The offense couldn't get into a rhythm and the defense allowed the Steelers to build a three-score lead before halftime.
It didn't help that a potential game-changing play was blown dead by officials, which took a touchdown away from Baltimore. The play happened on the opening drive of the second half when safety Eric Weddle intercepted a pass that popped out of the hands of wide receiver Antonio Brown.
Weddle cruised into the end zone untouched after picking off the pass, but the officials had already blown the whistle because they thought Brown had caught the pass and then lost the ball after getting tackled.
"That should have been a pick-six," Weddle said. "We all saw it. I saw it right in front of me. That's why I ran it in, because I knew [it was an interception]. They blow it dead and it's just unfortunate.
"With the way the game was going, we need every play, every point we can get. That could have got us going."
Officials initially ruled that Brown caught the pass, but Head Coach John Harbaugh challenged it. Replays showed that Brown never had total control to complete the process of the catch, and the football also never touched the ground before Weddle caught it.
But because they blew the whistle on the field, they couldn't go back and reward the Ravens with a touchdown.
The offense ended up taking over at Pittsburgh's 18-yard line and settled for a field goal four plays later. A touchdown would have made the score 19-7.
"It's unfortunate, but at least Coach Harbs reviewed it and we got the ball back," Weddle said. "Was it the difference in the game? Probably not. But it could have given us a big boost that we needed."
The play was one piece of a frustrating afternoon for the Ravens. They dropped their second game in a row and fell behind the Steelers in the division race. They'll now head cross-country for a matchup with the Oakland Raiders next week, and Weddle stressed that the Ravens have to put the loss behind them quickly.
"No one is going to feel sorry for us," Weddle said. "This league is ruthless, and if you're down, they're going to keep you down. They want to stomp you out. We'll fight and guys are getting better. We believe in this team. The belief is there, everyone just needs to get a little bit better."
