4 Ravens most responsible for Week 17 loss to Steelers

[ad_1]

The Baltimore Ravens failed to build on their Week 16 victory over the Atlanta Falcons as they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 16-13, at home in Week 17 of the 2022 NFL season. Baltimore held a halftime lead, but the Ravens gave the Steelers 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Baltimore was -111 total yards and had a turnover in that game as well. That result took the Ravens to 10-6, which puts them in second place in the AFC North. They’ve already qualified for the playoffs, but likely won’t usurp the division-first spot from the Cincinnati Bengals again. Here, discuss well the four Ravens most responsible for their Week 17 loss to the Steelers.

In the Steelers’ last two possessions, the Baltimores defense has been unable to turn the tide. The pass rush was ineffective and the secondary struggled to cover Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett. Throughout the game, Steelers Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren rushed for a total of 187 yards on 34 carries. The Baltimores defense was simply unable to stop them.

On offense, the Ravens relied heavily on TE Mark Andrews and RB JK Dobbins. However, their lack of diversity meant that only three points were scored in the final 30 minutes of the game. They also struggled to convert on the third try. The Ravens have completed less than half of their 12 attempts. In their next game, the Ravens will face the Cincinnati Bengals, with the result potentially impacting the AFC playoff standings.

For now, let’s look at the four Ravens most responsible for their Week 17 loss to the Steelers.

Final. pic.twitter.com/DiclEWTJX6

Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 2, 2023

4. Coach John Harbaugh

After this big loss, head coach John Harbaugh took responsibility. He acknowledged the Ravens went flat in one of their most important games of the season. The defense couldn’t stop in the fourth quarter and the offense only managed three points in the second half. Despite being calmer and more disciplined than the Steelers, the Ravens struggled with clock management late in the first half. As mentioned, they were also unable to stop Pittsburgh’s running game. In fact, the Steelers managed to go for 80 yards in 11 plays to secure the game-winning touchdown as time ticked away.

3. Crow Defense

In this game, Baltimore’s defensive front and secondary struggled against the Steelers. To illustrate, the Steelers ran effectively against Ravens tackles Justin Madubuike, Travis Jones and Broderick Washington. Ravens linebackers Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen also failed to implement their inside blocking effectively. Smith, in particular, struggled to clear blocks and tackle. The queen even seemed lost at times. Outside linebackers Odafe Oweh, Tyus Bowser and Jason Pierre-Paul also struggled to hold the advantage. They allowed the Steelers to run successfully both indoors and outdoors. Allowing 198 rushing yards on 40 carries was just too much.

Recall that during the first meeting between these two teams, the Steelers had only 65 yards on the ground on 20 attempts. In that game, however, Harris single-handedly rushed for 111 yards and became the first player to go over 100 rushing yards against the Ravens this season.

Meanwhile, the secondary allowed Pickett to complete 15 of 27 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown. He even threw the game-winning 10-yard touchdown to Harris in the final minute. The Steelers wide receivers also won key first downs. Overall, it was one of the toughest days for the Ravens D.

2. Raven catchers

Mark Andrews had a solid game with nine receptions for 100 yards and multiple first downs. However, the rest of the receiving group had just 30 yards on five receptions.

Clearly, Andrews was a key player for the Ravens. However, towards the end of the game, the Steelers began to double him with safeties instead of linebackers to prevent any big crosses through the middle.

With Andrews checked, the Ravens had limited weapons on the outside. In fact, it’s allowed them to have one of the least productive receiving squads in the NFL all season. Keep in mind that in Week 17, wide receivers only had two catches for 18 yards. It’s lamentable in every way.

WR Isaiah probably caught three of his five targets for 12 yards and a touchdown. He was the brightest spot outside of Andrews. He likely scored his touchdown on a pass from QB Tyler Huntley, but he hasn’t gone over 18 receiving yards in any of the four games Huntley has started.

1.QB Tyler Huntley

Speaking of Huntley, he played a safe and conservative game. Huntley completed 14 of 21 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown. However, he also flew over and landed receivers quite frequently. He ran the ball well, gaining 24 yards on seven carries. This type of passing attack can be effective against weaker teams, but it is not capable of closing a deficit quickly.

Huntley had his team in position to win the defensive battle. However, they ultimately fell short when he threw an interception on Baltimores’ last drive. The majority of Huntley’s passing yards also went to Andrews. He was about as predictable as it gets. At this time, however, it remains unclear if Lamar Jackson will play in the regular season finale against the Bengals. As such, Huntley may have to start over as the Ravens prepare for the playoffs.

[ad_2]