Steelers lose composure, playoff game to Ravens
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith (82) makes a touchdown catch past Pittsburgh Steelers free safety Mike Mitchell (23) in the third quarter of an NFL wildcard playoff football game, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2015, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Don Wright)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) sits on the bench i the fourth quarter of an NFL wildcard playoff football game, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2015, in Pittsburgh against the Baltimore Ravens. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith (89) goes up for a pass behind Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Brice McCain (25) in the third quarter of an NFL wildcard playoff football game, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2015, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Don Wright)
PITTSBURGH – The Steelers began the 2014 season having issues with penalties.
But they largely fixed those issues, going from one of the most penalized teams in the league a month into the season to having just one in their regular season finale last week in a win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Saturday, however, it was penalties that helped end their season with a 30-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field in an AFC Wildcard game.
Pittsburgh committed eight penalties for 114 yards, several of which helped account for big plays for the Ravens, who had just two for 14 yards.
“Give them credit. They capitalized on our mistakes,” said Steelers nose tackle Steve McLendon. “We got penalties. We beat ourselves. There isn’t much we can say. We know we can’t get penalties.
“You know what kind of game this is going to be. You’ve just got to hold your temper. That’s for all of us. If you look at the stats, they only had 40-some rushing yards. They couldn’t run the ball. We beat ourselves with our mistakes.”
Pittsburgh committed three personal fouls, an offensive and defensive pass interference and had a touchdown late in the game negated by a holding penalty.
It all added up to a loss in a game the Steelers felt they should have won. Though Baltimore defeated Pittsburgh, 26-6, early in the season on the road, the Steelers had turned the tables on the Ravens, beating them, 43-23, in the rematch at Heinz Field at midseason.
“(It hurts) especially when you feel like you should beat them,” said Steelers linebacker Jason Worilds. “You should be able to win that game. Take nothing away from them. They came out and executed.”
As a result, it will be Baltimore moving on to face New England next weekend in the Divisional playoffs and the Steelers will head into their offseason.
“There’s some disappointment in the performance, but such is life,” said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, who had his team in the postseason for the first time in three years. “We’ll accept responsibility for that one like we have others.
“We just got beat.”
With the Steelers playing without All-Pro running back Le’Veon Bell, who had accounted for over a third of the team’s offense, Baltimore had little respect for Pittsburgh’s running game.
Though the Steelers outrushed the Ravens, 68-49, Baltimore put Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger under consistent pressure, sacking him five times and hitting him on five other occasions.
Under consistent pressure, Roethlisberger, who was briefly knocked out of the game with a neck injury in the fourth quarter, threw for 334 yards and a touchdown but also was intercepted twice, both of which came in the fourth quarter.
“They sat back in some zones and just counted on their front four or fifth guy to win, and I just didn’t make plays,” said Roethlisberger. “I didn’t play well enough to win.”
The same could not be said of Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco.
With his own running game stalled outside of a second quarter touchdown drive that accounted for 37 of the team’s 49 rushing yards – including a five-yard scoring run by Bernard Pierce – Flacco threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns.
More importantly, he did not turn the ball over.
He also made some plays that effectively broke the Steelers, none bigger than scrambling away from pressure from James Harrison in the third quarter, running to his left and finding Torrey Smith in the back of the end zone for an 11-yard TD that gave Baltimore a 20-9 lead.
“That was a great play,” conceded Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh, who had been winless in two previous playoff games at Heinz Field against the Steelers.
The Steelers looked to be out of it after that until Baltimore running back Justin Forsett lost a fumble with 11:59 remaining. Roethlisberger connected with Antonio Brown for a 44-yard gain, then threw a 6-yard TD pass to rookie Martavis Bryant that pulled the Steelers to within 20-15 following a failed two-point conversion.
The Ravens then tacked on a 52-yard Justin Tucker field goal to go up 23-15 and Roethlisberger was pressured into an interception off the hands of running back Ben Tate – signed earlier in the week to help fill in for Bell – that was grabbed by linebacker Terrell Suggs, who caught the ball between his knees.
On the next play, Flacco threw a 21-yard TD pass to reserve tight end Crockett Gilmore to put Baltimore ahead 30-15. After that, there was no doubt the Ravens were going to win, with the Steelers only tacking on a safety on a blocked punt by Shamarko Thomas in the closing minutes.
Odds and end zones
The Steelers made four trips into Baltimore territory on four first half-possessions but came away with three Shaun Suisham field goals and trailed 10-9 at the half. … Bruce Gradkowski briefly subbed for an injured Roethlisberger in the fourth quarter and completed two of three passes for 22 yards. … Brown finished with nine receptions for 117 yards. … The Steelers had 387 total yards compared to 295 for Baltimore. … Safety Troy Polamalu led the Steelers with eight tackles. … The Steelers had been 9-0 in the third meeting with an opponent before Saturday’s loss.