2021 Steelers Season Recall: Harbaugh greed gifts the Steelers a much-needed home win
Steel City Underground presents our 2021 Steelers Recall: a look back at Pittsburgh Steelers games and storylines from last season.
After the previous week’s performance, no one could tell what to expect form Week 13’s rivalry game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens.
Typically, games between these two teams have been nail-biters and must-watch TV during the NFL regular season, but there was skepticism, as the Steelers had dropped 41 points in each of their last two outings, against the Chargers and Bengals. They tied the winless Detroit Lions and were a controversial taunting penalty away from losing to the Chicago Bears too.
In those last four games, the Steelers defense had collectively given up 136, 229, 159, and 198 rushing yards, as they matched up against the league’s top rushing offense of the last few seasons in the Ravens.
Ben Roethlisberger also had a rough outing one week earlier, and pregame speculation further fueled the idea that Big Ben was “past his prime”.
Just ahead of the big game, the national media opted to release statements that inferred that Roethlisberger would hang up his cleats at the end of this season. Almost immediately, pundits and analysts began talking about whether the long-time franchise quarterback should have done it before this season.
No one puts Baby or Ben in a corner, apparently, as Steelers fans saw a determined Roethlisberger that Sunday afternoon. He was quick on his releases, looked comfortable in the hurry-up offense, and seemed undeterred from the goal of winning.
Neither team scored, at all, during the first quarter of the game, setting the stage for another battle between the Steelers and Ravens.
It looked like Pittsburgh might be doomed midway through the second quarter, due to injuries on the offensive line and a defense that didn’t immediately warm up on a 99-yard drive by Baltimore: that was capped by a touchdown and ate a ton of time off of the game clock. (10:27 to be exact.)
Right before halftime, Pittsburgh answered with a field goal from Chris Boswell. That kick might have been a PAT, had a pass from Ben Roethlisberger been hauled in by Diontae Johnson. The pass was a bit of an over-the-head rainbow, but it was catchable.
However, Johnson would make up for the miss in the second half of the game.
In the third quarter, the Steelers offense was able to drive the ball 78 yards down the field in four plays and score what looked to be the tying touchdown thanks to a 29-yard pass and run to a wide-open Johnson. The run-pass option worked as Roethlisberger faked the handoff to Najee Harris, pumped toward Zach Gentry, and found Johnson along the left sideline.
Following a missed Boswell PAT and a successful Justin Tucker field goal, the Steelers were able to close the game to just one point (13-12) thanks to the rushing and receiving of Najee Harris.
Johnson would help Pittsburgh persevere, first with a 29-yard touchdown reception early in the fourth quarter, and then a 25-yard reception that helped set up a successful field goal by Boswell, as the game traded leads between the Steelers (10-9) to the Ravens (13-9) and then back to the Steelers on the Boswell conversion.
It was once again thanks, in large part, to the chemistry Roethlisberger has with Johnson and Harris, that the Steelers were able to extend their lead on an 11-play, 69 yard drive.
Roethlisberger had a perfect passer rating of 158.3 while 46 of Najee Harris’ 71 yards: all in the fourth quarter. The Steelers would run for 85 total, with Benny Snell adding another 13… all of Snell’s yardage also came in the Steelers final offensive drive, which was capped off with Diontae Johnson’s game-winning touchdown catch.
The receiver made a spectacular move in order to get into the end zone for another touchdown with just 1:48 left in the final quarter. Pat Freiermuth successfully converted the two-point attempt for good measure, to take the 20-13 lead. Yet, the game was far from over.
Despite the late Steelers surge with three scores, they only clung to a seven-point lead, while Boswell had another miscue, kicking off out-of-bounds and setting the Ravens starting line of scrimmage at their own 40. The Ravens would drive 60 yards and score, leaving a tie game up to the trusty foot of arguably the best kicker in the NFL.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh decided to get greedy. The Ravens went for a two-point conversion and the win. Steelers Defensive Coordinator Keith Butler had other plans: those plans were T.J. Watt.
After being on the COVID list all week, and not practicing, Watt was activated on Saturday and eligible to suit up. What he was able to do was tremendous given he didn’t practice all week:
The Steelers linebacker would officially sack Ravens QB Lamar Jackson 3.5 times, with one of those being a strip-sack on Baltimore’s final possession of the game. Watt would officially have six QB hits, and unofficially, via Pro Football Focus, have 12 QB pressures overall. He would also be graded PFF’s highest graded Steeler this week with an 87.7.
With the miss on that conversion, the Steelers were able to take the win, 20-19, and ding a Ravens team that has been lucky to win a number of very close games to lead the AFC North entering December. It would be a sign of the times, as Pittsburgh’s playoff hopes were still very much alive, despite being in last place in the division: while the Ravens postseason outlook started to decline with each game going forward.
Next up the Steelers would have to turn around and travel again, this time on a short week, for a Thursday Night Football encounter with the Minnesota Vikings.
