PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – If the NFL were the BCS, the Steelers would likely drop in the polls. It’s not. And this less than perfect team is still perfect where it matters, beating the Ravens 19-14 to improve to 11-0.
Ravens were without several key players, but played physical, stopped the Steelers from a touchdown several times in the red zone and played hard despite being severely undermanned.
“To be bluntly honest, I was really disappointed in our performance tonight,” said head coach Mike Tomlin. “We did enough to win, that’s all. It was really junior varsity.”
Steelers took a 7-0 lead after failing to convert on the first turnover by Robert Griffin the third. Steelers had the ball at the Ravens 22 yard line but Ben Roethlisberger threw an interception on 4th and goal from the one.
Joe Haden anticipated a third down throw from Griffin, stepped in front of it, and ran 14 yards for a touchdown. It’s the second TD of Haden’s career and first with the Steelers. Chris Boswell missed the extra point, 6-0 Steelers
Baltimore converted on a Ray-Ray McCloud fumbled punt to go 16 yards, ending on a Gus Edwards one yard run. Baltimore would go up 7-6 in the first quarter.
Steelers would get stopped in the red zone twice, turning into short field goals to lead 12-7.
Running out of time with no time outs left at the Steelers one, a pass from Griffin to Luke Wilson was knocked away by Minkah Fitzpatrick or the Steelers, favorited by 10.5 points, would have trailed at halftime.
Steelers would finally convert in the red zone early in the fourth quarter on a one-yard pass from Roethlisberger to JuJu Smith-Schuster, 19-7 Steelers.
Steelers seemed in control until Ravens back-up quarterback and Penn Stater Trace McSorley hit Hollywood Brown for a 70-yard touchdown to put Baltimore within a score, 19-14, with 2:58 to play.
In a game full of drops, James Washington made the toughest catch of the night in traffic on a third and six with just over two minutes to play.
Steelers also struggled to run it, but able to get and third and one conversion from tailback Benny Snell on that final drive. The second year tailback had 23 yards rushing in the final possession, nearly half of his total for the game.
Another afternoon start next for the Steelers Monday night hosting Washington.