Slow Offense and No Defense Doom Steelers
by Bo Marchionte
Published January 11, 2025, 12:04 AM
Pittsburgh, entering the game on a four-game losing streak, struggled to find rhythm offensively in the opening quarter. A few glimmers of hope were not to overcome the high powered offense the Ravens brought in their 28-14 win.
Russell Wilson started under center, connecting with tight ends on two early passes. However, on a crucial third-and-inches, Justin Fields stepped in, handing off to Jaylen Warren, who converted for a first down. The drive stalled shortly after, forcing the Steelers to punt—an all-too-familiar sluggish start for their offense.
“Haven’t’ gotten it done,” Cam Heyward said after the game. “In the playoffs you got to be on top of your execution and we weren’t. We all have to be accountable for that.”
The heart and soul of the defense, Heyward mentioned “too many times” the Ravens players were making big plays.
The Ravens, led by Lamar Jackson, came out firing on their opening drive. Jackson’s zone-read plays exploited Pittsburgh’s focus on stopping Derrick Henry, who broke off several runs. Baltimore’s methodical series culminated in a 3rd-and-13 touchdown pass from Jackson to Rashod Bateman, capitalizing on the Steelers’ defensive lapses. The early tone favored the Ravens, with Pittsburgh needing adjustments to stay competitive.
By midway through the second quarter, Lamar Jackson had already tallied 11 carries, showcasing his dual-threat ability as he picked apart the Steelers’ defense. With Derrick Henry joining the charge, the Ravens’ ground game was relentless, systematically wearing down Pittsburgh.
Holding a 7-0 lead, Baltimore leaned heavily on the run, orchestrating a punishing 12-play drive—all rushing atempts—that culminated in a Henry touchdown. The bruising score extended the Ravens’ lead to 14-0, forcing Pittsburgh out of its run-first game plan.
While the shift seemed like a disadvantage on paper, it may have been just what the Steelers needed. With the ground game stifled, Pittsburgh turned to an up-tempo passing attack, a change that brought a spark to an offense desperate for momentum.
Heading into the two-minute warning, the Steelers’ offensive struggles persisted. They failed to move the ball past midfield, their drives repeatedly stalling against a suffocating Ravens defense. The silence from Pittsburgh’s sideline mirrored the cyclone of swirling questions about the team’s future—questions that, at this moment, remained as unclear and unanswered as ever.
With time ticking away in the first half, the pressure was mounting. Would Pittsburgh find a way to steady the ship, or would this game become a defining chapter in what had been a turbulent season?
The Ravens continued to impose their will on the ground, orchestrating an astonishing sequence of 15 consecutive running plays. Each carry seemed to sap more life from the Steelers’ defense, as Baltimore’s offensive line dominated the trenches.
Then, just when Pittsburgh began to load the box in desperation, Lamar Jackson pivoted to the air. Three straight passes including a perfectly placed strike to Rashod Bateman moved the football across midfield, keeping the Steelers’ defense on its heels. Baltimore’s balance and unpredictability were proving too much for Pittsburgh to handle.
As the first half neared its conclusion, Lamar Jackson delivered another signature play. Eluding Pittsburgh’s pressure for nearly seven seconds, Jackson danced around the pocket, buying just enough time to find an open receiver in the end zone. His second touchdown pass of the game extended Baltimore’s lead to 21-0, silencing any faint hopes of a Pittsburgh comeback before halftime.
With only two seconds left on the clock, the Steelers had no choice but to head into the locker room staring at a daunting deficit. The questions surrounding their offensive struggles and defensive lapses loomed larger than ever.
The Steelers opened the third quarter with a glimmer of hope, forcing a Ravens punt for the first time in the game. It set the stage for a potentially season-defining moment. Backed up at their own 2-yard line, Pittsburgh finally came alive.
Russell Wilson orchestrated a masterful 98-yard drive, mixing short throws with timely runs to march the offense downfield. The drive culminated in a perfectly placed pass to Van Jefferson for the touchdown, cutting the deficit to 21-7.
Trailing by 14, Pittsburgh showed signs of life for the first time all game. The energy on the sideline was palpable—could this spark ignite a full-scale comeback?
Baltimore quickly responded to Pittsburgh’s newfound momentum with a statement drive of their own. Sensing life in the Steelers, the Ravens turned to their workhorse, Henry, to regain control. He would finish with 186 rushing yards on 26 carries and two touchdowns.
On the second play of the drive, Henry broke free for a long, punishing touchdown run, slicing through the defense and silencing the Steelers’ sideline. The score extended Baltimore’s lead to 28-7, hammering a nail into Pittsburgh’s fragile confidence.
As the third quarter continued, the Steelers faced an uphill battle, their window of opportunity shrinking with every Ravens possession.
Despite the mounting deficit, the Steelers refused to back down. On their next possession, Russell Wilson found George Pickens streaking down the sideline, matched up against rookie Nate Wiggins. Pickens made a spectacular grab, effortlessly beating the rookie before evading a would-be tackle after the catch.
The play resulted in a long-distance touchdown, Wilson’s second of the game, as Pittsburgh clawed back into contention. The score cut the Ravens’ lead to 28-14, and though the road remained steep, the Steelers showed they still had plenty of fight left in them.
With 2:34 remaining in the third quarter, the Steelers’ defense delivered a critical stop, forcing the Ravens into their first three-and-out of the game. The sequence marked a turning point for Pittsburgh’s defense, which had struggled to contain Baltimore’s offense for most of the game.
The stop energized the Steelers’ sideline, providing their offense with an opportunity to build on its recent momentum. As the third quarter wound down, Pittsburgh clung to the hope of mounting a comeback, determined to make the most of their newfound defensive spark.
With 6:06 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Steelers had one final shot to stay in the game. Russell Wilson launched a deep pass to Calvin Austin in the end zone, hoping for a game-changing score. However, the pass fell incomplete, sealing Pittsburgh’s fate and turning the ball over on downs.
The missed opportunity allowed the Ravens to take full control, and they began to drain the clock with methodical runs. The demoralizing realization set in for Pittsburgh: their defense had failed to give the offense another shot at a comeback.
As the clock ticked down, Lamar Jackson took a knee with 28 seconds left, sealing the victory for the Ravens. The Steelers’ playoff hopes officially came to an end, and the questions about their future will continue to hang in the air.
Much of the discussion heading into last season is now under scrutiny heading into 2025. Quarterback, an elite caliber receiver opposite Pickens, Najee Harris and upgrading the defense.
If Pittsburgh had finished strong and made the playoffs, possibly the underlying disgust of the situation might not have felt as bad. But as it may, the defense failed to stop elite offenses down the stretch and the offense couldn’t stack consistent drives.
The reality is an 0-5 finish after a 10-3 start. All the hype. All the feeling good about the product on the field, collapsed, just like the end of the season.
Photo Credit Frank Hyatt/College2Pro.com
