The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t play well enough to beat the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday. They created some splash plays, but ultimately, the Eagles were the better team. However, they can’t get bogged down by this 27-13 loss. Perhaps their most important game of the season is up next. They’ll travel to face the Baltimore Ravens on a short week, and Cam Heyward believes they can’t beat themselves up over this loss for too long.
“We’re not afforded a lot of time,” Heyward said after the Steelers dropped to 10-4 via the team’s YouTube channel. “We gotta have a memory like a goldfish. Gotta move on. Not to say that we don’t respect who we just played, but the clock is ticking. Guys gotta get right. We gotta learn from our mistakes and move on.”
It is unfortunate, but Heyward is correct. The Steelers can’t dwell on this loss. They’re still in first place in the AFC North, and they’re also still going to make the playoffs. The only question now is if they can hold off the Ravens for the division title.
That’s a job easier said than done. The Steelers beat the Ravens earlier this year, but the rematch will come in Baltimore, giving the Ravens home-field advantage. The crowd in Baltimore is going to be rowdy, and the Steelers are going to receive some hostility.
Also, it appears T.J. Watt could miss the Ravens game with an ankle injury, which would not help the Steelers’ chances. He’s their best player, and when he’s missed time in the past, they’ve seriously struggled. Add that George Pickens could miss that game too, and the Steelers seem to be in trouble.
That’s part of why they can’t feel bad about the Eagles loss for too long. With injuries starting to mount, they need to focus on what really matters. Making the playoffs is great, but winning the division would do so much for them in the postseason. Hosting a playoff game could help them finally break their streak of postseason losses.
There are only a few weeks left in the season, and the Steelers aren’t going to get a lot of rest. Every game matters. The Ravens game might matter the most, though. After such a good season, there’s no reason to spiral over this finishing stretch.
