On Saturday night, the Ravens defeated the Steelers 28-14 in an AFC North battle, resulting in Pittsburgh’s eighth straight year without a playoff win and a Ravens advancement to the next round of the NFL playoffs.
The Steelers now go into the offseason holding a draft pick in the early 20s, a familiar spot for the team that hasn’t made a deep run into the postseason for a while.
The first quarter started with a Steelers punt on fourth-and-inches showcasing conservative play on national television for the second time since Christmas.
This game was just another example of the ineffective use of short-term quarterbacks — which has put Pittsburgh in the same conversation as the unsuccessful Indianapolis Colts who have been searching since Andrew Luck’s retirement. On the other side, the Ravens drafted a star in Lamar Jackson. The Steelers must decide on their quarterback for the future as Russell Wilson and Justin Fields will both be free agents in 2025.
Their defense — the highest-paid group in the league — was no better and let the Ravens’ read option get the best of them all night.
Pittsburgh couldn’t contain Derrick Henry and Jackson, a combined threat that proved dangerous throughout the season. The Steelers’ defense allowed Jackson to find Rashod Bateman on a third-and-13 touchdown later in the drive to open up the scoring.
Zay Flowers — the number one target on the Ravens — was ruled out before the game, but that didn’t seem to matter. On their third drive of the game, the Ravens did not throw a single pass and found themselves in the endzone on a Henry nine-yard rush, making it 14-0.
It’s true that Pittsburgh’s season exceeded expectations, and Wilson looked better than he did on the Broncos. But injuries, miscommunication on offense and defense as well as a sense of impending doom ended the Steelers’ season.
Pittsburgh’s slow start continued with them punting late in the second quarter. With less than two minutes left on their own 10-yard line, the Ravens moved the ball, capping off Lamar’s escapability with a pass to Justice Hill ending the half 21-0 Ravens.
The Steelers scored twice in the 3rd quarter on deep balls to Van Jefferson and George Pickens. But their offense looked slow in the 4th quarter — they were predictable and mundane. The Ravens’ defense — concerned with limiting big plays — looked elite.
Mike Tomlin’s model of winning is archaic and has put the Steelers in football purgatory. They’re not great enough to win a playoff game but aren’t bad enough to fully rebuild — which sums up Tomlin’s performance in the late stages of the season and opens up the question of whether it may be time for the two parties to mutually split.
The NFL’s model allows small-market and historically bad teams the opportunity to win. It’s time the Steelers take advantage and revamp the franchise. Tomlin is the longest-tenured coach in the NFL with 18 years at the Steelers. He’s never had a losing season but holds an 8-11 playoff record. One obviously matters much more.
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