Five Takeaways from the Ravens’ 39-38 loss to Steelers
By Cory Hughes
Let’s get right into my five takeaways from the Ravens’ 39-38 loss.
1. The absence of Jimmy Smith is obvious
As everyone knows, Jimmy Smith tore his Achilles last week. Putting his 2017 season to an abrupt end. Having an All-Pro like season it was devastating to this Raven team to lose a leader like him on defense. As this team is still in the playoff hunt. If you watched the game Sunday night, heck if you just read the box-score you would have realized just how much Jimmy Smith was missed in Pittsburgh.
There’s not a whole lot of non-Raven fans that will rant and rave about the importance of Jimmy Smith. A lot of analysts will even forget to throw his name in the conversation when they’re talking about the top corners in the league. But, last night was a testament to how crucial he is to this team and especially the defense.
Wide Receiver Antonio Brown went off in Pittsburgh. 11 catches, 18 targets and over 200 yards. It’s something he normally doesn’t do when he plays the Ravens. You know why? Because number Twenty Two is shadowing him the whole game. Antonio Brown’s averages are not pretty against Jimmy Smith. For the second year in a row, Antonio Brown didn’t have to match up against one of the only guys that happen to be his kryptonite. He took advantage and the Ravens paid the price.