ExtremeRavens Posted Sunday at 09:27 PM Posted Sunday at 09:27 PM Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say immediately after the Ravens’ 18-16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Sunday afternoon’s Week 11 game at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh: Childs Walker, reporter: It’s uncanny how, no matter what’s going on with either team, the Ravens and Steelers find their way back to tense, brutal games decided as much by what goes wrong as what goes right. Pittsburgh turned Lamar Jackson and the league’s top offense into a disjointed mess. Russell Wilson threw a crucial interception and couldn’t find the end zone against the Ravens’ league-worst pass defense. It’s a formula that has favored the Steelers in the recent history of the AFC North’s most enduring rivalry. Mistakes have defined the Ravens’ recent losses to Pittsburgh, and that was the case again in the first half Sunday. They started on a sour note with Derrick Henry losing a fumble in their territory, though they did well to hold the Steelers to a field goal. A holding penalty on Ronnie Stanley short circuited their second drive. On drive No. 3, Justin Tucker missed (left, of course) from 47 yards after Isaiah Likely’s 42-yard catch and run put the Ravens in prime position to score. Tucker also missed from 50 later in the first half, and his struggles have become a significant issue as the Ravens look ahead to the postseason. Jackson had time to throw, but his radar was as off as we’ve seen it all season. The Ravens stayed in the game because their oft-maligned defense did a terrific job pressuring Wilson and getting Pittsburgh off the field on third downs. Odafe Oweh was dominant. Tre’Davious White, playing his first snaps as a Raven, broke up a potential touchdown just before halftime after Likely coughed up another fumble deep in Baltimore territory. Mike Preston, columnist: The Ravens played right into the Steelers’ hands. They didn’t have much of an offense and quarterback Lamar Jackson had an off day, at least according to his standards. The defense played surprisingly well, holding Pittsburgh to six field goals, but the Steelers’ offense is pretty vanilla. They didn’t throw the ball downfield much, and they stuck with a lot of screens and short to intermediate passes across the middle. It was a sloppy game, but there are no excuses. The Steelers outplayed the Ravens up front and dominated the line of scrimmage. It was as simple as that as the Steelers take control of the AFC North. Sam Cohn, reporter: Well this was something new. The Ravens’ offense — statistically the NFL’s best — seemed all out of sorts from the start, marred by two fumbles (Derrick Henry and Isaiah Likely) and an interception. They were continually bailed out by their defense. Pittsburgh’s touchdown-less outing was the first time since Week 9 last year an opposing team couldn’t find the end zone. By the end, the defense looked gassed and undermanned, with linebacker Roquan Smith ruled out with a hamstring injury. Baltimore’s 12 penalties for 80 yards hurt them (they lead the league in both categories). Justin Tucker’s pair of missed field goals were deflating, compared to his counterpart, Chris Boswell’s perfect 6-for-6. And even when cornerback Marlon Humphrey came up with a critical interception in the end zone, the offense failed to capitalize. That said, these Ravens are never truly out of it. Lamar Jackson manufactured an impressive nine-play, 69-yard final drive, capped by a Zay Flowers touchdown. But a malfunction on the 2-point conversion — a play that curiously did not include Henry — keeps the Ravens a game and a half back in the AFC North. Tim Schwartz, editor: There’s something in the Monongahela River and it’s proved to be the Ravens’ kryptonite. Despite not allowing a touchdown for the first time since its demolition of the Seahawks last year, Baltimore couldn’t solve the Steelers and now have an uphill climb to repeat as AFC North champions. Three turnovers, two missed field goals by Justin Tucker and one failed 2-point try were too much to overcome for the Ravens, who somehow look ordinary against the Steelers time and time again — and it’s hard to explain why. Pittsburgh is inexplicably 8-2. It defies logic. The Ravens have their work cut out for them and have the Chargers and Eagles next before their bye. That’s not an easy road, and they’ll look back at this one if they somehow miss the postseason and waste Lamar Jackson’s best season yet. Bennett Conlin, editor: A comedy of errors cost Baltimore a win and the AFC North lead. The defense hung tough for much of the afternoon, giving the team at least one positive to take from the disheartening loss. As for the offense, it played its worst game of the season, turning the ball over three times and scoring just two touchdowns. It didn’t help that Justin Tucker missed a pair of field goals in the low-scoring game, as questions about his performance will linger throughout the season. Can Baltimore trust their legendary kicker in 2024? It was sloppy. The Ravens made far too many mistakes to beat a competent opponent on the road. It’s a frustrating loss for players, coaches and fans because the Ravens look like a more legitimate Super Bowl contender than the Steelers, but they couldn’t get out of their own way. From the special teams failures to the offensive mishaps to the unrelenting penalty woes, Baltimore didn’t look like a team deserving of a division lead. View the full article Quote
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