The Baltimore Ravens shocked most people by fighting the Pittsburgh Steelers to the final whistle in a very close game on Wednesday. In a game that saw so many Ravens starters out on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, the fact Baltimore was a single drive away from winning is quite the showing and something the team should be very proud of. But quarterback Robert Griffin III puts the loss solely on his shoulders, saying his hamstring injury was the difference.
“I pulled my hamstring in the second quarter and I felt like if I hadn’t done that then we would have won this game,” Griffin said after the game.
Griffin had come up limping in the first half during a four-yard run to the sideline. While Griffin didn’t come out at that point, a big hit in the fourth quarter put him on the sideline and Trace McSorley into the game.
Not to call Griffin out, but I’m not so sure the hamstring injury ultimately was the difference in this game being a win or loss. Griffin wasn’t exactly great prior to his injury, fumbling the ball on the second drive of the game and then throwing a pick-six on the third drive. He was 7-of-12 for 33 yards, no touchdowns, and that lone interception through the air while rushing for 68 yards on seven carries.
While McSorley wasn’t quite the savior fans were hoping for, completing just two of his six passes, he did throw a 70-yard touchdown to wide receiver Marquise Brown that put the Ravens right back in the game at the end. Had the Ravens’ defense been able to close out on third down on the final drive, McSorley would have had another shot with more than two minutes remaining, potentially winning the game.
It’s unfair to read too much into this game for Baltimore. With 16 players out, including several star players on both sides of the ball, the Ravens were always going to be handcuffed in what they could do. However, the offense’s performance with Griffin and McSorley under center left a lot to be desired and a hamstring injury wasn’t the biggest problem the Ravens faced.
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