Baltimore Ravens 14-19 Pittsburgh Steelers: Hosts extend unbeaten NFL run this season to 11 games with win

A heavily depleted Baltimore Ravens fell short on Wednesday evening to the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers as they lost 19-14.

The game was originally scheduled for Thanksgiving last Thursday, but due to a Covid-19 outbreak in the Baltimore team, the game was postponed. 

In the first Wednesday NFL game since 2012, the Steelers advanced to 11-0 on the season despite an uninspiring effort against the short-handed Ravens. In the first quarter, Ray-Ray McCloud dropped a punt that the Ravens capitalised on to score a touchdown. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger then threw a wild interception in the endzone. 

After gaining a reasonable lead, they then nearly squandered a 12-point lead late, with a heroic catch by James Washington saving the Steelers drive and ending the game.

The Ravens were without MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, productive receiver Willie Snead, their top tight-end Mark Andrews and their two starting running backs JK Dobbins and Mark Ingram. 

Before a 70-yard touchdown grab by Marquise Brown with just under three minutes to go, the depleted group, which subbed in quarterback Trace McSorley for Robert Griffin III in the fourth quarter, managed just 40 passing yards.

McSorley’s first NFL touchdown stood as a memorable one in the conclusion of a very forgettable run of misfortune for the Ravens. On the play, McSorely said: ‘It felt great. It’s been a long few years of just working every day and trying to stay ready.’

McSorely, a 2019 sixth-round pick, hadn’t thrown an NFL pass prior to Wednesday.

For Pittsburgh, Roethlisberger finished 36-51 for 266 yards, one touchdown and the previously mentioned interception. With four receivers over six catches for the game and Benny Snell running 16 times for 60 yards.

The Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin, labelled their performance as unacceptable: ‘I was disappointed with our performance tonight. We did enough to win, but that’s all.

‘It was in all three phases. We couldn’t run the ball effectively when we needed too. We dropped too many significant passes. Very catchable, makeable, passes.

‘We gave up big plays in big moments. We gave up a 70-yard touchdown, unacceptable.’

Pittsburgh now look ahead to Washington as they look to keep their undefeated season alive on Monday. Whereas the Baltimore Ravens welcome the Dallas Cowboys into town on Tuesday night football. 

By Charlie Parker