PITTSBURGH — The Steelers offense was, well, awful on Wednesday in a 19-14 win over the Ravens, especially given all the shortcomings of the Ravens defense. The Steelers couldn't run the ball, they couldn't catch the ball (nine dropped passes by my count), couldn't convert tough first downs and scored a grand total of one offensive touchdown.
But it didn't matter, as the Steelers still won the game thanks to a defense that seemed to get better — and hungrier — as the game wore on. The key in this game, given all that happened, was to get the win. The win matters, the style points do not, and that defense made sure that the Steelers got the win.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was not quite as complimentary of his defense or his team in general. He said they were fortunate to win and that their biggest problem was "us sucking."
"To be bluntly honest, I'm really disappointed in our performance tonight," Tomlin said. "We did enough to win but that's all. It was junior varsity, in all three phases. ... We gave up too many big plays in critical situations, it is unacceptable. We're fortunate tonight. It's good to proceed with the victory, but not a lot to be proud of other than that."
Tomlin's assessment of his team was tough but fair, though I disagree that his defense was JV. The Steelers got beat deep late for a 70-yard touchdown pass and gave up a long run on a third down before the half. That was about the only really big plays they gave up.
It was a big win for the Steelers because it eliminated the Ravens from the AFC North title chase and put the Steelers one step closer towards clinching a playoff spot. The Steelers defense has been difficult for opponents to handle, and that isn't likely to change any time soon as they seem to be getting better every week.
There is one concern for the defense and that is the health of Bud Dupree, and initial reports are not good at all. Dupree was rushing the passer late in the game and it appeared his knee just sort of gave out and he fell to the ground.
Dupree limped off and then hobbled back to the tunnel and didn't return. There was no update on Dupree's condition officially from Tomlin. However, multiple reports hit Twitter that Dupree likely has a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season. If true, it is a devastating blow to the Steelers defense, as he was in the midst of an excellent season.
But that storyline about Dupree's injury will play out over the next few days and happened late in the game, so it really wasn't relevant to the outcome against the Ravens. The Steelers limited the Ravens to 10 first downs and 219 total yards. The defense also forced two turnovers, had three sacks and scored a touchdown.
Yes, I know the Ravens were missing a bunch of players on offense, so it wasn't exactly a juggernaut the Steelers defense was charged with stopping. The Ravens at times stopped themselves and at times looked like they would struggle to score a touchdown even if the Steelers took their defense off the field.
Still, if the Steelers defense played as poorly as the offense, the Steelers would have lost. The Steelers gave up a long touchdown late to Hollywood Brown, but other than that, the defense was every bit as snarling as advertised when it needed to be.
The defense actually set the tone early in the game after the Steelers failed to score on a fourth-and-goal situation. The Ravens had some momentum and energy after getting the stop, but Joe Haden jumped in front of a pass from Robert Griffin III and returned it 14 yards for a touchdown and a 6-0 lead.
The Steelers also made a huge defensive stand on their goal line just before the half. The Ravens were on the verge of scoring and taking a lead at the half, but the Steelers got stops on second and third down as time expired.
Big plays by the defense were the key to the Steelers' win.
And to nobody's surprise, it was T.J. Watt that shined the brightest. I know there are some people who aren't sold that he is the Defensive Player of the Year in the NFL. I'm sure there are some other great players out there, but I can't imagine there are any playing at a higher level than Watt is right now.
And more important than just his numbers — he had seven tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss and three quarterback hits — is his impact on every play. Teams must account for him, and even though they do, he seems to have a hand in disrupting play after play. Watt is absolutely the team's defensive MVP and one of the best football players in the NFL.
The Steelers also got big plays from Haden, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Cam Heyward, which is what you would expect given those are four of their best players.
The loss of Dupree hurts the defense's long-term prospects, but the unit still has enough star power to be dominant. It wasn't pretty Wednesday, but the defense got the job done when they needed to and slammed the door on any hopes the Ravens had of pulling off a massive upset.
