If the Pittsburgh Steelers tackle as poorly against the Baltimore Ravens as they did versus the Philadelphia Eagles, they’ll be handed their second loss in six days and lose their once firm grip on the division lead. Facing many of the same challenges this Saturday as they did last Sunday, an athletic quarterback, a powerful runner, big-play receivers, Pittsburgh knows its results must be different. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is banking on the “real” Steelers to shine through in Baltimore.
“I would think based on the amount of reps and the way we played so far, that we’re hoping that’s a one-off,” Austin told reporters Wednesday via a team-issued transcript. “We have been a pretty good tackling team all year, and I think our guys will bounce back from that and make a concerted effort to be better tacklers this week.”
Missed tackles were a central problem against the Eagles. We charted the Steelers for 17 of them defensively. Seven from the linebackers and seven from the secondary. Twice, RB Kenneth Gainwell broke or eluded tackles to convert on third down and extend Eagles’ drives, critical missed opportunities for the Steelers’ defense to get off the field.
It makes the Ravens a good litmus test for Austin’s theory. They’re built in the same way as the Eagles. Expect them to test how well Pittsburgh tackles their receiving back, Justice Hill, in space. An underrated part of their passing game, he caught five passes for 61 yards and a touchdown in the Ravens’ Week 14 blowout win over the New York Giants. In the first Steelers-Ravens game, the game’s biggest moment was ILB Payton Wilson’s incredible interception after running with Hill downfield, getting Pittsburgh’s offense back on the field immediately after a costly Russell Wilson interception.
The Steelers will look to correct their mistakes on tired legs and with sore bodies. A six-day turnaround after being on the field for 77 official snaps, including the final 21 of Sunday’s loss, the defense will hit the road to play another physical offense. Those obstacles can’t be an excuse for a team trying to sew up the AFC North, the only AFC division that hasn’t been clinched with three weeks to play.
If the Steelers get back to fundamentals, communicating and tackling, they’ll continue to have the success they’ve enjoyed against the Ravens. If not, Baltimore will create a playoff race to the finish that will determine if Pittsburgh hosts or travels on Wild Card Weekend.
