Steelers blow it against Baltimore, lose 20-17

They are going to need some help to get into the postseason after falling to Baltimore 20-17 on Sunday. The host Ravens swept the season series against their division rivals.

In his Ravens’ debut, he quickly made himself at home on an undermanned offense in this fierce rivalry. They played with the same intensity that they did when they had to beat Steelers villains Ward, Troy Polamalu, Ike Taylor, Joey Porter and James Harrison when he started to win the AFC North, or to advance in the playoffs. “It’s Pittsburgh. So records, scoring, doesn’t matter how good they were playing come in”.

This would mark the first time in the Ravens’ 20-year history that they will have started four quarterbacks in a single season.

“It makes this season because obviously we can’t go to the playoffs”, Smith said.

“I felt like I was placed here by something greater [than] football”, Mallett said.

The loss ended Pittsburgh’s 10-game winning streak in December.

Considering the Steelers were essentially in a must-win situation to maintain their hold on an AFC wild-card spot, they had to have liked their odds.

“We’re capable of beating anyone, ‘” head coach Mike Tomlin said, “but we’re also capable of losing to anyone'”.

Either way, it represented a second time in the game’s opening 16 minutes where the Steelers offense had a chance to land a punch and whiffed. And we didn’t today. “We knew we had to take a couple of shots so we went outside single-upped and then the last one, kind of the same thing”. Williams put together 100 yards on the ground, six catches for 53 yards and two touchdowns. “He just slipped out on us”, ILB Ryan Shazier said of Juszczyk.

Running backs Javorius Allen and Terrance West combined to gash the Steelers for 121 rushing yards.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Markus Wheaton (11) kneels on the field after failing to catch a pass in the closing minutes of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2015.

Pittsburgh forced a punt and got the ball back with 2:55 remaining.

“That’s pretty awesome”, said Baltimore Pro Bowl guard Marshal Yanda of possibly knocking the Steelers out of the playoffs. The penalties, against Smith and Kendrick Lewis, led to a 1-yard run by Williams that cut the deficit to three points. Chris Givens, traded to Baltimore in October, had two catches for 45 yards.

Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith intercepted Ben Roethlisberger’s tipped pass and found nothing in front of him for a 101-yard touchdown return. This trend began on the very first drive of the game, one in which the offense was stalled on the Baltimore 30-yard line after a turnover on downs.

With quarterback Ben Roethlisberger rounding into form during a campaign that has seen him battle through injuries, the Steelers were flying high.

Kicker Justin Tucker proved to be a key part of the equation for the Ravens as he hit a 50 yard field goal and sank another. It marked the first time this season Baltimore got as many as 10 points on its first two possessions. Steelers FB Roosevelt Nix (right foot) left the game early in the fourth quarter and could not return.