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Steelers-Ravens Recap: The Day the "Other Guys" Became The Guys

Yinzer Crazy • November 2, 2020
On Sunday the Pittsburgh Steelers remained the only unbeaten team in the NFL by winning in dramatic fashion against their hated rival the Baltimore Ravens.

We wrote last week that unlike the match-up against the Browns, this game should actually be considered a rivalry given the history of even play.

Since 1999, the two teams have now faced off 47 times including the playoffs.

The Steelers now hold the edge with 24 wins after yesterday’s clipping of the Ravens wings.

The contest had all the classic components of a Steelers-Ravens clash.

Swirling winds and heavy rain at times.

Naturally.

A scuffle on the sideline where a referee was smacked and a player was subseuently ejected.

Of course. 

The fate of the game hinging on the very last play. 

You know it. 

All of it culminated in a 28-24 Steelers victory.

And a few heart attacks for fans along the way.

If you don’t believe the boys from the Burgh' are the best team in the NFL at this point, you either have some type of vendetta against the Black and Gold, or your name is Colin Cowherd (Cowherd predicted the Ravens to go 16-0 and the Steelers to finish 7-9).

I personally thought the stars were aligned for Baltimore.

They were well-rested, coming off of a bye week. 

Head Coach John Harbaugh is 10-2 in his career after a bye.

The game was in their stadium - a place where they went 7-1 last season. 

And the Steelers just a week prior had just been in a hard-hitting, emotional battle with the undefeated Tennessee Titans on the road in a hostile environment.

But the resiliency of this 2020 Steelers unit is profound. 

This team has an “us against the world mentality.”

The operative word there being “team.”

Because it really took the whole unit on Sunday - as you can see in running-back James Conner’s tweet at the top of this story.

Our Monday piece is typically titled “The Good, the Bad & The Ugly” - but I wanted to switch it up today and talk about the role players who stepped to the plate yesterday with two outs and two strikes and knocked it out of the park.

Names like Highsmith, Layne, Buggs and even Berry.

Sounds a bit like a Beatles hit-list (more bug references to follow).

But it was the Steelers who would “come together”, and show why Football really is the greatest team game in the world.

Let's start with Alex Highsmith. Who made the game-turning play of the contest.

The Ravens had the ball leading 17-7 early in the 3rd quarter when the rookie linebacker made his mark forever in this rivalry.

He made a great read in coverage on a roll-out, floating pass from Ravens Quarterback Lamar Jackson intended for tight-end Mark Andrews and ultimately came down with the inteception - giving the Steelers the ball on the Ravens 21 yard line.

It led to a quick score from Ben Roethlisberger to our own tight-end Eric Ebron, to cut the lead to 17-14 and help swing the momentum fully back to the good side.

We wrote in our game-preview that one of the biggest match-up nightmares entering this contest would be Andrews, one of best in the league, against this group of Steelers linebackers who have struggled against the tight-end position at times. 

Andrews only had three catches for 32 yards and no touchdowns.

He had five entering the game.

And then there’s cornerback Justin Layne.

Layne, the team's third round pick out of Michigan State in 2019, hadn’t seen much action the past season-plus. 

But he was out there in an enormous situation last weekend against the Titans - shadowing star wide-out AJ Brown on Tennessee's final drive, and limiting him without a catch on that possession. 

That must have helped to instill confidence in the former Spartan within the coaching staff, as he played more snaps than he’s seen before with corner Mike Hilton out.

Layne was targeted multiple times on the Ravens final drive - including the final pass break up on Willie Snead that helped seal the deal.

I turned 31 yesterday - and it was fitting because I noticed 31 all over the field.

Defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs won’t have such a rosy report card.

After defensive-tackle Tyson Alualu left the game early with knee injury, Buggs was forced right into the thick of things.

Alualu has been in the conversation for Steelers MVP this year - as he is currently Pro-Football Focus's fourth highest rated defender in the entire league.

Buggs however, is inexperienced and represented a significant drop-off in run-stuffling ability.

The Ravens attacked him early and often and had a boatload of success - rushing for over 200 yards in the contest.

But facing a fourth and three from the Steelers eight yard line with just two minutes left with the Ravens down four - it was Buggs who made maybe the biggest play of the game.

He stuffed the dynamic Lamar Jackson on a designed run and also forced a fumble, but most importantly helped create the turnover on downs that took the wind out of the Baltimore sails. 

I won’t bug you with an insect pun, however - it was a tremendous recovery for a player who had been exposed for most of the contest. 

Redemption is sweet.

And for punter Jordan Berry that also holds true.

Here are some tweets about Jordan Berry from Steelers twitter throughout the game,

Liam
@Liam_Pagan_
·20 hours ago
Bro. Why did we bring back Jordan Berry


Jeff Hartman
@JHartman_PIT
·20 hours ago
This just in: Jordan Berry still sucks. #Steelers


Justin
@_best_smart
·20 hours ago
jordan berry more like jordan barely kicked it 30 yards

I appreciate the dad joke from Justin. That's strong work.

Although these tweets are quite harsh - I don’t fully disagree.

We even tweeted ourselves,

19 hours ago
@yinzercrazyshow

Keys for #Steelers in 2nd half, - Hand it to Claypool on a few misdirection runs, see if you can hit them for a big play. Ben needs some easy throws on the first drive to get him back into rhythm. Few crossers, slants. Let anyone else on the team Punt.

We’re fortunate they didn’t listen to our advice.

Berry had what will go down as the most under appreciated play of the game.

With the Steelers punting from close to their own end-zone following a three and out after stopping Jackson on the aforementioned fourth and two, Berry boomed a 48 yarder in the wind and rain with that pinned Baltimore back at their own 37.

The punt hung in the air long enough that the Ravens were forced to call a fair catch.

They had just 52 seconds and no time-outs to work with following the big punt.

And they came up just 23 yards short of the end-zone on their attempt at a game-winning touchdown drive.

If Berry’s punt had gone just a handful of yards shorter, or was returnable - we could be talking about the Steelers at 6-1 today and the Ravens regaining control of the AFC North.

But as you have it - it’s the Steelers who are in the pole position for the AFC North crown.

Thanks to an unheralded bunch - that deserves a ton of credit. 

And a defense that swarmed Jackson like bees. We can call them the no fly zone. 

The Steelers have significantly minimized the impact of Jackson the two times they have faced him.

He has thrown five interceptions, to only four touchdowns - including four turnovers yesterday. 

A career-high.

In what will always be a career high-light for the likes of Layne, Buggs, and Highsmith.











Story by Mike Nicastro - Bug Aficionado and Happy Man after a Steelers win on his day of birth.

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