Knee-Jerk Reactions: Ravens 34 Steelers 17

The Ravens finally got over the hump, beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 34-17 to stay alive in the AFC North race.

RSR staff react to the win here.

Rob Shields

The Ravens beat down the Steelers. In a series where the games are usually decided by one store or less, the Ravens showed how much better they are.

It wasn’t a perfect game and the Ravens were fortunate to recover multiple fumbles and we had the miscommunication between Lamar and Bateman that resulted in an INT but they won the turnover margin, which is rare in this series.

I was actually a little irritated at the defensive game plan, as it seemed like they were too worried about the deep ball and gave up some underneath stuff but overall, they played very well.

Penalties were not a factor and Justin Tucker made some kicks, including a 50+ yarder, so that was a huge positive.

The Justice Hill concussion likely means he’s out against a great pass rushing team but that was the only real negative from today.

Huge win, Festivus is officially upon us and now we see if we can win the division.

Jared Pinder

There was only one word the Ravens needed to know today: Win. They couldn’t let the Steelers celebrate on their own field today. Lamar and the offense did their thing and the defense did just enough to put the Steelers away. Washington’s fumble and Marlo’s pick six were the moments they needed to pull away with this game.

The Steelers still might win the division, but not tonight which was the number one thing we avoided. Now we look forward to the hurt Texans who are spiraling out of control.

Chris Schisler

I am pretty sure a win can’t feel this good. It’s a win that just feels too good to be true, and it gives the Ravens a playoff spot. Even with the interception, Jackson’s three-touchdown performance was MVP caliber. His responding throw to Zay Flowers was a thing of beauty. It’s a good moment for Jackson, getting over the hump against the Steelers was something he desperately needed to do.

The defensive scheme drives me up a wall. The idea of not attacking these receivers at the line makes zero sense to me, especially with George Pickens being out. The defense got a lucky fumble in the first half but were getting bullied by the Steelers. It’s an overall solid performance but this defense drives me crazy and the Dean Pees soft coverage is certainly here for Zach Orr’s defense.

Derrick Henry makes it fun to watch. He’s absolutely incredible. Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews shined. The Ravens stars shined. Most importantly the Ravens played a mostly clean game. Penalties have been a huge concern for the Ravens but the officials weren’t a concern on this day.

That Marlon Humphrey pick six would make a great screensaver. It was so fun. It’s always Marlon Humphrey!

Kevin McNelis

I can’t overstate it: that’s a HUGE win for the Ravens.

It wasn’t perfect, and they had some kinks to work out in the early going. Multiple fumbles gave us all a scare that Baltimore wouldn’t be able to take good care of the ball, and the pick late in the game by Lamar definitely had our collective hearts dropping. That said, Marlon Humphrey breathed life back into us all with that pick-6, a defensive play we’ve all been waiting for.

The biggest boost from this game was seeing how the team didn’t panic or gravitate away from their identity when they hit adversity. They stuck with the run, they were smart with sending pressure, and they kept the penalties to a minimum. Playing smart was how they were going to take down their most hated rival, and they made it happen.

I sincerely hope Justice Hill is ok.

Darin McCann

Ar’Darius Washington and Marlon Humphrey made some huge momentum-shifting plays on defense, and the triplets of Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and Zay Flowers shined under the lights at home to lead the Ravens to a big 34-17 win over Pittsburgh.

Let the curse be forever dissolved.

This one puts the division very much into play with two games left, and gave a vision of the offense much of the Ravens world would like to see come playoff time. Big win. Much needed win.

Nick Polinsky

Finally, a fundamentally sound game against Pittsburgh. The o-line was still shaky, but the Ravens overcame it with some quick hitters and screen passes.

The defense played well, and both safeties came up with big plays to kill Steelers offensive drives. Constant pressure forced what felt like a ton of throw-aways, and David Ojabo’s pressure forced the pick six.

There isn’t really too much bad to speak about in this game. The penalties were kept to a minimum, they ran the football early and often, and they finally took Pittsburgh down in a huge way.

Derek Arnold

They got it done. Fumble luck was finally on their side, which could have had us all slapping our foreheads early on. Instead, it was the Steelers who turned the ball over in back-breaking fashion. Then when the Ravens inevitably did it anyway, Marlon Humphrey responded with a pick-six that will go down in the lore of this game’s history.

A three-score win is exactly what this game SHOULD have been. It’s what it should have been in November as well, but that’s crying over spilled milk.

Now, don’t follow this up by laying an egg in Houston.

I’m as pleasantly surprised as anyone. I’m just mad we only get to celebrate it until Wednesday. A win like this deserves a week.

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