Coming off a game in which the Steelers not only lost but allowed 249 rushing yards, they went into Baltimore on Sunday looking to answer back in a big way.
The defense didn't do what they wanted in trying to stop the run, as the Ravens piled up 217 yards on he ground. But the biggest way to bounce back was to secure a win. The Steelers at least accomplished that, downing the Ravens, 27-22, at M&T Bank Stadium.
No, it wasn't the prettiest performance by the defense, but they made the plays when they needed to. That was embodied most by Alex Highsmith, who not only was arguably the best player on the defensive side of the ball, but slammed the door shut in the final seconds, sacking Lamar Jackson as the clock ticked to triple zeroes:
"I just saw chaos," Jackson said. "I tried to move as much as I could, (and I was) just trying to give my guys a shot to the end zone, but guys were in the end zone. I just didn't want to throw it to a bunch of Steelers players in the end zone. That's pointless."
Highsmith finished with a game-high seven solo tackles, three of them for losses, matching the Ravens' total TFL output for the game. He also had another quarterback hit earlier in the game, as one of the most consistent pass rushers for the Steelers.
The Steelers needed the defense to stand tall in the second half. As they had all season, the offense stalled out in the second half, especially when they had three chances in the fourth quarter to ice the game. Instead, they went three-and-out three straight times. Meanwhile, two field goals by the Ravens trimmed an 11-point lead to five.
But the defense kept making stops, including escaping a touchdown that was overturned, then standing tall on a fourth down deep in the red zone. But the player of the game making the final stand is what put the notch in the win column.
"I thought as the game got thick, you just really felt his presence," Mike Tomlin said of Highsmith after the game. "We were actually coming out of that very last timeout, and he turned around and was walking back to the bench with me. I was like, 'Alex, what are you doing? Get back in there.' I’m thankful that I did because obviously he made the play of the day."
THE ASYLUM
The Big Player: Highsmith slams door shut
Coming off a game in which the Steelers not only lost but allowed 249 rushing yards, they went into Baltimore on Sunday looking to answer back in a big way.
The defense didn't do what they wanted in trying to stop the run, as the Ravens piled up 217 yards on he ground. But the biggest way to bounce back was to secure a win. The Steelers at least accomplished that, downing the Ravens, 27-22, at M&T Bank Stadium.
No, it wasn't the prettiest performance by the defense, but they made the plays when they needed to. That was embodied most by Alex Highsmith, who not only was arguably the best player on the defensive side of the ball, but slammed the door shut in the final seconds, sacking Lamar Jackson as the clock ticked to triple zeroes:
"I just saw chaos," Jackson said. "I tried to move as much as I could, (and I was) just trying to give my guys a shot to the end zone, but guys were in the end zone. I just didn't want to throw it to a bunch of Steelers players in the end zone. That's pointless."
Highsmith finished with a game-high seven solo tackles, three of them for losses, matching the Ravens' total TFL output for the game. He also had another quarterback hit earlier in the game, as one of the most consistent pass rushers for the Steelers.
The Steelers needed the defense to stand tall in the second half. As they had all season, the offense stalled out in the second half, especially when they had three chances in the fourth quarter to ice the game. Instead, they went three-and-out three straight times. Meanwhile, two field goals by the Ravens trimmed an 11-point lead to five.
But the defense kept making stops, including escaping a touchdown that was overturned, then standing tall on a fourth down deep in the red zone. But the player of the game making the final stand is what put the notch in the win column.
"I thought as the game got thick, you just really felt his presence," Mike Tomlin said of Highsmith after the game. "We were actually coming out of that very last timeout, and he turned around and was walking back to the bench with me. I was like, 'Alex, what are you doing? Get back in there.' I’m thankful that I did because obviously he made the play of the day."
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