Report Card
RAY FITTIPALDO GRADES THE STEELERS ON SUNDAY’ S GAME:
Quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger led the Steelers to 17 points in the final quarter, doing much of his damage from the no-huddle when he was calling the plays. It was vintage Roethlisberger, who overcame a slow start to throw for 236 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He received the game ball in what was likely his final home game against the Ravens, improving his record to 16-10 against the Steelers’ biggest rival.
Offensive line
Left guard B. J. Finney left the game early with a back injury, forcing the Steelers to put fourth-string guard John Leglue into the game. It was his NFL debut after getting called up from the practice squad last week. Coach Mike Tomlin called his performance “awesome.” The line protected Roethlisberger, allowing only one sack. And while the running game wasn’t prolific, it was good enough to keep the Ravens defense off balance.
Secondary
Don’t look now but Minkah Fitzpatrick is starting to heat up. He had his second interception in as many games and led the Steelers with nine tackles. Ahkello Witherspoon made his first start in place of Joe Haden, had five tackles and broke up a long pass intended for Mark Andrews. Getting off the field on third-and-long continues to be a problem, but they didn’t allow many big plays. Jackson’s longest completion went for just 29 yards.
Running back
It was obvious the Steelers wanted to get Najee Harris more involved than he was in last week’s loss to the Bengals. He had 26 touches, gaining 71 yards on 21 carries and 36 yards on five receptions. On the final two scoring drives, he had 11 touches in 20 plays, including a 13-yard run on the touchdown drive. He was hitting the holes with authority and decisiveness against one of the league’s best run defenses.
Defensive line
Chris Wormley had 2½ sacks in 39 games with the Ravens, the team that drafted him in 2017. He matched that number Sunday. Cam Heyward, who missed Friday’s practice with an illness, also had a sack. And how about Montravius Adams? He was plucked from the Saints practice squad Monday and started at nose tackle. He finished with two tackles and received praise from Tomlin and Heyward afterward.
Special teams
Chris Boswell almost singlehandedly lost the game. He missed an extra point early in the fourth quarter and then, on the ensuing kickoff, couldn’t kick it into the end zone. Then after the Steelers’ final touchdown, he kicked the ball out of bounds and gave the Ravens the ball at the 40-yard line on their final touchdown drive. There are still no signs of life in the return game.
Receivers
Diontae Johnson dropped a touchdown in the second quarter, but made up for it in the second half. He had seven of his eight catches after halftime and scored twice, including the game-winner with 1:48 remaining. He finished with 105 receiving yards. Chase Claypool, James Washington and Ray- Ray McCloud combined for just three catches. The Steelers will need more from their depth receivers down the stretch.
Linebackers
T.J. Watt, who did not practice all week after being on the COVID list, posted 3½ sacks in a dominating performance. He also altered Lamar Jackson’s throw on the two-point conversion that won the game. Alex Highsmith only had three tackles but two of them were for losses. Joe Schobert had some rough moments, but he contributed seven tackles and batted down a Jackson pass. Devin Bush had two tackles.
Coaching
Tomlin and defensive coordinator Keith Butler put together a masterful game plan that kept Jackson in check. The Steelers defend him better than any team in the NFL. If the answer to eliminating the slow starts on offense is to use more no-huddle in the first half then Tomlin has to put the game in the hands of his Hall of Fame quarterback and take some control away from Matt Canada, his first-year offensive coordinator.