As the men inside the locker room at Rooney Sports Complex awaited news on Ryan Shazier's back injury the past two days, they prepared to face another physical divisional opponent.
The Steelers' defense, which seemed to always provide a lift when the offense struggled, is now without its only two regular players who have been selected to a Pro Bowl: Shazier and Joe Haden. Haden's replacement, Coty Sensabaugh, struggled mightily before he was benched in the 23-20 win over the Bengals on Monday night.
Meanwhile, Cam Heyward said there's simply no replacing what Shazier brings physically, mentally and emotionally at inside linebacker. Logic would lead one to think the health of the defense would put pressure on the offense to produce more against the Ravens on Sunday at Heinz Field.
However, that's not the case.
"We know we can't possibly be perfect," Maurkice Pouncey told DKPittsburghSports.com Thursday afternoon. "There's no way. It's football, bro. The guy that’s coming in there for whoever is hurt has to play just as good, if not better."
Perfect, no, but perhaps the margin for error is more slim considering what was lost. Shazier, a 25-year-old former first-round pick, is the quarterback of the Steelers' defense. Not only does he lead the team in tackles, interceptions and passes defensed, but he's the man tasked with making pre-snap adjustments.
Sure, he's not perfect, either, but the impact of his loss was significant against the Bengals, when his dynamic speed was unable to account for any holes in the defense. Cincinnati ran for 130 yards on 22 carries, and Andy Dalton completed 21 of 36 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns.
The Ravens' offense will surely attack the Steelers' secondary, especially after what A.J. Green did against Sensabaugh at Paul Brown Stadium. Although the Bengals had only one reception of 25 or more yards, the defense had struggled allowing splash plays over the past month.
But the Steelers still rank fourth in total defense, fifth in scoring defense and second in sacks. The unit has bailed out the offense when it's dealt with bouts of ineffectiveness in the red zone or even turnovers, particularly Ben Roethlisberger's 13 interceptions.
Of course, the offense responded with 20 second-half points against the Bengals to complete yet another fourth-quarter comeback win. Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown both surpassed 100 receiving yards. Roethlisberger completed 24 of 40 passes for 290 yards and two touchdowns.
"They stuck together. They relied on one another," Mike Tomlin said Tuesday. "Obviously, it was not perfect by any stretch but the resolve of the group was very evident. Proud of them for that. Hopefully we can learn from those experiences and utilize those experiences to strengthen us this week. Face battles that we know lie ahead and really have a big one this week in the form of AFC North football."
The Ravens rank seventh in total defense, third against the pass and lead the NFL with 29 turnovers forced. Additionally, they have scored seven touchdowns when their offense is not on the field.
They're also closer to full strength with nose tackle Brandon Williams back from a foot injury. Williams did not play when Bell ran for 144 yards and two touchdowns in the Steelers' 26-9 win over the Ravens in Week 4. They will, however, be missing cornerback Jimmy Smith, who was placed on injured reserve earlier this week and also hit with a four-game PED suspension.
But the Ravens are allowing only 5.55 yards per pass attempt and have 33 sacks, including 10 1/2 by Terrell Suggs.
The offense seems to be more concerned with its own issues, rather than looking at what could ail the defense against the Ravens, who are on a three-game winning streak.
"We go out every week to play our best," Todd Haley said. "We prepare that way. Our expectations are that, so that's no different for us. We have to go out and try to play our best game. Against this group, like I said, they’re very good on defense. … For us, it starts with protecting the football and playing our best game."
They'll enter Sunday with confidence, yet remain concerned about needing another comeback to stretch their winning streak to eight games. The emphasis is on avoiding turnovers, particularly against this defense. That's nothing new.
Neither is playing without a key member of the offense. JuJu Smith-Schuster is suspended for his block on Vontaze Burfict, thrusting Justin Hunter, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Eli Rogers into more prominent roles.
Their approach is the same as that deployed by the defense: Whoever plays must perform as well or better than the starter who is out. Yes, the mood in the locker room includes frustration and concern, but Tomlin is emphasizing the transition from a physical, emotionally-draining win to another divisional opponent.
For the offense, that does not include any added pressure.
"We're not feeling pressure at all," said Vance McDonald, who is expected to be back in the lineup for this game after sitting out the past three weeks with an ankle injury. "Last game is a testament to that. We never lose hope or faith regardless of youth or inexperience. If No. 1 isn’t playing, the next guy has to step up and make plays. That’s what we expect."