Patrick Queen is very familiar with the rivalry between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens from his four years spent with Baltimore, but he got his first taste of it on the opposite sideline today as a member of the Steelers, who pulled off an 18-16 win to extend their AFC North lead over the Ravens. Queen said earlier this week that Baltimore didn’t offer him an extension to remain with the team this offseason, and Mike Tomlin is happy about that outcome. After the game, Tomlin threw some shade at Baltimore not wanting Queen back.
“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. I’m glad he is on our team,” Tomlin said via the team’s YouTube channel.
Queen came up with a huge play at the end of the first half, stripping TE Isaiah Likely and recovering the fumble to set the Steelers up for a field goal. In a two-point game, it’s a play that directly impacted the outcome, and it’s one that wouldn’t have happened if Baltimore still had Queen on their roster.
It’s a game that meant a little bit more for Queen, and the Steelers sent him on the field with the captains for the coin toss ahead of the game. It’s not as if Queen wasn’t an impact player for Baltimore, as he was an All-Pro last season, but the team felt they could afford to lose him. Now, he’s a member of a Steelers team that’s leading the Ravens in the AFC North and had a huge game against his former team, leading the Steelers with 10 tackles while adding a tackle for a loss in addition to his forced fumble and recovery.
Baltimore got a first-hand look at what they lost in Queen, and his loss for Baltimore was felt even more when LB Roquan Smith left the game with a hamstring injury. While he got off to a bit of a slow start in Pittsburgh, he’s been the player the Steelers thought they were getting when they gave him the richest free-agent contract in team history this offseason. He showed his familiarity with AFC North football today in a huge win over his former team.
Pittsburgh’s defense as a whole stepped up against the Ravens offense, which had been the best in football coming into the game. While Baltimore had 329 total yards, Lamar Jackson was just 16-33 for 207 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while they limited RB Derrick Henry to 13 carries for 65 yards.
It’s a huge win for Pittsburgh, but it’s one that has to be a little bit sweeter for Queen, who was able to show Baltimore that they made a mistake by not keeping him around.
