Steelers keep playoff hopes alive with win over Ravens - ESPN
Jamison Hensley
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Jamison Hensley
ESPN Staff Writer
Brooke Pryor
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Brooke Pryor
ESPN Staff Writer
Jan 6, 2024, 07:23 PM ET
BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Ravens' NFL-best six-game win streak is over after a 17-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the short-handed Ravens achieved one significant goal: Escaping the regular-season finale without a catastrophic injury to a starter.
After wrapping up the AFC's No. 1 seed and the AFC North title a week ago, the Ravens (13-4) knew Saturday's game against their division rival had no playoff ramifications for them. This is why Baltimore didn't play NFL MVP favorite Lamar Jackson, as well as six other starters: Wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Zay Flowers, guard Kevin Zeitler, middle linebacker Roquan Smith, safety Kyle Hamilton and cornerback Marlon Humphrey. They have accounted for 94 starts this season and have totaled 12 career Pro Bowl appearances.
The Steelers, on the other hand, needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Now, they'll need some help from the Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
Pittsburgh SteelersAnd now, the Steelers wait. Not only for their playoff fate, but for word on T.J. Watt. The Steelers beat their archrivals in a game that meant nothing to top-seeded Baltimore, but the visitors lost a significant piece when Watt appeared to suffer a left knee injury late in the third quarter as he landed awkwardly after a jump and collided with teammate Montravius Adams.
Watt pounded the ground with his fist as athletic trainers rushed to his side and teammates took knees around him. He was ruled out following several minutes in the sideline blue medical tent and a trip back to the locker room. Watt, voted Steelers MVP earlier this week by his teammates, was in the midst of a Defensive Player of the Year-caliber season, leading the NFL with 19 sacks.
In a season in which the Steelers defense took hit after hit, Watt remained the steady constant, wrecking the game off the edge week after week. He recorded two sacks, two quarterback hits and three tackles for loss against the Ravens.
Mathematically, the Steelers' playoff hopes rest on either a loss by Buffalo, a loss or tie by Jacksonville or a Houston-Indianapolis tie. Realistically, though, their playoff hopes rest on their star pass-rusher and his prognosis.
Pivotal play: On the first play of the fourth quarter, quarterback Mason Rudolph found Diontae Johnson on a slant, and Johnson outran the entire Ravens secondary for a 71-yard touchdown. Rudolph, who had a bumpy game playing in miserable weather conditions, led Johnson with the pass, and Johnson turned that into 56.1 yards after the catch en route to a go-ahead touchdown to break a 7-7 tie.
Eye-popping stat: With a 4-yard gain in the third quarter, running back Najee Harris became the first Steeler in franchise history to crest 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons. Part of an inconsistent ground game for most of the season, Harris came alive in the final three weeks with Rudolph at quarterback. He built on his two-touchdown, 122-yard performance against Seattle with 122 yards and a touchdown against the Ravens for his first stretch of back-to-back games with at least 100 rushing yards this season.
QB breakdown: After helping the Steelers to two of their best offensive performances, Rudolph's third start wasn't quite as auspicious. He completed 18 of 20 attempts for 152 yards with a touchdown on mostly short passes. The driving, cold rain didn't help, but Rudolph lost control of the ball three times and was sacked three times. In field goal range at the end of the second quarter, Rudolph fumbled on third down and lost the ball, ending the Steelers' opportunity to break a 7-7 tie just before halftime. Then, Rudolph mishandled the snap after a delay-of-game penalty on the Steelers' first drive of the third quarter, forcing the Steelers to punt after opening the drive with a 15-yard run by Harris. But Rudolph redeemed himself with a laser pass to Johnson on third down to get the 71-yard touchdown.
Describe the game in two words: Sloppy punt-fest. Playing in miserable conditions, the two teams combined for four turnovers and 13 punts. -- Brooke Pryor
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Isaiah Likely bounces off a defender for a Ravens touchdown
Isaiah Likely hauls in the catch, breaks a couple tackles and gets into the end zone for a 27-yard touchdown.
Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley and the Ravens' offense were sluggish, producing a season low in yards (224) and tying a season low in points (10). This underscored how much Baltimore needs a healthy Jackson.
The only reported injuries for Baltimore were safety Geno Stone (knee), linebacker Del'Shawn Phillips (shoulder) and defensive end Brent Urban (evaluated for concussion), all of whom left the game in the second half and did not return.
Now, the Ravens have a two-week break before hosting a divisional playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium on either Jan. 20 or 21. Baltimore is looking for its first playoff win since the 2020 season.
Promising trend: Isaiah Likely's 27-yard touchdown was his fifth in the six games that the Ravens have been without Mark Andrews (ankle surgery). That is tied with Detroit's Sam LaPorta for the most by a tight end since Week 12. Likely now has three touchdown catches of 25 yards or longer, which are the most by Baltimore player since 2021. This is quite a turnaround this season for Likely, who had nine catches in the first 10 games when Andrews was the No. 1 tight end target.
Bold prediction: Dalvin Cook takes Melvin Gordon's spot in the Ravens' running back rotation. Gordon had only two carries after fumbling in the second quarter, which continues an awful trend for him. It marked the 19th lost fumble by Gordon, which are the most by a non-quarterback since 2015. This was a big game for Gordon because Baltimore signed four-time Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook to its practice squad Thursday. The Ravens have two weeks before their divisional playoff game, so there is time to make a decision on the team's No. 3 back behind Gus Edwards and Justice Hill.
Eye-popping stat: The 71-yard touchdown catch by Johnson -- which broke a 7-7 tie early in the fourth quarter -- was the longest play allowed by the Ravens this season. It was the first time that backup Ravens cornerback Rock Ya-Sin had been targeted all game, according to NFL NextGen Stats. Not giving up the big play had been a strength of the Ravens, who entered the final week of the regular season allowing an NFL-best 5.8 yards per attempt. -- Jamison Hensley
