Entering the final 15 minutes of Sunday’s AFC North matchup at Acrisure Stadium against the Baltimore Ravens, the Pittsburgh Steelers were stuck in the mud and looking like they were going to squander a terrific performance from a star-studded defense.
Then, the Steelers flipped the switch. They found some life thanks to a huge punt block for a safety from special teams captain Miles Killebrew and a spark offensively from backup running back Jaylen Warren. They closed out the game in style with rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr.’s interception in the end zone and quarterback Kenny Pickett’s 41-yard strike to wide receiver George Pickens before outside linebackers Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt called game with a strip-sack and then a sack on fourth down to close out the game.
In the final 15 minutes, the Steelers held the Ravens’ offense to just 15 plays for 12 yards. Yes, you read that correctly.
Fifteen plays, 12 total yards for the Ravens in the fourth quarter.
Wow.
That performance has former NFL offensive lineman Ross Tucker quite impressed. On the latest episode of his Ross Tucker Football Podcast, Tucker praised the Steelers for their fourth-quarter performance, not just on defense, but on both sides of the football.
“The Steelers closed this game out in the fourth quarter. Look, they were not good for most of this game,” Tucker said regarding the Steelers’ fourth quarter, according to video via the show’s YouTube page. “I joked that they needed three mores safeties on special teams or defense to get the lead, but in the fourth quarter you had the Joey Porter Jr. interception, terrific play on Odell Beckham Jr., a throw that you cannot make if you’re Lamar Jackson. And by the way, Joey Porter Jr. should be playing more. The throw from Pickett to Pickens, who they should get the ball to more, for the go-ahead touchdown. Awesome.
“T.J. Watt closes it out. Just a really impressive fourth quarter by the Steelers, who needed it, because the Ravens really dominated the rest of that game. Bad, bad loss for Baltimore.”
Entering the fourth quarter the game was very clearly one-sided. Pittsburgh couldn’t do much of anything offensively, punting the football away twice in third quarter. However, they were able to put together some extended drives, keeping the defense fresh, which led to the dominant fourth quarter.
And it all started with a Baltimore holding penalty on Patrick Ricard, putting the Ravens well behind the sticks. Two plays later, on a 2nd and 16, veteran linebacker Kwon Alexander made a big tackle for loss on a screen play in the open field, setting up a 3rd and 21 deep in Baltimore’s own end. That led to a punt with Baltimore’s Jordan Stout just outside of his own end zone.
Killebrew raced home through the A gap for the blocked punt which led to a safety, and momentum completely shifted.
Then, Warren got going offensively with a 23-yard catch-and-run, a 16-yard run and a 10-yard run, leading to a Pittsburgh field goal to make it 10-8. Gunner Olszewski then fumbled a punt, but that set the stage for Porter in the end zone, which ultimately led to Pickett-to-Pickens, Highsmith’s strip sack and Watt then calling game.
It was a remarkable fourth quarter for the Steelers, who really flipped a switch in the final 15 minutes after Renegade played. The song still works, folks. The defense showed that, and the offense found life.
That type of play style might not be sustainable, but Pittsburgh is comfortable in those types of games. It showed again on Sunday.
