The Good: Steelers Defense Rises to the Occasion
The Steelers took a late lead because of a Kenny Pickett to George Pickens touchdown. That's a great feeling for Pittsburgh fans, as we hope to repeat that sentence for years to come in a variety of situations.
But make no mistake, the Steelers won the game because of their defense with some assistance from Baltimore's inconsistent offense.
The Ravens shot themselves in the foot with an overwhelming number of drops throughout the game. Two drops in particular, one by Rashod Bateman in the endzone and another by Nelson Agholor steaking down the sideline would have changed the outcome of this game completely.
Nonetheless, Pittsburgh's defense made plays when they had to and disrupted Lamar Jackson late consistently.
Joey Porter Jr. took what appears to be a permanent slot on the outside during the game and took full advantage. Matching up with Odel Beckham Jr. in the red zone on a fade route, the rookie corner came away with his first career interception to save the game for the Steelers. Just moments earlier Pittsburgh surrendered excellent field position on a Gunner Olszewski fumble. The Steelers could have lost momentum or the game here and the defense bailed them out.
After the Pickens go-ahead touchdown, Alex Highsmith finally got home and strip-sacked Jackson. This probably should have sealed the game completely, but this game wouldn't end without maximum shenanigans. Either way, the defense stepped up in key situations on multiple occasions, took advantage of the Ravens' consistent failures, and created opportunities for the offense when able.