Mike Preston: Steelers give Ravens a flavor of their individual medication in comeback get

The Pittsburgh Steelers borrowed a chapter from their nemesis’ playbook as they defeated the Ravens, 16-13, on Sunday night at M&T Lender Stadium.

The Steelers arrived out with a conservative offensive game program to handle the rate of the sport and pummeled the Ravens with 198 dashing yards on 41 carries. Audio familiar?

The Ravens (10-6) experienced utilised that formula to gain seven of their past nine online games courting to a 23-20 gain around the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 23. That features a 16-14 victory around the Steelers on Dec. 11 when the Ravens rushed for 215 yards on 42 carries.

“Very disappointing. Give them credit history they flipped the script, and that’s not what we assume,” Ravens mentor John Harbaugh stated. “We do not hope that at all. They acquired the career carried out [and] ran the ball really well from us.”

Pittsburgh (8-8) didn’t just flip the script they hit the Ravens in the deal with with it. The Ravens entered the recreation with the No. 3 run protection in the NFL, enabling only 87.5 yards for each sport. But they experienced no responses for Pittsburgh, which entered rated No. 18 in dashing, averaging 115.4 yards per video game.

Pittsburgh working back Najee Harris ran around, by way of and above the Ravens for 111 yards on 22 carries. His backup Jaylen Warren experienced 12 tries for 76 yards as the Steelers did their greatest impersonation of the Ravens’ 1-2 of running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, who had 95 yards on 20 makes an attempt.

Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (#39), centre, celebrates with teammates Robert Spillane (#41), from remaining, Damontae Kazee (#23) and Cameron Sutton (#20), following Fitzpatrick intercepted a Ravens go late in the fourth quarter. The Steelers defeated the Ravens, 16-13, at M&T Lender Stadium.
(Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sunshine)

Pittsburgh wasn’t bashful about permitting the Ravens know what it wanted to do. The Steelers needed to engage in smashmouth soccer and limit the passing attempts and probable turnovers from rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett.

It is a undesirable working day for the protection when equally safeties lead the staff in tackles the Ravens’ Chuck Clark experienced 10 and fellow safety Marcus Williams experienced 9.

“I believe they have been hitting us with the broad zone [running game], truly,” Clark explained. “They were being just having downhill, and they have a good back again [in Harris]. Hats off to him. We experienced him we held him bottled up a few online games in the earlier, but he had a fantastic day currently, actually.”

Pickett experienced gotten off to a rough get started previously in the season just after failing to beat out veteran Mitch Trubisky, who threw 3 interceptions in aid of an injured Pickett when the groups past met.

This time, Pittsburgh performed it secure for most of the game. Pickett threw a good deal of speedy hitches and turnaround routes, a great deal like the Ravens use with backup quarterback Tyler Huntley, who is now 2-2 in 4 starts off for wounded star Lamar Jackson.

But Pickett played well, completing 15 of 27 passes for 168 yards and a landing. The very first-spherical draft decide scrambled and was elusive in the pocket. He threw some superior passes in excess of the center with velocity. He experienced a lot additional command of Pittsburgh’s offense than Huntley has of the Ravens’, and he has a considerably brighter future.

There ended up two passes from Pickett that stood out in the course of the Steelers’ 11-participate in, 80-garden game-winning drive in the last minutes.

On 1st-and-10 from the 50 with 2:06 remaining, Pickett threw a 28-lawn dart throughout the middle to large receiver Steven Sims that in good shape in a slender window in between two Ravens defenders, which includes Williams. The Ravens do not have a player on their roster who can make that throw.

The 10-property landing go to Harris with 56 seconds left had nice contact as Harris defeat center linebacker Roquan Smith down the remaining sideline.

“We all did not make a play,” Ravens within linebacker Patrick Queen mentioned of the Steelers’ closing travel. “We had a possibility to get to the quarterback we did not get to the quarterback. We had a possibility to make a engage in we just did not make the perform. It should not have even gotten to that place, honestly. So, we have just obtained to go back again to the drawing board, get improved and consider to get a recreation upcoming 7 days.”

Even a lot more insulting was that Pittsburgh ran the ball 4 periods in the last generate, such as two quarterback sneaks on third-and-1. The Ravens couldn’t halt those people either.

The defense lost pretty much every single battle in the trenches.