The Baltimore Ravens ran for 300 yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers, then generously gave one back on a kneel-down. The 299 yards that go down in the record books are still embarrassing enough, of course. Not for the least of which reason being the Ravens entered this season with big questions along the offensive line.
You wouldn’t know it to watch the Ravens work through the Steelers’ front seven like a hot knife through butter. Not to take anything away from what they have been doing all year. Baltimore was willing to open holes in the trenches but managed to fill them. Saturday marked a crowning achievement of sorts, which HC John Harbaugh agrees was a “signature game” for the unit.
“I think so”, Harbaugh agreed about the win over the Steelers, via the Ravens’ website. “That’s a very physical defense. That’s a tough defensive line. Their linebackers are downhill. I mean, we know Patrick [Queen], and Elandon] Roberts [is] a great player. Their guys on the edge are just a nightmare to deal with”.
The Ravens allowed John Simpson and Kevin Zeitler to walk last year and traded Morgan Moses. But they largely leaned on internal candidates, with Patrick Mekari and Daniel Faalele taking over the guard spots. Second-round rookie Roger Rosengarten won the right tackle job and looks to be a keeper. He may not be elite, but he will annoy the Steelers for years.
The Steelers allowed RB Derrick Henry to rush for 186 yards against them, a new playoff low. Arguably the turning point of the game was his breakaway 44-yard touchdown run. The Steelers were already trailing by 14 but had just cut the deficit down from 21. The Ravens were able to coast to the finish line after that.
That didn’t stop Harbaugh and the rest of the Ravens from praising the Steelers to the heavens. Even if Ronnie Stanley did say they took advantage of their aggressiveness, nobody on offense said anything ill of the talent or ability the Steelers have on that side of the ball.
“They were crashing the ends off the edge. It was very physical. We were able to control the edges for the run game”, Harbaugh said of the Ravens’ offensive line handling the Steelers’ front seven. He also praised the tackles’ success in one-on-one situations in pass protection.
The Steelers recorded just one sack during the game, Alex Highsmith getting Lamar Jackson once. Beyond that, the Ravens kept their quarterback clean, at least when he wasn’t running. Jackson did have his best day against them as a runner, with 81 yards on 15 attempts.
Of course, the Ravens didn’t have to throw much, recording 50 rushing attempts. Jackson went 16-of-21 passing against the Steelers for 175 yards and two touchdowns, though. The Steelers prevented any huge passing plays—a long of 25—but still allowed four explosives. And in the end, it translated into a signature performance for an offensive line that faced much scrutiny.
