The Ravens got back on track Sunday with a critical 21-14 victory over the rival Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium. The win snapped a four-game losing streak and put the Ravens in first place of the AFC North.
While the Ravens to must quickly shift their focus ahead to Thursday’s game against the Cleveland Browns, we have time to go back to take a deeper look at the win over Pittsburgh.
Let’s examine some of the game film to see what you may have missed in the AFC North showdown. (All of these plays were viewed using NFL Game Pass, which is available for fans to purchase.)
Jernigan An Active Difference Maker
Defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan
has flashed in just about every game this season. He’s disruptive against the run and the pass, and he’s often active at the line of scrimmage before the snap. This play in the first quarter perfectly illustrates the impact Jernigan can make. He’s rolling around on the turf before the snap, then he takes on a double team, forces running back Le’Veon Bell to shift course and then makes the stop to force a punt.
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Suggs Still Pretty Good With One Arm
Outside linebacker Terrell Suggs has decided to play through a torn bicep for the rest of the year, and Sunday’s game was his first time back on the field since suffering the injury in Week 7. Suggs told reporters that the arm “started pretty good” despite the injury, and he had no problem stuffing this second-quarter run by Bell. Suggs blew by tight end Jesse James to meet Bell 3 yards deep in the backfield, slowing him down before a group of Ravens flew to the ball to make the tackle. The running back was also flagged for a facemask penalty as he tried to break free from Suggs’ grasp. This play is an example of how Suggs is still a playmaker, even if he’s playing with one arm.
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Pierce Manhandles Backup Center
Undrafted rookie Michael Pierce (No. 78) has been one of the biggest surprises for the Ravens this season, and the interior lineman is particularly stout against the run. The 340-pounder is tough to move at the point of attack, and he simply overpowered Steelers backup center B.J. Finney on this third-quarter run. The Steelers tried to block Pierce one-on-one, and the Ravens rookie had no problem winning that battle. Pierce is a big reason the Ravens have the second-best run defense in the league.
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Young Runs Step-For-Step With Brown
There aren’t many people in the NFL who can keep up with Antonio Brown, but Ravens rookie cornerback Tavon Young had a great day against the All-Pro receiver. On the play below, Young runs step-for-step with Brown (they are at the top of the screen), and the pass from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger falls incomplete. Plays like this were the reason Head Coach John Harbaugh gave Young the game ball after the victory.
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Yanda Blocks With No Helmet
Ravens right guard Marshal Yanda is known as one of the toughest players in the locker room – he did voluntarily get tased in the locker room for a few hundred bucks – and he showed that toughness on this play as he continued blocking without a helmet. The defender popped of Yanda’s helmet by shoving a hand to his face, but the right guard stuck with the play until he heard the whistle.
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