The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens will enter a five-star matchup when they step into Acrisure Stadium this weekend. Lamar Jackson versus T.J. Watt. Patrick Queen against Derrick Henry. George Pickens battling Marlon Humphrey. There’s no shortage of star names.
But often, the player who decides the game is the one we’re not talking about. Think Isaac Redman, the understudy instead of the star. That’s the message Mike Tomlin is sending to all the backups, reserves, and non-pedigreed names that populate the majority of the Steelers roster.
“I’m sure at some point I’ll talk to guys about Isaac Redman being an undrafted free agent from Bowie [State],” Tomlin told reporters Tuesday. “And everybody remembers a significant play he made in the latter portions of a game in Baltimore one time to get us out of a stadium. There’s a lot of those stories.”
Redman made one of the most clutch plays in Steelers-Ravens history. At the peak of the rivalry in 2010, Redman, a burly running back in his second NFL season, caught the game-winning touchdown pass on 3rd and goal with under three minutes to play.
Redman broke into the league as an undrafted free agent from D-II Bowie State. Turning heads in the preseason, he made the roster and became a contributor with a can-do attitude. That was on full display against Baltimore. Mistakenly sent into the game by RBs coach Kirby Wilson, Redman came up large after Troy Polamalu forced a fumble that gave Pittsburgh a chance to win (and Ben Roethlisberger made the world’s most incredible incompletion while fending off Terrell Suggs).
Redman is hardly the only example. CB Mike Hilton would go on to become a starter, but his breakout game came in 2017 against the Ravens, picking off a pass and recording a sack in a 26-9 win. In 2019, S Kameron Kelly came away with an interception deep in Baltimore territory, though the Ravens would ultimately win in overtime. LB Robert Spillane’s second Steelers start filled up the box score, an 11-tackle performance that began with a pick-six of Lamar Jackson. Offensively, TE Xavier Grimble caught his second-career touchdown against Baltimore to open the scoring in a 2016 win. WR Eli Rogers posted two big games against them as an UDFA in his first season playing in 2016, combining for 10 receptions and 187 yards across the two games, the latter a win.
These are all examples of undrafted players who became stars of the show or, at least, the moment. Sunday’s game will offer the chance for the next unknown to write his story.
“Guys like [UDFA CB Beanie Bishop Jr.] and others, man, need to hear that so they can know that they’re capable as well,” Tomlin said. “I think that’s what the history of this thing has taught me in terms of how to introduce new guys to it. I just simply tell stories of other regular men who are willing and capable and how it played out for them.”
The saying that exists in both cities, Pittsburgh and Baltimore, is you aren’t a Steeler/Raven until you beat the other side. Make a play against Baltimore, and you’ll never have to buy another beer in Pittsburgh. Given what’s on the line Sunday afternoon, first place in the AFC North, it’ll take a full-team effort to pull off a victory. The biggest star to the biggest unknown, putting their hand in the pile to win.
