Ravens Versus Steelers’ Game Takeaways 

The Ravens-Steelers rivalry has always been a must watch for fans across the U.S., and last Sunday’s game proved that again. 

The Ravens were in control for most of the game, until the start of the 4th quarter. Lamar Jackson played well, considering how much pressure was on him every passing play. However, looking back on the game, Lamar’s first interception really came back to badly hurt the Ravens because if he hadn’t thrown that interception, the Ravens would have at least gotten a field goal, which–maybe–could have changed the outcome of the game. 

Let’s evaluate each aspect of the Ravens game. Jackson needs to stop trying to make a play out of nothing because he hurts his team more than he helps it. A prime example is when he threw the interception one the Ravens first possession. He also needs to stop second guessing his decisions because everytime he does, he wastes time in the pocket. Regarding the running backs, considering they played the Steelers, the Ravens proved that they still have a solid defense this season. The Ravens ran the ball very well, and Freeman seemed to have bursts throughout the entire game. The Ravens receivers played decently; however, they didn’t help Jackson accomplish much. 

Also, the Steelers cornerbacks deserve credit for making it difficult for the Ravens. As for the offensive line, that might have been the worst pocket ever for Jackson to try and make a good throw. Jackson never really seemed to ever be comfortable in the pocket because players like TJ Watt and Cameron Heyward were just having field days on the Ravens’ offensive line, making Jackson’s job 10 times harder. For the cornerbacks, they played well throughout most of the game–until the fourth quarter, when it seemed like they ran out of gas. The linebackers played great and did an impressive job at stopping Najee Harris; however, like the cornerbacks, they seemed to run out of gas by the last quarter. As for the defensive line, they also did well in stopping the Steelers’ run game, but never really put any significant pressure on Ben Roethlisberger, and if you give any quarterback time, someone will get open. 

All of these issues played into why the Ravens lost this game. Still, unforgettable for this loss was Ravens’ Coach John Harbaugh deciding to go for two at the end of the game. Since the Ravens had scored with a few seconds left in the fourth quater, they had some momentum back and potentially could have won in overtime. Instead, Harbaugh decided not to trust his defense and go for two against one of the best defenses in the NFL. And we all know how the rest of the game for the Ravens went.