The Baltimore Ravens saw their 2021 season end with a thud in Week 18 as they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers by the final score of 16-13 in overtime. It was a game where Baltimore was in it until the end, but they once again couldn’t get the job done late when they needed to, losing their sixth-straight game.
Quarterback Tyler Huntley got the start for the injured Lamar Jackson, and finished the game completing 16-of-31 passes for 141 yards and two interceptions, as well as rushing the ball 12 times for 72 yards. It was his worst performance of the season in a game where the Ravens needed him most, which makes the outcome of the game even more disappointing. Huntley showed tremendous growth over the course of his game action, but just didn’t have it in Week 18.
In what was likely Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s final game, the veteran threw for 244 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He led the Steelers down the field in the final minutes of overtime to give Chris Bowsell an opportunity to win the game, which the kicker did.
Baltimore running back Latavius Murray had his best game in a Ravens uniform, rushing 16 times for 150 yards and a touchdown. Baltimore had been missing explosive plays out of their running game, and Murray had multiple throughout the course of the matchup.
Wide receiver Marquise Brown broke 1,000 receiving yards in a season for the first time in his NFL career, but also had a crucial drop in the end zone for a would-be touchdown, as well as failing to hold onto another ball when he was hit by Pittsburgh safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. Tight end Mark Andrews had another great game, rounding out the best season of his career.
On defense, safety Chuck Clark led the team with nine total tackles, while safety Geno Stone notched the first interception of his NFL career. However, they began missing tackles and giving up big plays in the fourth quarter and overtime, which was a theme for the team over the final six weeks of the year.
Looking ahead, Baltimore now has plenty of questions that they need to find the answers to in the 2022 offseason. Their 2021 season was as trying as ever, but there’s no doubt that many expected more from a team that started 8-3 and finished at 8-9.