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The Baltimore Ravens nearly beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 12 despite everything that could possibly go wrong, going wrong. Yet, the win/loss column doesn’t reflect “nearly,” so Baltimore moved down to 6-5 after getting swept by Pittsburgh this season. But what the Ravens couldn’t do, the Washington Football Team could, beating the Steelers Monday night.
After the 23-17 win, Washington defensive ends Montez Sweat and Chase Young gave a little credit to Baltimore, according to NFL Network’s Aditi Kinkhabwala. Young said the Ravens exposed some of the flaws they used to beat Pittsburgh.
But what did Baltimore actually expose? Young further explained following the game, pointing toward some offensive tendencies.
“Really a lot. Schemes, certain guy’s tendencies,” Young said, per NBC Sports’ Ethan Cadeaux. “I would say tendencies of the offense and certain things they like to do out of different looks Baltimore executed on. I feel like we did too.”
Young’s assertion is backed up by some compelling evidence. Against the Ravens, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had one of his worst games of this season, throwing one touchdown and one interception for an 81 passer rating despite not sacking him once. Baltimore also did a good job holding Pittsburgh’s rushing attack in check as well, keeping them out of the end zone on the ground and finishing with a pretty pedestrian 3.4 yards-per-carry average.
Had the Ravens’ offense been able to muster just a little more production, they could have found enough to get over the hump and bring the Steelers their first loss of the 2020 season. But without quarterback Lamar Jackson, wide receiver Willie Snead, tight end Mark Andrews, fullback Patrick Ricard, and running backs Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore just couldn’t get enough going offensively in time.
While Pittsburgh’s loss doesn’t really impact Baltimore much in the standings — either in the division or in the AFC playoff picture — it’s still nice to see a division rival lose a game, especially if the Ravens had a hand in it.
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