One crucial moment in the Steelers’ OT win is going overlooked

Cam Heyward didn’t get much credit for stopping a scuffle on the sideline. But make no mistake: his leadership was crucial.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have punched their ticket to the postseason despite entering Week 18 with an 8% chance, per ESPN’s FPI. The Steelers entered the season with offensive line issues, largely due to inexperience and slow starts. They didn’t look like a playoff contender, particularly not after they opened the season with a 1-3 record.

But all the dominoes that had to fall to seal their spot as the seventh seed fell exactly where they needed to yesterday. It wasn’t neat or tidy, but rather stressful and chaotic. And they have the Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders and the quiet command of Cam Heyward to thank.

Yes, Heyward’s leadership, highlighted in one overlooked moment, was a massive factor in the Steelers’ postseason berth.

The Steelers’ offense was driving down the field in the waning minutes of overtime, with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completing passes to running back Najee Harris and tight end Pat Freiermuth. He then targeted receiver Diontae Johnson, who made a critical 3rd-and-long reception for a first down. At the end the play, Johnson was twisted of bounds by safety Geno Stone. Before a scuffle could even begin, Johnson was pulled aside by Heyward, who calmly spoke to him to quell the frustration. Just skip ahead to 1:20 to see it go down:

Earlier in the season, it wouldn’t have been surprising if this escalated into an unnecessary and avoidable penalty, pushing the team 15 yards back and killing momentum. But the captains of this team are serious about winning. It’s a seemingly insignificant encounter. But it made all the difference in the outcome of the game.

The discipline that seemed so lacking mid-season, well, the captains are taking care of that. They’re reigning in the tempers of their younger teammates and taking control of their destiny.

One victory at a time.

[listicle id=508560]

Steelers LB T.J. Watt still hoping to get 1 more sack this season

T.J. Watt hasn’t given up hope on getting 23.5 sacks.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbydbzmnr1bhxef player_id=none image=https://steelerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]On Sunday, against the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt tied Michael Strahan for the most sacks in a single season with 22.5. But despite that being the final regular-season game of the year, Watt is hoping he can still get one more and have the record outright.

After the game, Watt spoke to NFL Network reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala and said that he is hoping a play that looked like a sack but wasn’t counted can be reversed by the league to give him the record outright.

“Trying to make it 23.5, we’ll see what they say,” Watt said. This is in reference to a play Watt made on Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley in the first half. Watt came in after a bad snap and took Huntley down, forcing a fumbling. Under most circumstances, this would be a strip-sack but it wasn’t allowed as the league determined Huntley was a runner at that point.

We will see if the NFL reverses course and makes Watt the single-season sack leader by himself. What do you think? Should Watt get credit for the other play or is he stuck at 22.5 for the season? Let us know in the comments below.

[vertical-gallery id=508313]

[listicle id=508418]

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin on his team’s faults: ‘We got a lot of warts. But we’re here.’

This team is far from perfect but they are in the playoffs.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbydbzmnr1bhxef player_id=none image=https://steelerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

There are no elite teams in the NFL this season. Every team, even the really good ones have their weaknesses and have had lapses this season. When there aren’t any teams head and shoulders better than the others, it affords teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers opportunities.

After the Pittsburgh Steelers overtime win over the Baltimore Ravens, head coach Mike Tomlin headed to the postgame presser with a little extra pep in his step. It didn’t take long for the media to ask Tomlin about all the problems this team has had this season, to which Tomlin fired back as only he can.

As Tomlin said, the media wrote the Steelers off when they were 1-3 after the first month of the season. But as Tomlin said, this team may have a lot of warts but here they are on the verge of the playoffs.

However, this raises a completely different question. Does making the playoffs erase all the missteps of the regular season if the team doesn’t advance? Let us know in the comments if you think a spot in the playoffs excuses all the problems of the regular season.

[vertical-gallery id=508189]

[listicle id=508418]

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin shares playoff excitement on Instagram Live

Check out this video of Mike Tomlin cutting loose with his team after the win.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbydbzmnr1bhxef player_id=none image=https://steelerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Even the normally straight-laced Mike Tomlin couldn’t hold back. The Pittsburgh Steelers head coach found himself vibing with his team on Instagram Live from the locker room after the team’s 16-13 overtime upset of the Baltimore Ravens. The win all but assured the Steelers will make the NFL playoffs.

You can see Tomlin and special teams coordinator Danny Smith joining in the celebration on linebacker Marcus Allens’ Instagram Live video. It isn’t often Tomlin pulls back the curtain like this and shows himself as anything more than the stoic leader of the team.

What do you think about this side of Tomlin? Let us know in the comments.

[vertical-gallery id=508313]

[listicle id=508418]

Jags coach Darrell Bevell jokes about getting Steelers into the playoffs

Jags HC said it was the team’s plan to get the Steelers into the playoffs.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbydbzmnr1bhxef player_id=none image=https://steelerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Back in Minnesota, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and Jacksonville Jaguars interim head coach Darrell Bevell were coordinators for the Vikings on opposite sides of the football. In 2006 Tomlin coached the defense and Bevell coached the offense.

Bevell congratulated his former co-worker in his postgame press conference after the Jags huge win over the Indianapolis Colts. The win not only eliminated the Colts but paired with the Steelers win over the Baltimore Ravens, all but assured the Steelers would make the playoffs. A point Bevell joked about when he spoke to the media saying that’s what they were trying to do today.

Now the Steelers just have to sit and wait, hoping Sunday night’s game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders doesn’t end in a tie.

[vertical-gallery id=508313]

[listicle id=508418]

Steelers pull off miraculous overtime victory over Ravens

The Steelers season is still alive after a tremendous win.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbydbzmnr1bhxef player_id=none image=https://steelerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

And now we wait.

The Pittsburgh Steelers pulled off an amazing 16-13 overtime win, in the rain, over the Baltimore Ravens to do all they can to get quarterback Ben Roethlisberger into the playoffs.

Now the Steelers must wait until the end of the Sunday night game against the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders. As long as this game doesn’t end in a tie, the Steelers will make the playoffs.

The story of the game was the rivalry. This game was exactly what you would expect. Physical, downright ugly football and both teams never letting up. Pittsburgh’s offense struggled to move the football by thanks to three field goals, including the game-winner by Chris Boswell, they outlasted the Ravens.

On defense it was the same story. The big names made big plays but overall this group’s inability to stop the run almost cost them the season. Linebacker T.J. Watt tied the single-season record for sacks, defensive tackle Cam Heyward made several key stops and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick had a huge pass breakup late.

[vertical-gallery id=508313]

[listicle id=508418]

Steelers LB T.J. Watt ties single-season sack record

T.J. Watt finally gets a sack to tie Michael Strahan.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbydbzmnr1bhxef player_id=none image=https://steelerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Late in the first quarter of the Pittsburgh Steelers showdown with the Baltimore Ravens, Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt tied Michael Strahan with 22.5 sacks in a season on a sack of Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley.

Watt had 1.5 sacks negated earlier in the first half. Early in the game, Watt had what appeared to get a strip-sack of Huntley where Pittsburgh got the ball on a fumble. The league determined Huntley was a runner not a passer at the time so he didn’t get credit for it.

Then just one play before the record-tying sack, Watt got in with Cam Heyward for a half-sack on Huntley that was negated by a penalty on Heyward.

[vertical-gallery id=508313]

[listicle id=508418]

Steelers vs Ravens: Pittsburgh inactives for Week 18

The Steelers will be without starting left tackle Dan Moore Jr. this week.

No surprises among the Pittsburgh Steelers inactives for this week’s game against the Baltimore Ravens. Pittsburgh will be without starting left tackle Dan Moore Jr., who suffered a high ankle sprain last week against the Cleveland Browns.

Here is the full list of inactives:

Quarterback Dwayne Haskins

Punter Corliss Waitman

Running back Anthony McFarland Jr.

Linebacker Tegray Scales

Offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr.

Defensive tackle Carlos Davis

The Steelers are getting punter Pressley Harvin III back this week. Harvin had missed the last two games after the death of his father.

Here are the Ravens inactives:

QB Lamar Jackson

G Ben Powers

WR James Proche

CB Anthony Averett

TE Tony Poljan

NT Isaiah Mack

OLB Odafe Oweh

[vertical-gallery id=508189]

[listicle id=508418]

Steelers vs Ravens: DC Keith Butler to miss game due to COVID-19

Mike Tomlin will lead the way on defense against the Ravens.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbydbzmnr1bhxef player_id=none image=https://steelerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

On Saturday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced that defensive coordinator Keith Butler would not be available to coach this week against the Baltimore Ravens. Butler remains on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

With Butler unavailable, the team says it will be some combination of head coach Mike Tomlin and senior defensive assistant Teryl Austin handling the defensive playcalling duties.

Whoever is calling the defense, they should understand how high the stakes are. They also understand who strong the Ravens are at running the football and it has to be their top priority.

Will we see any big changes in the playcalling on Sunday with Butler at home? My gut says no. I seriously question just how much control Butler has over the defense even when he’s there so other than perhaps a more aggressive approach, I don’t expect to see much difference. If you do, let us know in the comments below.

[vertical-gallery id=508313]

[listicle id=508393]

Steelers announce multiple roster moves including releasing DT Isaiah Buggs

Pittsburgh announced multiple roster moves on Saturday.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbydbzmnr1bhxef player_id=none image=https://steelerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

The Pittsburgh Steelers announced multiple roster moves on Saturday. The Steelers are set to square off with the Baltimore Ravens in the regular-season finale.

Of all the moves, the biggest and most inexplicable is the team choosing to release defensive tackle Isaiah Buggs. Given how thin the Steelers are at defensive line, it comes as something of a surprise the Steelers would cut Buggs loose.

The Steelers also elevated guard Rashaad Coward to the active/incative list from the practice squad. Coward will revert back to the practice squad after the game but could be needed given all the injuries on the offensive line.

Pittsburgh also signed kicker Sam Sloman to the practice squad and the make room released wide receiver Tyler Vaughns.

[vertical-gallery id=508313]

[listicle id=508393]