The Ravens and Steelers have played many close games in recent years, but Saturday’s wild-card game in Baltimore is unlikely to be one of those games.
Lamar Jackson threw two touchdowns and Derrick Henry scored another, but the Steelers gained just 59 yards in the first 30 minutes of the game. This gives the Ravens a 21-0 lead and is a steep mountain for the Steelers to climb if they want to continue their season.
The Ravens drove 95 yards for a touchdown on their first possession, then had a 13-play touchdown drive that featured only running plays against an overwhelmed Steelers defense. . After being forced to punt on the two-minute warning, the Ravens made two more runs and took a timeout before the Steelers had a third down. It looked like the Ravens would be content with a two-point lead and run out the clock, but after intermission they put the ball back in the air and Jackson completed six consecutive passes to extend the lead to 21 points.
Jackson completed 13-of-15 for 144 yards and ran 11 times for 64 yards. Henry had 13 carries for 100 yards in his playoff debut with the Ravens, and the Steelers’ attempts to slow them down were helped by defensive end Cam Heyward’s injury exit just before halftime. You probably won’t be able to do it.
Their offense hasn’t gotten any better, and it’s fair to wonder what will change for Pittsburgh if the second half plays out the same way. This was their fifth consecutive loss, and the offensive line went into silence mode throughout the game.
