Knee-Jerk Reactions: Ravens Lay Another Egg Against Steelers

The Ravens fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers 18-16 in Week 11. RSR staff react to the loss here:

Derek Arnold

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before…the Ravens went to Pittsburgh, tripped all over themselves, got dragged into the muck and forced to play the Steelers’ game, shot themselves in the foot over and over and over…and lost.

John Harbaugh: Coach Klein

Mike Tomlin: Red Beaulieu

Tomlin stands over there laughing while the Ravens self-destruct. Unfortunately, we don’t have a Bobby Boucher to talk some sense into him.

With 10 days to prepare, you come out and lay an absolute egg in your most important game of the season. Already the most penalized team in the NFL, you put yourself behind the sticks repeatedly. Lamar Jackson has his worst game in three years. Derrick Henry fumbles for the first time since his sophomore season at Alabama (or something like that). You GIVE them 12 points (two missed field goals of your own, plus two for them on fumbles in your own territory), and lose by two.

Speaking of those two – why on EARTH isn’t Derrick Henry on the field on a two-point conversion attempt? Malpractice.

Sad, but not unexpected at all. That’s why so many of us picked the bad guys.

BOLD PREDICTIONS: The King Trumps the Queen

Final thought: Bench Brandon Stephens for Tre White, immediately.

Rob Shields

For a team coming off the mini bye, they looked unprepared to play offensively. Finally, the defense stepped up. They played the pass well and held Pittsburgh to six field goals.

But yet again, stupidity is why you lost. Stupidity by the offensive coaching staff.  Stupidity by the players and all their penalties. No discipline and of course, two more Tucker misses that change the game.

Three huge turnovers( although I’m not sure how there weren’t longer replays on two of them) were killers too.  I don’t get how anyone can trust this team and believe they can win games like this. They can’t help themselves. It’s the constant of shooting themselves in the foot. They absolutely can’t stop doing it and there is no reason to believe they can win in January playing the way they are.

Harbaugh just has to go.

Kevin McNelis

No one beats the Ravens like the Ravens.

When Tucker missed the first kick, I had a feeling it was an ill omen. When he missed the second, I knew in my heart that it would be what decided the game. Henry, one of the most reliable players in the game, coughed up a fumble. The Ravens were penalized for breathing today.

I had hope that this year’s offense would be enough to overcome a strong Pittsburgh defense, but that’s just the way these games go. Lather, rinse, and repeat. I’m just numb to it now, which is somehow worse.

Darin McCann

If Mr. Stink and Mrs. Stink had a little Baby Stink, this game would be that baby on its stinkiest of days.

They lost this on offense. They lost this on defense. And they lost this one on special teams. If there’s a positive to come out of this turnover-riddled, penalty-addled performance, it is that there should be no finger-pointing in the locker room. Everyone contributed.

Of course, I speak in general terms. There were some terrific individual performances out there, and they will be talked about in due time. But at the end of the day, the Ravens deserved to lose this game, they did everything in their powers to make sure that would happen and they still almost stumbled their way to a ridiculous win out there if they’d have made one more play at the end.

It was a fun game to watch — unless you’re a Ravens fan. Then you are the Stink family.

Jared Pinder

In a game where the Ravens defense actually does its job for the one time this season of course it’s the other half that completely fails. This is the game that I believe will define the 2024 Baltimore Ravens. A team that is talented enough to make the Super Bowl but clearly can’t get on the same page with the coaching.

Whatever the Steelers defense does to Lamar Jackson needs to be studied. How in the world do they do it man?

That’s not even talking about how bad the penalties were today for them. Not even to mention how awful Monken was, and I need someone to explain to me why that was the play call on that two point conversion.

This team isn’t dead, they will still out-talent some squads to more wins this year no doubt, but on those Super Bowl odds? Dead. Completely dead. And on the gravestone will read: Nobody Beats the Ravens Like the Ravens.

Tanner George

New year, same story in Pittsburgh.

The Ravens and Steelers added another chapter to their storied rivalry, but once again it was the black and gold who came up on top.

Aside from the final drive of the game, the offense simply couldn’t get anything done. Lamar Jackson had some heroics, but they proved to be not enough. His guys just couldn’t get out of their own way. The offensive line had one of its worst games of the season, forcing Jackson to run for his life and negating positive plays with stupid penalties. This was a totally disappointing and undisciplined effort, and what had been the NFL’s top offense became a shell of itself. Derrick Henry all but disappeared in the second half, just as in all three of Baltimore’s previous losses. Anyone noticing a trend? The playcall on the two-point play was awful, as Todd Monken gave Jackson no options. Henry absolutely should’ve been on the field, and there’s no excuse for his absence.

I must give credit where credit’s due. The defense, particularly the secondary, looked much improved. Odafe Oweh impressed with a trio of sacks, and the newly-acquired Tre’Davious White looked good in limited action. Losing Roquan Smith really hurt them in the end, and I can’t help but wonder if things would’ve turned out differently if he was in there on the game’s final drive. I’m encouraged by how they performed this afternoon.

The demise of Justin Tucker is dumbfounding. I simply don’t understand it. If he had made what have been routine kicks throughout his career, Baltimore would’ve come out on top. I hate to pile on him, but he’s become a liability for this team, and his struggles will be costly in the playoffs should they continue.

The Ravens drop to 7-4 and are now multiple games back in the AFC North. It was a game they should’ve won, but they dropped. A game where they killed themselves with dumb penalties. Maybe Bill Belichick was right. Maybe the only team capable of beating the Ravens really is the Ravens.

But, in the end, that doesn’t matter. Because here we are again, humming to the same old tune.

Nick Polinsky

I think every single Ravens fan on planet Earth knew the Ravens were going to score a touchdown and then fail the 2-pt on that final drive. The playcall makes zero sense in my mind, no Henry in the game meant basically one thing.

Lamar Jackson continued to prove the narrative that the Steelers have his number. He failed to take what the defense gave him and tried a little bit too hard to make plays at certain points. Just as Derrick Henry began to build some momentum on the ground, it seemed like he was abandoned.

There were far too many mistakes made in this game for a team that wants to go win a Super Bowl. Two more missed field goals, and three turnovers including two fumbles in your own territory isn’t exactly a recipe for success.

The defense played well and forced six separate field goals, but the defense on the last drive puzzled me. Justin Fields isn’t in the game just for fun, he adds a second dynamic to the run game in that spot the Ravens completely failed to account for.

This would’ve been a great one to have on the road to take the AFC North crown for now, but just too many mistakes were made holding the Ravens back.

Chris Schisler

This was a frustrating day, but did anyone else feel like it took six days? This was a game of complete agony. I’m sorry that I was so wrong about this game. I thought the Ravens were due for a win up in Pittsburgh but they got the same old voodoo magic beat them in that blasted stadium. It started with an odd Derrick Henry fumble and two missed field goals. I guess we should have known then.

The end of the game deserves some ruminating. I almost wish the Ravens didn’t have that final offering of hope. The two point try seemed oddly awkward as if wires were crossed all the way around. But let’s talk about the defense’s last stand. Did they not think Justin Fields was going to run the ball there? Did they not see that coming? That was a little embarrassing.

To be fair, the defense played a great game. Marlon Humphrey had a pick. There were a ton of impressive stops and it took six field goals. Anytime the defense allows just 18 points, it should give them a win.

The summary of this game is five facts. One, Lamar Jackson and the offense didn’t have it. Two, the officials helped the Steelers a good bit. Three, the Ravens made too many mistakes. Four, the Ravens had every opportunity to change the game and they didn’t. Five, the Ravens did the same darn thing again against the Steelers, and it’s older than a dinosaur fossil at this point. Good grief.

Chad Racine

Something must be done about the kicking game immediately. I’m not saying Tucker because I don’t know that it’s on him. Whatever the problem it needs to be a high priority.

The defense finally showed up and didn’t allow a touchdown. With an offense like the Ravens that should be enough. The amount of penalties was unacceptable. Today this didn’t look like a team that will scare anyone in the playoffs.

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