Baltimore Ravens Continue Division Conquest with Win Over Pittsburgh Steelers

Posted on: December 12, 2022, 02:38h. 

Last updated on: December 12, 2022, 02:10h.

The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated themselves as they faced the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. The matchup was just one of several highly anticipated NFL games between rival teams over the weekend.

Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens safety Marcus Williams (32) and linebacker Roquan Smith celebrate a defensive stand against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Ravens continue their domination of the AFC North with Sunday’s win. (Image: Getty Images)

The Ravens, leaders of the AFC North, beat the Steelers, losers of the AFC North, 16-14 in Week 14 without quarterback Lamar Jackson. They won, thanks in part, to three turnovers by the Steelers and a blocked field goal.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Ravens will be without Jackson until Christmas Eve, as sprained knee ligaments will sideline him for two to three weeks. His two replacements, Tyler Huntley and Anthony Brown, didn’t disappoint in relief.

Ravens Continue to Thrive

Before the injury, Jackson had 2,242 yards with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions after completing 62.3% of his passes. On the ground, he had 764 yards and three touchdowns in 112 rushes.

Jackson’s absence didn’t go unnoticed on Sunday. But it’s obvious the Ravens have a QB squad that can maintain control. Huntley was 8/12 for 88 yards before Ravens safety Minkah Fitzpatrick delivered a huge hit that forced him to leave and enter the concussion protocol.

Brown, who came in after that third-quarter smack, was good for 3/5 and 16 yards. He was just getting his feet wet and had help carrying the team to victory, thanks to the Steelers’ weak performance.

Steelers QB Mitch Trubisky was extremely aggressive with the ball — possibly more aggressive than he had to be. He was trying too hard to earn his place after Pittsburgh lost rookie Kenny Pickett to the concussion protocol in the first quarter.

Although he repeatedly moved the offense down the field, Trubisky couldn’t complete the mission. He had an impressive 276 yards as he completed 22 of 30 passes, but added three interceptions. All three were within scoring position.

Despite being at the bottom of the division, sportsbooks thought the Steelers had a real shot at winning. However, injuries, which are beginning to mount for all teams across the league, and mistakes made it impossible.

Pittsburgh’s season is pretty much over, especially considering they have to face the Ravens once more in Week 17 in another uphill battle.

No Fin for the Dolphins

After losing last week to the Las Vegas Raiders, the LA Chargers needed to beat the Miami Dolphins on Sunday if they planned on entering the playoffs. It wasn’t going to be easy, but the defense was overwhelmingly successful, conceding just two TDs to hold back the Fins, 23-17.

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Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa had a difficult night, completing just 10 of 28 passes for 145 yards and picking up a score along the way.

On the other side, Justin Herbert was completely in charge. He gave the Chargers 367 yards off 39 completed passes out of 51. To that, he added an aerial TD as he deftly controlled his offense and the game.

Miami has had a good run until now. But Tagovailoa’s performance showed that there’s still work to do. The Dolphins face the Buffalo Bills this coming Saturday, and that’s not going to be an easy game.

The Chargers are trying for a wild-card spot, which isn’t going to come easily. The New England Patriots play the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night, and if they win, the Chargers can essentially consider their season over.