The Big Ben era isn’t over quite yet.
The hard part happened first, when the two-win Jaguars – playing for nothing but Glory – stunned the Colts and ended their playoff aspirations.
In the history of the sport there has never been an “easy” NFL game, but this Ravens team had 17 players on injured reserve and 17 others missed practice time this week due to injury/illness. There weren’t a lot of bullets in that gun today for John Harbaugh.
Under the leadership of undrafted free agent QB Tyler Huntley, the Ravens committed four turnovers today, including on each of their first three drives (Watt FF/Mondeaux FR, Edmunds INT, unsuccessful fake punt).
OLB TJ Watt tied the NFL’s single-season sack record (22.5, M. Strahan) just before intermission. He would have owned the record, but a sack he split with DE Cam Heyward was negated when Heyward was flagged for a helmet-to-helmet hit.
Freezing rain was falling heavily in the morning, slowed periodically but never stopped. Field traction was clearly an issue, and it was just 3-3 at the half.
That didn’t last long. Five plays into the third quarter, RB Latavius Murray broke free up the middle for a 46-yard TD run. The Ravens took a 10-3 lead that felt quite steep for the conditions.
Pittsburgh answered that TD with a FG and – after exchanging three-and-outs – Murray had consecutive explosive runs (22- and 27-yarders) to get his boys marching again. They drove down to Pittsburgh’s 11 yard line (with the help of a 2-yard QB sneak on 4th and 1), but then Huntley tried to force a ball in the TE Mark Andrews which CB Cam Sutton picked off in the end zone.
Another punt exchange later, the Steelers finally found the end zone with a 6-yard TD pass from QB Ben Roethlisberger to WR Chase Claypool.
Their 13-10 lead was quickly leveled with a Justin Tucker 46-yarder. Two more punts (15 total punts for the game) and we were on to OT.
RB Najee Harris lost his shoe while being tackled on the game’s opening drive. He also suffered an unrelated elbow injury on that play, and didn’t return until the Steelers’ second drive of the second half. He mostly found the sledding rough out there today, but he did have a huge 15-yard run during their 15-play OT drive. That run set up the kneel-down that set up the Boswell FG that won the game.
If the Raiders and Chargers game doesn’t end in a tie, Roethlisberger will get one last shot at the playoffs.
Steely Cam 