Having just played the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday in an “old-fashioned bar brawl” that left both the Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers bruised and battered, it seemed almost criminal to have the Steelers turn around in four days and play in yet another old-school AFC North matchup, this time against the Cleveland Browns on the road on Thursday Night Football.
For many, the game went as expected. It was sloppy, some coaching decisions were amplified, and the Steelers dropped a tough road game within the division.
Appearing on ESPN’s Get Up Friday morning, former Steelers safety Ryan Clark said everything that played out on Thursday night against the Browns was proof that the Steelers simply struggle in games after battling the Ravens.
“So I always, when we would get the schedule, the first thing you look for is the bye week. The second thing you look for is primetime games. And the third thing you look for is who you play the week after the Baltimore Ravens because you understood the toll that that game could take on you,” Clark said, according to video via ESPN. “And I know we want to sit here and always talk about, ‘Hey, you prepare for every game the same and they all matter equally’ But that’s a lie. We say that on TV. We say that for the media.
“When you’re playing the Baltimore Ravens and you are a Pittsburgh Steeler, you study film differently when you’re playing the Baltimore Ravens and you are a Pittsburgh Steeler, and the toll that winning or losing that game takes on you is extreme compared to any other game, most emotionally, physically, and also mentally.”
Gearing up for that game in Week 11 against the Ravens, with everything that was on the line in the AFC North, not to mention it being a statement game for the Black and Gold, took its toll. There was a lot of emotional energy spent in the build-up to it, and then it was a physical, violent game from start to finish.
The Steelers were fortunate to get the win against the Ravens, but then they had to immediately move on to get ready for Cleveland on a short week. That can be hard, both mentally and physically. It showed on Thursday night as the Steelers were sloppy and slow out of the gate, whereas the Browns were geared up while trying to send a message to Big Brother in a lost year.
Clark has a point about post-Ravens games, too.
Last season, the Steelers were fortunate to have a bye week after beating the Ravens in Week 5. They recharged and then went on the road and beat the Los Angeles Rams. But after playing Baltimore in Week 18 last season, the Steelers came out flat against Buffalo in the AFC Wild Card round.
In 2022, the Steelers lost to Baltimore in Week 14 but bounced back in Week 15 with a big win over Carolina. Later in the season, the Steelers beat Baltimore in Week 17 and then trounced the Browns in Week 18.
The 2021 season was a similar situation to what just occurred for this year’s Steelers. Pittsburgh beat Baltimore in a last-second thriller at home in Week 13, but then had a short week to prepare for a Thursday night matchup against the Minnesota Vikings on the road. Unsurprisingly, the Steelers lost to the Vikings.
The 2020 season was a bit of a mess, too, post-Baltimore. The Steelers beat the Ravens at home after having the game moved due to COVID. The Steelers lost to Washington the following game and dropped three straight after beating Baltimore.
Since 2007 under Mike Tomlin, the Steelers are 19-17 — including playoffs — in games immediately following a matchup with the Baltimore Ravens. So, maybe there is something to Clark’s point.
“And so now you have to prepare to play the Cleveland Browns on a Thursday night where the Pittsburgh Steelers are historically bad after a huge win over the Baltimore Ravens,” Clark added regarding the Steelers’ short week. “They asked Donte Jackson during the week, was this a trap game? He’s been in Carolina, so every game was a trap game and he couldn’t really explain that it was, but it absolutely was.
“Especially playing a team from a city that all they want to do is beat Big Brother. And we saw that happen last night.”
For all intents and purposes, last night felt like the Browns’ Super Bowl. A primetime matchup with a heated rival, at home, in the snow. It was a massive game for Cleveland. For Pittsburgh, the juice just wasn’t there after the win over the Ravens.
The Steelers showed good fight coming back to take the lead in the game, coming up large in the fourth quarter. But in the end the Steelers just didn’t have enough to finish the game. Maybe that was a carryover from the physical toll that was taken in Week 11 against the Ravens.
We’ll never know for sure, but it’s a logical explanation, especially on a short week.
