Take-home points from Baltimore Ravens loss to Piitsburgh Steelers

Turnovers and penalties cost the Baltimore Ravens against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Here are some key take-home points from the loss.

The Baltimore Ravens will be kicking themselves over opportunities lost in a tight, back-and-forth 28-24 loss to the division-leading Pittsburgh Steelers in a game that could cost them key position going forward.

There is a ton to unpack from this game, so let’s get going with initial thoughts.

• The Ravens had four turnovers, and each one came from last year’s MVP, quarterback Lamar Jackson. His counterpart, Ben Roethlisberger, had none. If you’re looking for an easy answer as to how the Ravens lost this game, it’s that. Take away those turnovers and Jackson combined for 273-yards and two touchdowns. It wasn’t his ability, or scheme, or anything else — it was turnovers. Plain and simple.

• On the bright side for the offensive side, the team got back to firing up the running game, and it was effective all game. The Ravens ran for 265-yards against the Steelers, and the defense held the Steelers to 48 rushing yards. Again, the Ravens let this one get away. Actually, they flat-out gave it away.

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• The injury to Ronnie Stanley could prove to be season-altering. Look for the Ravens to continue to trust more in the run game if Stanley is unavailable to pass-protect. On the good side for Stanley, it’s good he got paid if this is season-ending, so questions about his recovery wouldn’t impact his earning range next season. On the bad side for Stanley, you hate to see him get hurt. He is such a great player and reflects well on the organization as a human being. We send him our very best.

• The ejection of Matthew Judon was a little iffy to me, but I really don’t think the ref in that situation could see what was happening, except he was contacted by a large, angry individual in the heat of the battle. I hope he escapes a fine for this.

• J.K. Dobbins (113-yards on 15 carries) and Gus Edwards (87-yards on 16 carries, one touchdown) were great in Mark Ingram‘s absence. That was not the problem today. Broken record here: The problem was turnovers by #8. Dobbins and Edwards were great and did enough to help this team win.

• The defense gave up a lead, but, man, they didn’t play poorly. They were beaten by a pick-six and a short field after a second pick. Other than that, they surrendered 14 points. Know how many yards Pittsburgh had today? 221. Ben Roethlisberger had 182-yards on 32 passes — that is 5.7 yards per attempt. James Conner had 47-yards on 15 carries. The defense was not the problem today.

• Justin Tucker drilled that 51-yard field goal to end the half. Again, he reminded us he is a remarkable weapon.

• Devin Duvernay came up big with that 39-yard catch, and Willie Snead had a nice game (five catches, 106 yards). Mark Andrews and Marquise Brown combined for 35 yards. It wasn’t secondary targets giving the Ravens fits today — it was their primary guys not making an impact or handing over the ball.

• The Ravens had 110 penalty yards and four turnovers by their MVP-winning quarterback. They outgained Pittsburgh 457-221. They lost by four points.

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• Patrick Queen and Jaylon Ferguson had low-key nice games today. I felt like Ferguson was in the backfield a ton, and Queen filled running holes, either getting the tackle or forcing the runner off passer. Tyus Bowser had some nice moments, too, particularly in coverage and rushing the quarterback.

• Again, there is a lot to like from this performance. It felt, to me, like they were the better team today, outside those turnovers and penalties. Let’s buckle in for Thanksgiving.

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