The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Steelers miraculous win over Ravens

The Bad: Steelers Run Defense is Still an Issue

Credit the Steelers' defense for the win, and no one will bat an eye, and for good reason. But that's not to say they played perfectly. Hell, holding Baltimore to just 10 points was not all on their efforts alone.

Early in the ball game, particularly, Pittsburgh struggled mightily against the run. Pittsburgh remains in the basement of the league standings for defensive rushing, and Baltimore came out attacking that weakness.

The earliest indicator was a 26-yard option run by Jackson on a third and two. It's inexcusable to lose assignment on the single-most dangerous running quarterback in the NFL on the third play of the game.

Of course, the Ravens' lone touchdown was given up to Justice Hill on a 14-yard carry on the next drive.

Overall, the Steelers allowed 125 yards on the ground on 25 carries, a five-yard average. That's now four of five games the Steelers have allowed 100 or more yards on the ground, each of which was 125 or more.

That said, the Steelers have played teams that are known to be proficient at running the football, with the Texans and Raiders (the only team they held under 100 at 89) struggling to do so coming into those games. Conversely, the Steelers themselves are known to take pride in stopping the run. Missing Cam Heyward has a bit to do with it, as do the new faces at linebacker, but it absolutely has to get cleaned up during the BYE Week. The Rams, Jaguars, and Titans are on the schedule after the BYE and each runs the ball effectively.