Steelers Player of the Game vs. the Ravens in Week 8
The very essence of gritty and tough AFC North football was just shown on full display as the Steelers keep their undefeated season alive by beating the Ravens, 28-24.
There were lots of ups and downs in this one but the Steelers were able to do just enough to secure victory and expand their AFC North lead.
This was a tale of two halves yet again showing that the Steelers need to find consistency. They seem to only play half of a football game and the rest they just put on cruise control. After a great start with a pick-six by Robert Spillane, the Steelers did not accomplish anything against the Ravens. They went into halftime down 17-7 but there was hope as it wasn’t too late.
The offense came alive and was able to outscore their opponent en route to secure a very tough win at their rivals home. It is never easy against a division foe, especially Baltimore but the team did well enough to win and that is what matters most.
The issue going forward for this team will be the injuries that occurred during this fight. Cam Heyward and Tyson Alualu went out of the game with significant injuries. Mike Tomlin did say during his press conference that Heyward seemed to suffer cramps and will have more updates in the future. That seems hard to believe as he was struggling to put any pressure on his leg but cramps would be a Godsend when considering the alternative. Either one of those being out for any length of time would pose a huge concern moving forward even though Isaiah Buggs did a great job in the game today.
Stephon Tuitt played “big man football” today to help secure victory.
Tuitt has been an unsung hero for this defense so far during the season. He has been very quietly one of the best all-around defenders for Mike Tomlin’s team. Going forward he will have to be the stalwart defensive lineman in case Heyward is gone due to injury.
Tuitt was able to put up an amazing stat sheet in this game. Those stats include nine tackles, two sacks, three tackles for a loss, and three quarterback hits. He was an absolute beast out there on the grass in Baltimore but this is nothing new for the Fighting Irish product. Tuitt is always overshadowed by Heyward but teams should start taking notice when they have Pittsburgh coming up next on their schedules.
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The Steelers are now 7-0 with a victory over another tough playoff-caliber opponent. It was a tough and gritty road victory but they did enough to win another divisional game.