Baltimore Beatdown reacts to the Ravens’ 28-14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs.
By halftime, the Baltimore Ravens had all but defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. But when the clock struck triple-zeroes, the Ravens booted the Steelers out of the playoffs with a 28-14 win. Below are the reactions from the Beatdown staff.
With a thunderous rushing attack, sheer violence on defense and Lamar Jackson at his best, this game was over at halftime when the Ravens went up 21-0. The Steelers had just two first downs and 59 net yards at halftime. It was, in the words of Steelers safety DeShon Elliott, it was “belt-to-butt today.”
Head Coach John Harbaugh had them ready. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken concocted a physical, successful game plan, and defensive coordinator Zach Orr embarrassed Steelers’ OC Arthur Smith. The offensive line paved the way for 299 rushing yards.
The Ravens ran the hell out of the ball; 24 of their first 32 plays were runs. Their second touchdown drive was 13 runs. This win was a signature performance. — Kyle Phoenix
Ravens fans surely felt the ghosts of playoffs past when Russell Wilson led two impressive scoring drives in the third quarter, but the players and coaches never flinched. The offense chewed up the clock and the defense played with controlled aggression in a lights-out fourth quarter. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry showed once again why they’re the most dangerous backfield duo ever, and Zach Orr brilliantly rotated his players and play call to keep the Steelers behind the sticks all night.
There’s improvements to be made, particularly against wheel routes, but there was never a moment when the Ravens weren’t in control of this game.
As John Harbaugh emphasized in Hard Knocks this week, the Ravens went 1-0 this weekend. That must remain the mentality in the Divisional Round, whether that be against the Bills or the Texans. — Nikhil Mehta
The Ravens couldn’t have played a more perfect game in the first half. They started fast and dominated time of possession with long scoring drives in which they imposed their will on the ground. The reigning league MVP had as many passing touchdowns as incompletions at halftime and the second half was all about burning the clock and preserving the huge lead he helped build up.
They set a franchise record for rushing yards in a postseason game with 299 rushing yards, which was also the most ever given up in a playoff game by the Steelers. The only reason they didn’t eclipse the 300-yard mark was the final kneel in victory formation.
Defensively, the Ravens looked reminiscent of the franchise’s legendary 2000 unit with how they suffocated and shut down the Steelers’ offense.
After giving up a couple of undisciplined touchdown drives in the third quarter, they dialed back in and put the clamps back on. This was the hottest and most dangerous team entering the playoffs and they managed to look more terrifying. If they keep playing like this, they will be virtually impossible to stop in their pursuit of their third Super Bowl trophy. — Joshua Reed
It wasn’t entirely pretty the second half but who cares. A win in the playoffs is a win. A win against a division rival in the playoffs by double digits is just that much sweeter. Outside of two mistakes by the defense in the second half to allow the two scores from Pittsburgh, the defense was great against a divisional foe despite Pickens going for nearly 90 yards.
The true star of the show though was the offense. Lamar Jackson was efficient through the air, going 16-for-21 for a 165 yard and two touchdowns for a 132 quarterback rating. But he was truly special on the ground with 15 attempts for 81 yards, including five carries in a row on the opening drive. This opened up things for Henry who carried the load today with 26 rushes for 186 yards and two touchdowns.
This game was a perfect example of why Jackson opens things up for Henry and why Jackson is the MVP. Step one done. Onto next week. Keep it pushing. — Zach Canter