Ravens Got in Their Own Way
"The Ravens are the only ones capable of stopping themselves" is an echoed sentiment this season. Since October, their errors and miscues have plagued their record more than their opponent.
Against the Pittsburgh Steelers, they once more couldn't overcome their mistakes, ultimately leading to an 18-16 loss, putting the Ravens 1.5 games back in the AFC North race.
Pundits once more pointed toward the Ravens' flaws being the culprit of their loss.
The Baltimore Sun’s Bennett Conlin: "A comedy of errors cost Baltimore a win and the AFC North lead. … 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."
The Baltimore Sun’s Childs Walker: "They started on a sour note with Derrick Henry losing a fumble in their territory, though [the defense] 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."
The Athletic's Mike Jones: "This game featured all kinds of elements that should spark concern within the organization. Tucker's misses stood out, but they certainly weren't the only reason the Ravens lost. Three turnovers and 12 penalties also factored heavily. Baltimore has a talented team, but they can't expect to win games against elite opponents if they repeatedly shoot themselves in the foot."
The Baltimore Banner's Jonas Shaffer: "Turnovers, penalties and poor kicking undercut the Ravens in the first half. Fumbles by running back Derrick Henry (13 carries for 65 yards) on their second play from scrimmage and by tight end Isaiah Likely late in the first half — forced and recovered by former Ravens inside linebacker Patrick Queen — gave the Steelers two short fields, which they converted into a pair of field goals. The Ravens also had six first-half flags for 45 yards."
The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec: "The Baltimore Ravens love to talk about their mental toughness. They always have. Yet, something happens every time this current nucleus of Ravens sees the black and gold of the Pittsburgh Steelers on the other side of the field. They commit penalties. They turn the ball over. They lose their composure. They find ways to lose a game they could easily have won had they not spent 60 minutes hurting themselves."
Baltimore Beatdown’s Joshua Reed: "Whether it was bad drops, blown blocks or a procedural/post-snap penalty, they shot themselves in the foot more times than the Steelers stopped them. A 12-point swing caused by their inability to get out of their own way cost the Ravens a comfortable victory and first place in the division."
The Baltimore Sun’s Sam Cohn: "Baltimore's 12 penalties for 80 yards hurt them (they lead the league in both categories). Justin Tucker's pair of missed field goal attempts were deflating, especially compared with his counterpart Chris Boswell's perfect 6-for-6 day. And even when cornerback Marlon Humphrey came up with a critical interception in the end zone, the offense failed to capitalize."
The Baltimore Banner's Paul Mancano: "Last time these two teams met in Pittsburgh, the story was all the dropped passes that allowed the Steelers to squeak out a win. On Sunday, more self-inflicted wounds doomed Baltimore: two missed Justin Tucker field goals, two lost fumbles, an interception and 12 penalties. Russell Wilson and the Steelers did everything they could to give away their AFC North lead, but the Ravens somehow outdid them."
The Baltimore Sun’s C.J. Doon: "How can a toss-up game be so lopsided? Mistakes, for one thing. The Ravens become the worst version of themselves when they play Pittsburgh. On Sunday, it was the usual stew of penalties, dropped passes and turnovers at the worst possible moments. That interception by rookie linebacker Payton Wilson deep down the left sideline in the fourth quarter was the perfect encapsulation of what this rivalry has become for Baltimore. What should have been a big gain on a great throw by Jackson inexplicably turned into a turnover when the ball was ripped out of Justice Hill's hands before he hit the ground."
Pundits Aim to Halt Overreaction to the Loss
The Ravens will fall in the power rankings this week. The pundits and prognosticators will make claims that stoke the emotional flames. And whether it is deserved or not, a few other members of the media are aiming to approach the Ravens' loss with amnesty, including The Athletic's Ted Nguyen.
"The Steelers won a close game in which Justin Tucker missed two field goals. We have to remember there is a certain amount of luck in every game, no matter how good teams are," Nguyen wrote.
"I'll get concerned if the Chiefs and Ravens drop another game next week, but losing in competitive games against very good opponents shouldn't drastically change how we view teams. … I think the Ravens are the better team, but that goes out of the window when these rivals play each other."
The offense will face the brunt of the critiques after scoring two touchdowns and having plenty of empty drives, but Russell Street Report’s Darin McCann noted there were positives from the performance.
"But it wasn't all bad, either. [Jackson] produced 253 yards of offense, had two terrific plays wiped out by penalty and did drag his team to a near-miraculous opportunity to tie the game," McCann wrote. "This was probably the floor of a 2024 Lamar Jackson performance, and it was still almost good enough to win on the road against a fierce rival."
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley noted the turnovers were an anomaly for the Ravens, not the precedent.
"The Ravens turned the ball over three times after not committing a turnover in their previous three games," Hensley wrote. "The most glaring one was an interception in which Steelers linebacker Payton Wilson wrestled the ball away from running back Justice Hill. That ended a streak of 161 passes without a pick for Jackson. Two fumbles were converted into two field goals, which was the difference in the game."
Ravens' Defense Delivered 'Its Most Complete, Physical, Intense Game of the Season'
The Ravens' defense has looked to correct its ways after early-season struggles. Against the Steelers, it found something to build upon.
Baltimore held the Steelers to 181 net passing yards, allowed just four third-down conversions on 16 attempts, and kept the Steelers from scoring a touchdown the entire game, even on four red-zone trips.
"Sunday was clearly a game to build on, thanks to steps forward in the pass rush and the pass coverage," The Baltimore Banner's Giana Han wrote. "The Ravens had four sacks, eight quarterback hits, six pass defenses and an interception to help force the Steelers to finish with the lowest passer rating of a Ravens opponent this season and the fewest yards per attempt."
Each level of the defense contributed to the hard-fought performance and earned praise from McCann.
"Odafe Oweh had 2.5 sacks in the first half, had five tackles and four quarterback hits, and was very, very good all day. His best season continues. Nnamdi Madubuike didn't record a sack this week, but he was really active, as was Broderick Washington, who stopped a sneak and had a sack," McCann wrote.
"I thought Roquan Smith was having his best game of the season before leaving with a hamstring injury early in the fourth quarter. He still had 13 tackles, eight solo, with two coming behind the line. Trenton Simpson had six tackles and was in good coverage in the end zone on a first-half incompletion. Marlon Humphrey might be having his best all-around season, and he had another big end-zone interception. … Kyle Hamilton is pretty banged up, but he was good again, and [he] played deep safety quite a bit."
Pressbox’s Bo Smolka succinctly declared this was the defense's "most complete, physical, intense game of the season."
