The Pittsburgh Steelers found a way to fend off the Baltimore Ravens long enough to secure a critical Week 14 victory. This outcome instantly shifted the team into pole position in the AFC North, as the Steelers essentially earned a two-game swing over the Ravens after advancing to 7-6 and owning the head-to-head tiebreaker.
We don't want to discredit some of the impressive performances we witnessed in Week 14. There were a few players who helped carry the team on their shoulders. However, the biggest issues with Mike Tomlin's team were on full display in Baltimore.
Despite the victory, the Steelers were trounced in total yards (318 to 420), total plays (51 to 77), first down conversions (13 to 22), and time of possession (26:16 to 33:44), per ESPN stats—proving once again that they were not the better team on paper.
Winners and Losers from the Pittsburgh Steelers' Week 14 victory over the Baltimore Ravens
Winner: Aaron Rodgers, QB
Give credit where credit is due: Aaron Rodgers had one of his best performances of the season against the Baltimore Ravens. It looked like the 42-year-old was going to cruise to a 300-yard outing before the offense stalled in the fourth quarter.
Still, we'll sign up for 284 yards and a handful of explosive plays in the passing game any day of the week. Rodgers aided the Steelers' offense to 27 points in the first three quarters of the game, which proved to be just enough to emerge victorious.
Loser: Steelers' run defense
I want to emphasize how concerning Pittsburgh's run defense has been in recent weeks, and they didn't do anything against the Ravens to give us a reason to trust this unit. Without rookie Derrick Harmon, the Steelers allowed 217 yards on the ground on 5.4 yards per carry... and this was without even allowing Derrick Henry to have a 100-yard performance.
Rookie Yahya Black was getting bulldozed on the ground, and the defensive line simply has not been stout enough. Sadly, this is the second straight game in which a Steelers opponent has rushed for over 215 yards, and Pittsburgh's run defense has already allowed 1,629 rushing yards on the season with four games remaining.
Winner: DK Metcalf, WR
Perhaps the sweetest takeaway from Week 14 was watching DK Metcalf explode for his best game as a Pittsburgh Steeler while former receiver George Pickens imploded on the Dallas Cowboys this week. Metcalf recorded seven receptions for 148 yards in Pittsburgh's 27-22 win.
This is more yards than Metcalf gained in his previous five outings combined (144). While we can't count on the big receiver to put up performances like this each week, it was nice to see the Rodgers-Metcalf connection firing in a pivotal Week 14 game against the Ravens.
Loser: Jaylen Warren, RB
At times this season, Jaylen Warren looked like one of the best running backs in the league. But lately, that hasn't been the case. Against Baltimore, Warren carried the ball eight times for just 13 yards (1.6 yards per carry).
The lack of production was hardly all Warren's fault. As a team, the Steelers recorded just 34 yards on 17 carries (2.0 yards per attempt). Despite Arthur Smith's reputation as a run-first offensive coordinator, the Steelers' struggles moving the ball on the ground continued in Week 14.