Steelers Keep the Playoffs Hopes Alive, Beat the Ravens, 16-13

The Pittsburgh Steelers have won the Sunday Night Football matchup in Baltimore against the Raves, 16-13. This victory kept the Steelers’ hopes for the playoffs alive and proved that this team has the capacity to play well under Kenny Pickett’s leadership.

With 56 seconds to go, Pickett found Najee Harris for a go-ahead touchdown, which would eventually set the final result of the game. The strong running back was the absolute star of the game, with 111 rushing yards on 22 carries and two receptions for 12 yards with that crucial TD.

He became the first player to run more than 100 yards in a contest against the Baltimore Ravens this season. Overall, his Steelers outran the rivals 198-120, which is the first time after 14 events to see the Ravens beaten on the ground.

Though, we need to say that the hosts appeared without its best player, the former MVP, Lamar Jackson. With him on the pitch, things would most definitely be different.

Instead, Tyler Huntley started, going 14-for-21, and 130 passing yards for one touchdown and one pick. He was also sacked once for 10 negative yards and ran seven times for 24 yards on the ground. That only TD he posted was against Isaiah Likely in the second quarter. Mark Andrews was Huntley’s top target, hitting the strong tight end in all nine attempts for 100 yards. Likely was the next with only 12.

Baltimore’s defense hasn’t been up to the task, with only two sacks and four tackles for loss. They allowed 22 first downs to the Steelers without properly defending the third downs, 10/16.

Kenny Pickett was great, even though his numbers weren’t particularly high nor impressive. He managed to complete 15 of his 27 passing attempts, having one touchdown, without turnovers, and suffering two sacks for 15 negative yards.

Just like he did last week, Kenny Pickett once again comes through in the clutch. pic.twitter.com/f5M6IZTjmw

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 2, 2023

As time goes by, it appears that Pickett plays better and better, with the youngster rightfully becoming the starter in Pittsburgh. He adapted to the environment and circumstances well, and adopted the Steelers’ mentality. That’s why he earns respect from both his teammates and his rivals on the field, and we can say that Mike Tomlin found the starting QB for a long time.

Coming into the final round, the Steelers need to beat the Browns and see both the Dolphins and the Patriots losing, which will be hard. The Pats meet the Bills in Buffalo, while on the other side, the Miami Dolphins host the New York Jets, who are out of the playoff picture. Pittsburgh lost to both of these competitors throughout the season, so the tiebreaker is on their side. Still, this, being in the playoff race in the final round of the season, is a massive success for the Steelers, who were 3-6 at one moment.

On the other side, the Ravens are in Cincinnati next week. If Burrow and the boys lose tonight in Buffalo, it could be the game for the top seed in the AFC North. The Ravens are after the home-court edge, at least in the Wild Card round, and possibly in the Divisional game. However, certain factors need to come together to have two playoff events in Maryland.