The Pittsburgh Steelers allowed the Baltimore Ravens to even things up atop the AFC North on Saturday as they lost on the road by a score of 34-17. Both teams are now 10-5 on the year, and the final two weeks of the season will decide the division with both teams already having punched their tickets to the postseason. The Steelers were in the game for the most part, but the Ravens were able to blow the game open late. Russell Wilson was a big reason the Steelers lost the contest, as he made two costly mistakes.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Russell Wilson looks to throw against the Ravens during a loss in Week 16 of the 2024 season.
By no means was Wilson the only reason the Steelers lost to the Ravens on Saturday, but his two turnovers are clear areas of where things went wrong for Pittsburgh. The veteran fumbled the ball near the end zone, which essentially took points off of the board for the Steelers, and he also threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. His two turnovers could have been a 14-point swing. Ravens outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy let the quarterback hear about it on X after the game.
HUNTING SEASON ‼️‼️‼️🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/hoKdCFlBY5
— Kyle Van Noy (@KVN_03) December 22, 2024
Van Noy can say anything he wants after that game. His team won, and he got to Wilson twice in the backfield and also recovered a fumble. The veteran has really revived his career in Baltimore, and he continued his career-year against Pittsburgh on Saturday. This was also a shot at Wilson's pre-game attire, as the quarterback wore bird-hunting apparel while getting on the plane to fly to Baltimore.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Russell Wilson boards the team plane wearing a bird hunting jacket before playing the Baltimore Ravens in 2024.
Steelers fans probably like the quarterback trolling the Ravens a bit before a heated rivalry game, but the result of the game wasn't ideal. Wilson played well for the most part, but his two turnovers are hard to look past. One turnover came when Wilson was running with the football.
It looked like he had a clear path to the end zone, but a Baltimore defender closed out on him and hit him which forced the fumble inside the Ravens five-yard line. Wilson should have slid and protected himself and the football, but instead the quarterback tried to get in the end zone.
The next turnover came on a bad pass. Wilson was under pressure and he rolled out and tried to hit MyCole Pruitt in the flat, but the pressure caused Wilson to throw the ball behind Pruitt. Throwing the ball behind a receiver in the flat is never a good thing to do, as Marlon Humphrey picked the ball off and had a free lane all the way to the end zone.
Other than the turnovers, Wilson threw for 217 yards and two touchdowns in the game while also rushing for 27 yards. He also took three unnecessary sacks that truly displayed how little mobility the veteran has within the pocket. Van Noy could have said whatever he wanted after this game, as he forced Wilson to play poorly on his way to securing a victory for Baltimore.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Russell Wilson drops back to make a pass against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16 of the 2024 season.
Steelers' Russell Wilson Needs To Heat Up Before The Playoffs
The Steelers have already clinched their spot in the postseason, the only thing that is up in the air is whether or not they will be playing on the road or at home during the first round. The Steelers have two tough tests ahead of them to finish the regular season as they will be hosting both the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals. Wilson needs to play better in these games in order to get his confidence up as Pittsburgh prepares to take on the gauntlet that is the NFL playoffs.
What did you think about Wilson's performance? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
