Ravens’ Last-Ditch Effort Falls Flat: Steelers Hold on for Victory After Failed Two-Point Conversion
In the latest rendition of one of the NFL’s best rivalries, the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers squared off in Week 11, in a game with major implications for which team would have the edge heading into the stretch run of the NFL regular season over the next month and a half. The game featured the top two teams in the AFC North Division. The Ravens were looking to find success against a Steelers squad led by longtime head coach Mike Tomlin, who has had the upper hand in recent seasons, with Pittsburgh winning seven of the past eight games dating back to the 2020 season. For the Ravens to come out on top on the road, their top-ranked offense would need to find its rhythm against a Steelers defense led by fierce edge rusher T.J. Watt, who has been a key part of Pittsburgh’s eighth-ranked total defense entering Sunday’s game. However, in a tough and gritty game, the Ravens' offense continued to shoot itself in the foot with untimely penalties and turnovers in their own territory. As a result, their comeback attempt fell short, and they lost to the Steelers 18-16 in a classic Ravens-Steelers battle.
On the first drive of the game, with the Ravens receiving the ball first, the Steelers' dominant defense seized early momentum when linebacker Nick Herbig forced a turnover by punching the ball out of veteran running back Derrick Henry’s hands, marking Henry's first lost fumble in 538 touches. This gave the Steelers possession in Ravens territory, but the Ravens' defense limited the damage, holding the Steelers to a 32-yard field goal by Chris Boswell for an early 3-0 lead. After both teams traded three-and-outs, the Ravens began to find their rhythm when quarterback Lamar Jackson connected with tight end Isaiah Likely on a 42-yard pass into Steelers territory. However, the drive stalled, leading to a 47-yard field goal attempt by Justin Tucker, which drifted wide left, leaving the Ravens without points and continuing a career-worst season for Tucker. On the Steelers' subsequent drive, their offense went for it on fourth-and-one near midfield, but the Ravens' defense stood tall, stopping running back Najee Harris short and forcing a turnover on downs. The Ravens’ offense would be unable to capitalize on the turnover as Tucker missed his second field goal of the game, this time from 50 yards, keeping the score at 3-0 Pittsburgh near the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Steelers’ offense drove into Ravens territory, but the Ravens’ defense continued to limit their passing attack, forcing a 52-yard field goal by Boswell to extend the Steelers' lead to 6-0 with seven minutes left in the half. Nearing the end of the first half, the Ravens finally got their offense going and got on the scoreboard. A 31-yard run by Derrick Henry set them up just outside the red zone, and three plays later, Henry scored on a one-yard run to give the Ravens a 7-6 lead with one minute left before halftime. With less than 30 seconds left, former Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen forced a fumble on Isaiah Likely, generating the Steelers' second turnover and giving their offense possession inside the Ravens' 20-yard line. The Steelers settled for their third field goal of the game, a 32-yarder, to regain the lead at 9-7 heading into halftime.
The Steelers began the second half with the ball and settled for another field goal after struggling to find a rhythm against a Ravens pass defense ranked the league's worst heading into the game. As a result, Boswell hit his fourth field goal, a 57-yarder, to extend the Steelers' lead to 12-7. On the Ravens' first drive of the second half, the offense marched into Steelers territory but settled for a 54-yard field goal by Tucker, avoiding a third straight miss, to cut the Steelers' lead to 12-10 with six minutes left in the third quarter. On the Steelers' subsequent drive, the offense reached the red zone after quarterback Russell Wilson connected with star wideout George Pickens on a 37-yard catch. However, once again, the Steelers managed only a 27-yard chip-shot field goal by Boswell, extending their lead to 15-10 with under a minute left in the third quarter.
After a quick three-and-out by the Ravens' offense to open the fourth quarter, the Steelers' offense marched down to the Ravens' five-yard line with the potential to score their first touchdown of the game. However, on third-and-goal, Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey intercepted Wilson in the end zone for his fifth interception of the season, giving Jackson and the Ravens' offense the ball back with nine minutes left in regulation. However, on a deep pass intended for Justice Hill, Steelers linebacker Payton Wilson wrestled the ball out of Hill’s hands on the way to the ground, coming away with the interception to give the Steelers' offense the ball back. The Ravens' defense once again prevented the Steelers' offense from getting into the end zone, forcing Boswell's sixth field goal of the game, a 50-yarder, to keep it a one-possession game at 18-10 with three minutes left. With just over a minute left in regulation, the Ravens' offense put together a crucial touchdown drive, as Jackson found wide receiver Zay Flowers for a 16-yard touchdown reception to cut the Steelers' lead to 18-16. However, they would fail on the two-point attempt to tie the game. Needing a three-and-out to give their offense a chance at a game-winning drive, the Ravens' defense came up short when Najee Harris gained a first down on a crucial third-and-one with 57 seconds left, icing the game and giving Pittsburgh their fifth straight victory while gaining an upper hand in the race for the AFC North Division crown.
