The Pittsburgh Steelers talked all week leading up to their AFC Wild Card matchup against the Baltimore Ravens about getting another crack at a team they felt they let one slip away against in Week 16.
The Steelers lost 34-17 in Baltimore, and two huge turnovers from quarterback Russell Wilson — a fumble inside the 5-yard line and a pick-six — were the difference in the end.
But in the Steelers’ Wild Card Round loss Saturday night in Baltimore, it was more of the same against the Ravens, especially defensively, as the Steelers had no answers for Ravens running back Derrick Henry, who once again ran roughshod on them.
The Ravens as a whole did, too, rushing for 299 yards in their 28-14 win. Things didn’t look good for the Steelers right from the jump, too. And that has former running back and analyst Merril Hoge questioning the Steelers’ effort in that Wild Card loss, which was the most frustrating thing of all.
Appearing on 102.5 WDVE’s morning show Wednesday, Hoge ripped into the Steelers’ effort on Saturday.
“Linebackers are standing there waiting. DBs saw Henry coming and they just stood there, and they made no effort. Honestly, when I was a player, this is what I admired most about [fans]. They knew the difference between when you played hard and you gave everything you had and you did not,” Hoge said, according to audio via 102.5 WDVE. “And do they wanna win championship? Do they want Super Bowls? Yes, they do want that. That is their standard. However, they do appreciate [effort] and respect that, and they know the difference [more than] any other fans I’ve ever been around. They know the difference.
“And I think that’s what I respected most about ’em. They, even if you lost, they appreciated your efforts. And in this case, there was no efforts there that were even close to being professional.”
It never seems entirely fair for a fan or even a member of the media to question a player’s compete level in a game, especially in the playoffs. But when it comes from a guy like Hoge, who played the game at the highest level and knows exactly what it’s supposed to look like, his words hold weight.
At times in that Wild Card Round loss, the Steelers looked completely lifeless and uninterested. They came out flat on both sides of the football and appeared unprepared, even after reportedly having a great week of preparation.
So, something wasn’t right.
In the end, nothing went the way the Steelers were hoping it would go. They got embarrassed by a division rival on the road, which is something that rarely happens with the Steelers. At times, guys appeared to be jogging, and in some instances seemed to just be exasperated with the Steelers’ inability to execute, leading to them standing around. Hoge even stated he saw guys making business decisions against Henry at times, too.
While Mike Tomlin stated after the loss that the Ravens were very clearly the better team, he seemed to be seething a bit under the surface after the embarrassing showing. His job is safe, but there could be a number of forthcoming changes for the Steelers on both the coaching staff and on the roster.
For Hoge, that lack of effort could be a good thing in the end because it showed the Steelers who they can trust to play hard, and who they can’t.
