SAVORY LEFTOVERS
Cornerback Joe Haden celebrates his 14-yard interception return for a TD that jump-started the Steelers’ 19-14 win Wednesday versus the Ravens in a game originally set for Thanksgiving.
PITTSBURGH – No miracle, no mercy.
The Ravens gamely took their shots at knocking off the NFL’s only undefeated team in a rare Wednesday afternoon game at Heinz Field.
In the end, it wasn’t enough to top the Steelers.
The Steelers (11-0) broke open the game in the second half of a 19-14 victory that completed a season sweep of their AFC North rivals.
The Ravens, ravaged by an outbreak of the coronavirus that left them with 17 players on the COVID-19 reserve list at kickoff, did much to keep the game close and allow themselves a puncher’s chance. There was a goal-line stand. A muffed punt. Hope and prayers.
The Ravens led early in the second quarter, then trailed by just five points at halftime.
Yet Baltimore (6-5) ultimately ran out of breaks in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicated as Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (35 of 51, 266 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception) efficiently carried his offense while the Pittsburgh defense pummeled Robert Griffin III.
Sure, Ravens backup quarterback Trace McSorley (who replaced an injured Griffin) connected with Marquise Brown for a 70-yard touchdown with just under three minutes to play. But it turned out that was just a tease – sort of like the prospects of a Baltimore upset turned out to be.
Three other things we learned:
1. A perfect record doesn’t mean dominance – What looked like a mismatch on paper against an undermanned opponent turned another in a series of extreme tests to Pittsburgh’s resilience this season. Of course, winning isn’t easy, and the W’s count. But the Steelers scrapped in coming back to win at Dallas, nearly blew a victory at Tennessee and benefited from Ravens blunders to come back and win at Baltimore. Four of their triumphs this season came by five points or fewer. Still, the bottom line is winning.
2. Being one-dimensional doesn’t cut it against the Steelers’ defense – Griffin passed for 33 yards before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury, which is not the recipe for coming back against one of the NFL’s premier defenses. Hey, it could have been worse. The Broncos, playing a practice-squad receiver at quarterback, passed for all of 13 yards against the Saints last weekend. Yet Griffin’s rust and the lack of rhythm of the Ravens’ passing game was a glaring detriment, especially when compared to Roethlisberger’s ability to repeatedly move the chains with third-down completions. Griffin led the Ravens in rushing with 68 yards, but when that’s pretty much the best juice for the offense, it’s not a good thing.
3. Squandering golden opportunities is not how to spring a major upset – The Ravens blew their chance to either narrow the margin or take a halftime lead as they finished an otherwise impressive drive late in the second quarter with sloppy time management. After using their final timeout with 26 seconds remaining, Gus Edwards was stuffed for no gain on a 2ndand-goal from the 1-yard line. Rather than hurrying to spike the ball to stop the clock while trailing 12-7, there was little urgency to set up the next play. And no spike to allow for a chip-shot field goal. Instead, as the final seconds ticked, Griffin’s pass to an open Luke Willson was broken up in the end zone by Minkah Fitzpatrick as time expired. The wasted opportunity summed up the day for Baltimore.