All season, the Pittsburgh Steelers have relied on a straightforward formula for success: stop the run, protect the ball, and force turnovers. However, on Saturday, they strayed from this strategy and suffered a 34-17 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens, missing the chance to clinch the AFC North title.
With the loss, Pittsburgh (10-5) finds itself tied for first place with the Ravens as the regular season heads into its final two games. Baltimore dominated the ground game, rushing for 220 yards, including 162 from Derrick Henry. The Ravens capitalized on two critical turnovers by Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson: a fumble during a 19-yard run that was recovered by Baltimore and a pick-6 by Marlon Humphrey that extended the Ravens’ lead to 31-17 with 13 minutes remaining.
“We didn’t do what we needed to do to secure victory today,” said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. “Specifically, we didn’t control the run game. When you don’t, you’ve got to make splash plays or win the turnover battle, and we didn’t do that either.”
Entering the game, Pittsburgh boasted a plus-18 turnover differential, tied for the best in the NFL. They managed to intercept Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson early in the fourth quarter while trailing 24-17, but Wilson’s subsequent interception sealed the game’s outcome just two plays later.
“We had a chance late in the game,” Wilson reflected. “The interception just hurt us. Really, two negative plays.”
One of those pivotal moments occurred when Wilson appeared poised to score a touchdown that would have given the Steelers a 14-7 lead. After breaking free on a scramble, he was hit by Ravens safety Ar’Darius Washington, resulting in a fumble that linebacker Kyle Van Noy recovered, thwarting a crucial scoring opportunity. “I thought I had a chance to get into the end zone,” Wilson said. “I tried to cut back and got hit. Right before I hit the ground, the ball came out. Unacceptable. Can’t happen.”
Wilson also took responsibility for the interception return by Humphrey. “I put that game on me. There were two great opportunities there,” he said. “I was going for it. I’m not going to fear going for it. The interception was a difficult play for us.”
Despite the loss, which marks only the second defeat to Baltimore in their last ten meetings, the Steelers still have a path to clinch the division. They can secure the title by defeating the Kansas City Chiefs at home on Christmas Day and the Cincinnati Bengals in their season finale.
“We can’t worry about the next two games. We’ve just got to focus on the next one,” Wilson said. “The game on Wednesday is going to be a great environment. We’ve been on the road for the past two weeks, and playing in front of our fans with the Terrible Towels on a special day is going to be a great battle. The best we can do is keep our heads up and understand that the best days are ahead.”
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