The Pittsburgh Steelers will finally kick off their AFC North divisional schedule against the Baltimore Ravens today. With a win, the Steelers take firm control of the division lead and start off 1-0 in the division. With a loss, the Ravens take a half-game lead with over a month until their second matchup.
The Ravens are bringing their league-leading offense to town, with Lamar Jackson and company averaging over 30 points per game. The Steelers have the second-best scoring defense and have traditionally been good at slowing down Jackson. Still, he is playing the best football of his career right now with a complete arsenal of weapons at his disposal.
The one major vulnerability for the Ravens is the defense — the passing defense to be specific. They are without former Steelers CB Arthur Maulet, and S Kyle Hamilton is likely at less than 100 percent after a nasty-looking ankle roll on Thursday Night Football last week. This might not look like your typical Steelers-Ravens game, with low scores and a small margin of victory.
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Steelers Inactives
No. 4 QB Kyle Allen (3rd QB)
Nol 35 RB Jonathan Ward
No. 56 LB Alex Highsmith
No. 64 OG Max Scharping
No. 81 TE MyCole Pruitt
Ravens Inactives
No. 10 CB Arthur Maulet
No. 26 RB Rasheen Ali
No. 39 S Eddie Jackson
No. 61 C Nick Samac
No. 81 WR Devontez Walker
No. 90 OLB David Ojabo
The Ravens start the game with the ball on offense.
START OF GAME
The Ravens returned the kickoff to the 29-yard line.
1st and 10, Derrick Henry up the middle for 3 yards. 2nd and 7, Henry tackled from behind by Herbig and he punched the ball loose, recovered by DeShon Elliott. What a huge start for the Steelers.
1st and 10, Russell Wilson checked down to Najee Harris for 7 yards. 2nd and 3, Harris off right tackle for 4 yards.
1st and 10, Wilson to George Pickens for 4 yards. 2nd and 6, Harris toss and he bent it back inside for 11 yards.
1st and 10, Wilson to Pickens for 2 yards. Hard to tell for sure, but a possible missed facemask penalty on that tackle. Wilson under pressure and threw the ball away two plays in a row to force a field goal. 3-0 Steelers.
1st and 10, Lamar Jackson checked down to Justice Hill in the flat for a gain of one with T.J. Watt making the tackle. 2nd and 9, holding on Ravens brings it back. Cam Heyward forced the penalty. 2nd and 19, complete to Hill for 9 yards. Patrick Queen tried his best to rip that ball loose. 3rd and 10, Jackson overshot Diontae Johnson incomplete.
The punt went 70 yards into the end zone for a touchback. Great job by Calvin Austin III to sell the fair catch.
1st and 10, Harris off left tackle for 4 yards. 2nd and 6, Wilson to Cordarrelle Patterson for no gain. Neutral zone infraction makes it 3rd and 1, and Wilson goes deep to Calvin Austin III incomplete. It bounced off Austin’s shoulder pads and he could have had it. The punt went 51 yards after a false start on the punt unit. Missed opportunity for the offense. They can’t have too many of those against this offense.
1st and 10, a completion to Isaiah Likely for 42 yards.
1st and 10, Henry up the middle for 3 yards. 2nd and 7, Johnson got separation from Beanie Bishop deep, but he couldn’t catch it. All they needed was one play to get into field goal range and the Steelers defense tightened up. Justin Tucker missed a 47-yard field goal. Pretty great to get off the field without allowing points after a double explosive play.
The Steelers take over at the 37 with decent field position. 1st and 10, Wilson complete to Jaylen Warren in the flat for a gain of 3. Warren up the middle on 2nd for 6 yards. 3rd and 1, Wilson sneak for no gain. 4th and 1, Harris stopped short for a turnover on downs. For a rivalry that comes down to field goals more often than not, I probably wouldn’t have gone for it there.
1st and 10, Jackson nearly sacked and tossed the ball into the dirt. 2nd and 10, designed run for Jackson for 15 yards. Someone missed their assignment because he was completely uncovered. 1st and 10, Jackson incomplete to Likely. Elliott and Likely had their feet tangled. 2nd and 10, Patrick Queen tackled the screen for a loss of one. 3rd and 11, Dean Lowry batted the ball at the line of scrimmage. Another Tucker attempt here, but a few yards further this time. Surely he doesn’t miss two in a row. And he does, this time from 50.
Steelers take over from the 40. 1st and 10, Cordarrelle Patterson stuffed for no gain. 2nd and 10, Wilson sacked for a loss of 10 by Odafe Oweh. 3rd and 20, Wilson had nothing down field and he tucked it for no gain. He had a long time to find someone, but nobody was open (or he didn’t see them). Brutal to keep wasting these drives.
END OF 1ST QUARTER: 3-0 STEELERS
Illegal block in the back on the Ravens for the punt. That backs them way up into their own end.
1st and 10, Henry off left tackle for 3 yards. 2nd and 7, Jackson complete to Zay Flowers across the middle for a 23-yard gain.
1st and 10, Hill up the middle for 3 yards. 2nd and 7, Porter knocked the ball away from Flowers over the middle. 3rd and 7, the pass was batted by Heyward at the line of scrimmage. The punt was fair caught at the 16.
1st and 10, toss up the middle for Harris for no gain. 2nd and 10, Wilson to Harris for 20 yards on a short completion.
1st and 10, Wilson barely incomplete to Pickens. Would have been a nice gain. 2nd and 10, Wilson complete to Freiermuth for 9 yards. 3rd and 1, Wilson complete to Pickens for 8 yards.
1st and 10, Harris for 11 off left tackle. Offsetting unsportsmanlike penalties on Broderick Jones and Marlon Humphrey.
1st and 10, Harris up the middle for 2 yards. Wilson complete to Ben Skowronek for 4 yards and Wilson took a big hit after the pass. 3rd and 4, Wilson sacked by Oweh. Broderick Jones struggling. Boswell’s field goal is good from 52. 6-0 Steelers.
1st and 10, holding called back a decent gain. 1st and 20, complete to Mark Andrews for 14 with Minkah Fitzpatrick in coverage. 2nd and 6, false start. 2nd and 11, incomplete to Andrews up the seam. 3rd and 11, Jackson incomplete deep to Flowers. RT Roger Rosengarten injured on the play.
1st and 10, Wilson sacked with the Ravens sending extra pressure — a loss of 10. 2nd and 20, Wilson incomplete to Harris. He could have had a nice gain, but he dropped the pass. 3rd and 20, Wilson to Pickens for 8 yards. Travis Jones was injured on the play. That leaves them thin in the middle of their defensive line. The punt resulted in a touchback.
1st and 10, holding on Queen to call back Isaiahh Loudermilk’s sack.
1st and 10, Henry up the middle for 3 yards. 2nd and 7, complete to Rashod Bateman with many Steelers in the area for 19. Queen hit him hard, but he held on.
1st and 10, Fitzpatrick tripped up Henry for a gain of 31. He would have been gone.
1st and 10, complete to Likely for 18 yards.
TWO-MINUTE WARNING
1st and goal, Henry up the middle for 3 yards. 2nd and goal, Henry up the middle for a touchdown. 7-6 Ravens.
All that work to be trailing with just over a minute left in the half. Not sure why there wasn’t a timeout called after first down.
The kickoff resulted in a touchback.
1st and 10, Wilson complete to Pickens for 6 yards. 2nd and 4, Wilson complete to Pickens for 5 yards and out of bounds. Official review called that incomplete with Pickens striding out of bounds. 3rd and 4, Wilson keeper for 3.5 yards, but just short. Kyle Hamilton injured on the play. The punt went 52 yards to the Baltimore 9.
1st and 10, Isaiah Likely for 6 yards or so, but Patrick Queen ripped the ball loose. The Steelers recovered. Offsetting unsportsmanlike penalties on Patrick Mekari and Minkah Fitzpatrick.
1st and 10, Nate Wiggins called for holding.
1st and 10, Wilson complete to Pat Freiermuth for 5 yards. Timeout called by Pittsburgh. 2nd and 5, incomplete thrown out of bounds. 3rd and 5, Isaac Seumalo false start. 3rd and 10, one shot to the end zone and then a field goal attempt. A fade to Pickens and it was broken up by White. The field goal is good. 9-7 Steelers.
END OF 1ST HALF: 7-6 STEELERS
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