Steelers vs. Ravens football is the best of the best, and this game was befitting of that rivalry.
The Baltimore Ravens came into this Week 8 matchup with only one loss under their belt. In a post-game interview with CBS, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was asked what it’s like to beat the Ravens on the road in dramatic fashion.
“It’s not always pretty,” Ben said with a grin. “But we find a way to get it done. I’m just so happy for these guys.”
When two of the league’s best defenses face each other, especially in-division, the win normally comes down to whichever team last possessed the ball. But because of outstanding defensive play, the Ravens couldn’t get it done.
“I’m just glad they’re my defense,” said Roethlisberger. “They’re so much fun to have as a part of this game. They stepped up when they needed to.”
After a huge pick-six by linebacker Robert Spillane on Baltimore’s first drive, the Steelers weren’t able to find a groove. Thankfully, due to halftime adjustments and Ben calling plays at the line, they turned things around.
“I’m proud of the way all those guys played,” the quarterback said. “JuJu got some really tough yards and took a beating and did some really good things. We spread it out and did some different things.”
After a quiet first half for the Steelers’ offense, they came alive in the last two quarters. Smith-Schuster had seven receptions for 67 yards. Tight end Eric Ebron and wide receiver Chase Claypool both pitched in scores on 42 and 48 yards, respectively.
Pittsburgh is 7-0 for only the second time since the franchise was founded in 1933.
There are plenty of reasons to be hopeful about the upcoming Steelers-Ravens matchup.
The Steelers-Ravens rivalry has a respect-disrespect kind of relationship. A byproduct of said relationship is some of the fiercest football matchups of the last decade.
Tomorrow should be no different. It’ll be a strength versus strength, won-in-the-trenches kind of battle. Records and stats are thrown out the window when these two clubs meet.
Here are X reasons to be optimistic Sunday (and, yes, it includes records and stats… sue me).
The Steelers defensive tackle has a good answer for why the Steelers and Ravens have been so dominant over the years.
Sunday’s showdown will not only be epic because the Steelers and Ravens are two powerhouse defenses, but because they’ve been among the best for years.
When ESPN’s Steelers reporter Brooke Pryor asked the traits of a truly successful defense, even as players and coaches change, tackle Tyson Alualu answered simply, “It’s that old school, hard-nosed football. Both teams, both organizations pride themselves on that.”
Hard-nosed has been their signature style for decades. More recently, since 2015, the Steelers have averaged 10th in both points and yards allowed. This season, the defense leaped to sixth and first, respectively.
The Ravens have averaged ninth in points allowed and sixth in yards allowed during that same span. This season, the defense is first in points and ninth in yards.
Seven @NFL teams are averaging at least 30 points per game in 2020, the most teams in a single season through Week 7 since 1970. pic.twitter.com/qS9IsqbANh
Sunday’s game versus the Titans was a tale of two teams after giving up a 20-point lead.
It’s clear after Sunday that, although they are undefeated at 6-0, the Steelers are not satisfied with their on-field play.
Pittsburgh has played only one complete game in all three phases, against the Cleveland Browns in Week 6.
In Sunday’s postgame Zoom conference with Pittsburgh media, there wasn’t exactly a we’re-winners, we’re-undefeated ambiance.
It’s likely because the game was a tale of two teams. The Steelers’ performance was vastly different in the second half after heading into the locker room up by 17 points.
“We have goals so high for ourselves because we know what we can do when we feel like we can be a truly special defense,” said T.J. Watt during the postgame press conference.
“And that’s why no one’s really satisfied after today. We need to do a lot better job, especially in the second half. But it starts with the run. And even though we did a good job in the first half, we got to continue and roll it over into the second half.”
âWeâre the only undefeated team in the NFL,â said Edmunds. âWe are 6-0. We have to continue to work hard to play a full game. Once we play a full game, offense, defense, special teams, I think we will be great.â
Undefeated teams can sometimes become complacent, which leads to mistakes. One way to avoid that is to constantly be of the mindset that you’re not as good as you can be. Great teams know they can always be greater.
The bar has been set so high that anything short of it is unacceptable. Something tells me the Steelers won’t be fully satisfied unless they hoist that Lombardi trophy in February.
The Steelers have the league’s best pressure defense. Ryan Tannehill is the NFL’s best quarterback under pressure. Game on!
Through the first six weeks of the 2020 season, no defense is attacking the quarterback successfully like the Steelers’ defense. Pittsburgh has blitzed on 46.3% of its defensive snaps this season, and for that, they have created 36 quarterback hurries, and a hurry rate of 17.7%. They have 24 sacks, 80 pressures, and a pressure rate of 39.4%. All of those numbers lead the league. If you’re playing the Steelers, your quarterback is in trouble.
Unless your quarterback is Ryan Tannehill of the Titans, and it’s Tannehill’s ability to thrive under pressure this season that makes Sunday’s Pittsburgh-Tennessee matchup so fascinating. When pressured this season, per Pro Football Focus, Tannehill has completed 24 of 45 passes on 54 dropbacks for 263 yards, seven touchdowns, no interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 110.5, which leads the league. The Steelers will unquestionably come after Tannehill as they come after every quarterback, but as was once said on another matter, if you come at the king, you’d best not miss.
This touchdown pass to receiver Adam Humphries in last Sunday’s win over the Texans is but one of many examples of Tannehill making big-time throws under pressure. Here, he’s got underrated Houston nose tackle P.J. Hall in his face, but he’s still got the wherewithal to get the ball to Humphries after Humphries motioned to a reduced split and then took his defender outside on what looks like a busted coverage.
What makes this matchup even more interesting, as Football Outsiders majordomo Aaron Schatz points out, is that both Tennessee’s offense and Pittsburgh’s defense take nosedives on third-and-long.
One of the interesting matchups here, and a place pressure definitely comes into play.
Titans are 28th in DVOA on third-and-long. Which makes sense, they can't use play-action there.
Steelers defense, despite being so good overall, is *32nd* in third-and-long.
And as I pointed out, that has not worked out well for them.
On third-and-8 or longer, per @SportsInfo_SIS, Pittsburgh has played zone or combo on 14 dropbacks, and allowed 12 completions on 14 attempts for 153 yards, 88 air yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. https://t.co/hsxDirwenP
Now, the interesting thing here, also per Sports Info Solutions, is that when Tannehill faces zone or combo coverage and he’s not pressured, he’s more vulnerable. In those instances, he’s completed 57 of 71 passes for 780 yards, 507 air yards, and three touchdowns… but also two interceptions. Which are the only two interceptions he’s thrown all season. One came last week against the Texans, and the other in Week 3 against the Vikings.
This deep attempt to Kalif Raymond against the Texans is fascinating, because it shows that discipline in coverage is the best (perhaps the only) way to beat a heady quarterback with total confidence in his offense, and a heavy reliance on play-action. Tannehill has been perhaps the league’s most efficient play-action quarterback over the last two seasons, and one of the reasons that’s true is the Titans’ ability to manufacture shot plays out of it. In this case, Tannehill is hoping that cornerback Bradley Roby will bite and leave his deep receiver alone. Roby, to his credit, is not falling for the banana in the tailpipe.
To blitz, or not to blitz? When the Steelers take on the NFL’s best quarterback under pressure this Sunday, they may want to flip the script and show Ryan Tannehill things he’s not expecting from such an aggressive group.
Pittsburgh has faced plenty of dual-threat quarterbacks in recent history.
Offensively, the Houston Texans have one household name: Deshaun Watson. His dual-threat playmaking ability easily makes him one of the more difficult players to defend in the league. As with stopping Saquon Barkley in Week 1, the Steelers will need to be hyperfocused on containing Watson.
The Steelers have not yet had to face the elusive Deshaun. The last time the Pittsburgh matched up against Houston, the rookie Watson was on injured reserve.
Though the Texans are winless, Watson could pose a problem to the blitz-happy Pittsburgh defense. The offensive line is highly suspect (most quarterback pressures allowed with 57), so Deshaun will want to high-tail it out of there as quickly and often as possible to avoid the blitz.
Pittsburgh will want to show more five-man rushes or hold back a linebacker and spy Watson to matchup one-on-one if he escapes the pocket.
In early goings, Watson has only managed 44 yards on the ground and one score, but in his four-year career, he’s contributed 1,277 and 15 touchdowns with his feet.
The only mobile quarterback the Steelers have been pitted against this season is the New York Giants’ Daniel Jones. He rushed for 22 yards on four attempts. His rookie season rushing total was 279 and three scores.
Here are some of the best dual-threat quarterbacks the Steelers have faced in recent history and what the outcome was:
Lamar Jackson
Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports
When Jackson first came into the league, he was a better runner than passer. Honing his skills as in the air game, he’s becoming one of the best throwers and has quickly developed into the true dual-threat quarterback. Hands down, Jackson remains the best open-field runner in the game.
The Steelers only had to contend with him for one game in 2019, as the Ravens sat their starters in preparation for the playoffs in their final tilt of the season. Jackson put up 70 rushing yards on Pittsburgh in Week 5, which is mild compared to the five 100+ yard games he compiled his rookie year. Pittsburgh pressured him 19 times with five sacks, four hits and 10 hurries.
And, oh yeah, Lamar also snagged seven touchdowns on the ground in ’19 (none versus the Steelers).
[lawrence-related id=474590]
Pro Football Focus slapped the Steelers with their lowest pass-rush grades of ’19 versus Lamar and this guy…
Kyler Murray
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Murray totaled for 544 yards and four scores on the ground in 2019. 446 of those yards were in the weeks leading up to the late-season matchup versus Pittsburgh. Cause for concern, right? The Steelers defense made it their focus and limited Murray to the second-least rush yards of his season with a total of two.
On Murray, 19 total pressures were generated. He was sacked four times, hit twice and hurried 13 times.
The second-year QB is the opposite of Jackson in that he’s been running the ball far more often through two weeks than he averaged in ’19. And it shows. Murray has 21 runs for 158 yards and three touchdowns so far. Broken down, that’s 10.5 per game, 7.5 yards per attempt, 79 yards per game, and 1.5 touchdowns per game.
Thankfully the Steelers don’t have to deal with that in the 2020 regular season.
Josh Allen
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Allen was another mobile QB the Steelers faced in Week 14. Though he did run one in for a score, they contained him to 28 yards. Prior to the Pittsburgh contest, Allen had posted 439 yards on the ground and eight touchdowns.
The Steelers generated 15 total pressures on Allen with two sacks, three hits and 10 hurries.
Josh has recorded 76 rushing yards and a touchdown in two weeks. The Steelers have to deal with the Bills and Allen in Week 14.
Russell Wilson
Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports
The Steelers faced Wilson and the Seahawks the dreaded Week 2 (a.k.a. Ben elbow game). The defense was all over Russell. 19 total pressures were generated — five times sacked, three times hit and11 times hurried. He averaged 21 yards on the ground in ’19 (342 total), and Pittsburgh’s defense allowed 22. Wilson’s rush yards have declined from what they once where, perhaps in an effort to stave off injury.
Dak Prescott
Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports
Prescott didn’t even threaten to run against the Steelers in 2016; in fact, it was the only matchup in which the rookie didn’t post any rushing yards.
For his career, Dak has rushed for 1,269 yards and an astounding 24 touchdowns.
We’ll see how things play out with Prescott on Nov. 8 after the Week 8 bye.
Stats courtesy of Pro Football Focus and Pro Football ReferenceÂ
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones struggled with fumbles lost in 2019, and the Steelers defense excellent in nabbing them.
The Steelers 2019 defense was hungry for turnovers. The unit satisfied that hunger by devouring 38 combined interceptions and fumble recoveries, and its .203 turnover average was good for first in the league. Of those turnovers, 20 were interceptions (second in league), and 18 were fumble recoveries (first in league). Overall, Pittsburgh forced 22 fumbles, for an average of 1.4 per game.
Here’s the breakdown on recoveries:
LB Devin Bush – 4 (one for a 20-yard TD)
LB T.J. Watt – 4
S Minkah Fitzpatrick – 2 (one for a 79-yard TD)
LB Bud Dupree – 2
DL Cam Heyward, CBs Joe Haden, Mike Hilton, Steven Nelson – 1
It just so happens that Giants quarterback Daniel Jones led the NFL in fumbles lost, with eight. Additionally, his 12 interceptions tied him for seventh in the league. If Jones’ turnover struggle continues into 2020, the Steelers defense could be feasting Monday night.
Opportunities were a-plenty for the defense in 2019. They were on the field for 182 drives, third-most in the league. But Ben Roethlisberger is back, and with it, the increased potential for extending drives and scoring points. With fewer opportunities and less pressure to win games, the rate at which they recovered fumbles last season will be challenging to sustain.
But having a go at Jones is an excellent place for them to start.
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It’s that time of year where Pro Football Focus releases its rankings ahead of the 2020 season.
PFF ranked the Steelers third, just behind the San Francisco 49ers and (the despised) Baltimore Ravens.
Here’s a snippet of what PFF’s Anthony Treash had to say about the Steelers D.
The trio of [T.J.] Watt, [Cam] Heyward and [Stephon] Tuitt is a force to be reckoned with and will be the toughest matchup of the year for any offensive line on the Steelers’ schedule.
Fitzpatrick produced an 87.6 coverage grade after being traded from the Dolphins, the sixth-best at the position. He certainly proved he could be one of the best deep safeties in the game for Pittsburgh.
PFF does give credit where credit is due — to Watt, Heyward, and the secondary. The 49ers and the Ravens are stacked on defense, but the Steelers have the potential to outdo both of them in 2020.
The current streak the Pittsburgh Steelers are on can be directly attributed to the elevated play of the Steelers defense. This group has shrugged on their recent reputation as underachievers and among the very best in the NFL this season. If not for a rocky two games to start the season, this unit could be the very best in the league.
But perhaps more remarkable is the pace the Steelers are on in three separate categories. With three games to play the Steelers lead the league in sacks, quarterback hits and takeaways. A feat so remarkable the last team to do it was the 1974 Steelers defense. A defense easily among the top five of all time.
