5 Steelers surprises in Sunday’s win against the Ravens
Our SCU staff and contributors pick the “surprises” from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ latest matchup each week. Check out more below to see which plays and situations surprised us the most!
The Pittsburgh Steelers picked up their eighth win of the 2024 season with an 18-16 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. The victory gives the Steelers a 1.5 game lead in the AFC North over the Baltimore Ravens.
Here are some surprises from that game.
Ravens’ offense held in check
The Ravens were one of three teams in NFL history to score at least 20 points and record 375-or-more yards of offense in each of its first 10 games of a season, joining the legendary 2013 Denver Broncos and 2000 St. Louis Rams offenses. The Ravens were first in points scored and rushing yards, and third in passing offense heading into the weekend.
However, on Sunday, the Ravens were limited to their fewest total yards of offense on the season. Pittsburgh held Baltimore to 329 yards, fewer than their average of 375 and substantially less than their next-lowest output of 383 yards against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2.
Ravens RB Derrick Henry was held to his second-lowest rushing totals of the year (65 yards) which is the fewest since Baltimore’s Week 1 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Henry also fumbled for the first time in nearly 500 carries. The Ravens offense, which averaged a league-high 31.8 points per game was held to 16 points total.
Lamar Jackson “un-MVP-like”
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been a frontrunner to repeat as the league MVP but hit a roadblock on Sunday. Coming into the game against the Steelers, Jackson led the NFL with a 123.2 rating, and was tied for first with 24 touchdown passes and second with 2,669 passing yards this season.
Jackson became the fourth quarterback in NFL history to record a passer rating of 100-or-higher in eight consecutive games within a season, joining names such as Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Aaron Rodgers as the others to accomplish this feat.
The Steelers defense was prepared to stymie Jackson, who fell to his fourth-straight loss against Pittsburgh and a 1-4 record in his career against the Black and Gold. Jackson would finish the day with 207 yards, a touchdown and an interception, but his 48.5% completion percentage (season low) dropped his quarterback rating down to 66.1 on the day.
Jackson was also limited to 46 yards rushing and would fail to convert a game-tying two-point conversion in the fourth quarter, which sealed his team’s fate.
Payton Wilson INT
With the Steelers up 15-10 in the fourth quarter, Russell Wilson led his side on a ten-play, 63-yard drive that stalled at the Baltimore five-yard-line when the quarterback committed his first and only interception of the game.
Who knew that the equalizer would be rookie linebacker Payton Wilson (no relation!) who would come down with an errant Lamar Jackson throw three plays later.
Wilson would strip the ball in mid-air from would be receiver Justice Hill, regaining possession for the Steelers on their 36-yard-line.
Kicking Battle
We were promised a kicking battle between NFL greats Justin Tucker and Chris Boswell, but it ended as a lopsided victory for the latter.
Tucker would attempt, and miss, his first two field goal attempts of the afternoon from 47 and 50 yards before making a 54-yarder, his only successful attempt, in the third quarter.
Boswell, on the other hand, would score all of the Steelers 18 points, converting six total field goals in a game for the second time this season. Boz was successful from distances of 32, 52, 32, 57, 27, and 50 on the day.
WR Snaps
Following the eyebrow raising trade for former Chargers and Jets WR Mike Williams, the star would be expected to contribute more in his second game with the Steelers after catching the game-winning touchdown one week earlier.
Despite playing 25 snaps (32% of the game) Williams would leave Sunday without a catch or so much a target. The Steelers would play Van Jefferson for 43 plays (55%), Calvin Austin 26 (33%) and even practice squad call up Ben Skowronek would see the field for 20 plays (26%) too.
George Pickens would out-snap all other receivers with 69 plays (88%) while tight ends Darnell Washington and Pat Freiermuth each saw 58% of the plays.
Pickens exits Week 11 with the league’s fourth-most receiving yards (728). His 48 receptions leads all Steelers.
