Reason 4: The Ravens Were Desperate
The Ravens had lost four straight games coming into this battle. The Ravens had won the first three games of the season. It felt like they were building for something. All of the sudden the Ravens were in a moment where all they could do was stop the bleeding. The cost of the four game losing streak doesn’t vanish because of one win, but it certainly stopped the bleeding.
If the Ravens lost this game they would continue to taste the sourness of rock bottom. If the Steelers lost the game they would just be tied with the Steelers. Sure, the Ravens have the lead because of the head to head match up, but with both teams 4-4 it’s essentially a new season. The Ravens aren’t exactly an unreachable freight train right now.
The Ravens needed this win more. The Steelers could blame their losing on the Ben Roethlisberger injury. It would have been silly but you know they could spin it. The Ravens could not spin a fifth straight loss. A loss would have been the breaking point of the Ravens 2016 aspirations.