Steelers vs. Ravens: Questions answered after Pittsburgh’s 4th loss
By Edward Hunt
The Steelers have fallen to 1-4 after a difficult to process loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Pittsburgh now has an uphill battle to climb.
The Steelers drop to 1-4 on a disappointing season led by the loss of Mason Rudolph. To make matters worse, Mason Rudolph had a scary concussion against the Chargers, which knocked him unconscious for a few minutes. The silver lining in this story is that Delvin Hodges looked good in relief of Mason Rudolph.
I think an overwhelming theme for the Steelers this season is losing quarterbacks. The loss of Ben Roethlisberger is the reason the team is 1-4 and not 4-1. They just aren’t getting the production in the passing game that they are used to. This is hurting the running game as well.
The good news is the defense has looked as good as it has in five years. They are tied for the league lead in takeaways and getting pressure from the edge. They have also continued to get pressure from the defensive interior.
I asked five burning questions before the game. Here are the questions that were answered following the loss to the Ravens:
Will the Steelers be able to stop Lamar Jackson?
The Steelers were able to tame Lamar Jackson in the passing game but had trouble stopping him in the running game. According to Pro Football Reference, Lamar Jackson ran 14 times for 70 yards. That means he was getting five yards for every attempt. That was hard for the Steelers to contain.
The Steelers were able to silence the passing game, though. According to Pro Football Reference, Lamar Jackson was 19 for 28 passing for 161 yards. That did not kill the Steelers and is a testament to the Steelers improved secondary.
Will JuJu play this week?
The simple answer to that question is yes. Yes, JuJu Smith-Schuster did play that week. However, there is some concern that he is not performing at the level we thought he could. I give him credit for drawing double teams, but guys like Diontae Johnson, James Washington, and Donte Moncrief are not making him pay.
It sort of stings that JuJu fumbled the ball in overtime. It was the turnover that led to the Ravens game-winning drive. I would go as far as to say if he holds onto that ball, then the Steelers kick a field goal on that drive and win the game. I have no problem with Juju seeming happy after the game, but, sadly, a fumble like that is what forfeited a potential AFC North overtime win.