nine carries
-Russell Wilson (23/33 217 yards 2TD/INT, FMB) was so poised on that TD drive that resulted in his throw to MyCole Pruitt (1 Rec TD). Can’t coach that.
-Hard to fault Wilson after such a great run but he just cannot fumble there. Ugh.
-What a catch by Calvin Austin III (4 Rec 65 yards) on the sideline! He added another grab and the series ended with a Cordarrelle Patterson TD.
-Just a brutal throw by Wilson leads to the Marlon Humphrey pick-six. Way behind his intended target.
-The offensive line was better today than last week as they created some running lanes but they also gave up too much pressure once again.
Defense
-Alex Highsmith (4 TKL sack) is a nightmare for Ronnie Stanley in the early going.
-T.J. Watt (4 TKL) looked better than I thought he would on that bad left ankle. Unfortunately he wasn’t much of a factor.
-The secret to stopping Derrick Henry (24 Car 164 yards) isn’t really a secret. You have to get to him before he gets going. The Steelers failed to do that way too often today.
-Steelers are so banged up on D. Lots of guys hurt. ¾ of starting secondary out. TD throw to Rashad Bateman as an example. Looked like miscommunication.
-Joey Porter, Jr gave it a go after halftime but he was ruled out soon after.
-Yes the ball was thrown right at Minkah Fitzpatrick (6 TKL INT) but he picked it off. His first one of the season.
-Lack of DeShon Elliott and Larry Ogunjobi hurt against the run big time. There’s no denying it.
-Lamar Jackson wasn’t ‘great’ but played well and was due to beat the Steelers. Is what it is.
-Cory Trice and James Pierre gave it a great effort but neither guy can be a long-term solution.
Special Teams
-Chris Boswell kicked the ball out of bounds after the Steelers scored to tie it at 17. The Ravens went right down the field and scored. Probably his worst moment of the season but the defense didn’t help either.
-Boswell finished with 2 PATs and a 53-yard field goal.
Coaching
-Arthur Smith cleaned up a lot of things from last week and he can’t do anything about Wilson fumbling or throwing a pick-six. I still think Warren needs more carries. The opening drive of the second half was awful.
-Teryl Austin is mid as the kids say. Not much he could do given all the injuries. The two Wilson turnovers were the real killers.
-Mike Tomlin won’t use the injuries as an excuse nor should he. It’s part of the game. He faces an incredibly tall task now with the 14-1 Chiefs coming in on short rest.
Officiating
-Very little negative to say about Bill Vinovich’s crew. I thought they let the players play for the most part.
Up Next: The Steelers will host the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day.
