The Pittsburgh Steelers were getting beaten badly for most of the first half against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5. They were benefactors of multiple drops by the Ravens' new and vaunted receiver corps of Zay Flowers, Odell Beckham Jr, Rashod Bateman, and Mark Andrews. Beckham, for his part, did not drop any passes, but left the game temporarily with an injury.
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Steelers' Larry Ogunjobi forces fumble that leads to a Chris Boswell field goal against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Steelers were somehow within one score with under :30 seconds to go in the half. The Ravens gave away at least two touchdowns in the first half by not holding onto the ball. It is hard to fathom Matt Canada’s offense coming back from a 14-17 point lead, and thanks to the Ravens receivers and a decision by John Harbaugh late in the half, they did not have to try.
That's a MIND-BOGGLING decision by John Harbaugh to go for it there on fourth down. #Ravens
— Bobby Trosset (@bobbybaltimoree) October 8, 2023
During Monday’s episode of Footbahlin With Ben Roethlisberger, the future Hall of Fame quarterback analyzed the questionable decision by Baltimore. Steelers versus Ravens are historically close games, so the decision to forego points at the end of the half to make it a two-score game bears further scrutiny. Pittsburgh's legendary signal-caller chimed in with his two cents.
“At the end of the half, I don’t know what in the world Lamar [Jackson] was doing, or the Ravens were doing,” Roethlisberger said. “Looking at what John Harbaugh looked like when that play happened, he was doing one of these [Roethlisberger gestures].”
Footbahlin With Ben Roethlisberger
Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger imitates John Harbaugh's reaction to a fourth down play late in the half.
The Ravens were well within Justin Tucker’s field goal range at the Pittsburgh 31-yard line. As bad as the Steelers had played, they were still within just one score with very little time remaining in the half. The decision to line up on fourth down seemed risky, Roethlisberger implied snapping the ball might not have been the actual plan.
"I think it was a no play," Roethlisberger continued. "I think it was like, we are going to draw them offsides. If they jump, free play or first down, we get to keep going. Because if you look at it, Lamar did the leg and the center did the head bob. Lamar moved the back away from TJ [Watt], there we go. Then he did the leg and the center did his head thing and when he came up, somebody from the Steelers not close to the neutral zone definitely took a step. We used to allow [Maurkice] Pouncey to do that if we tried to draw them offsides, if he saw someone jumped in the neutral zone, he would snap it."
It is possible that Tyler Linderbaum misread the movement and snapped the ball, thinking that a Steelers player had jumped offsides. If so, it was obviously a mistake because no penalty flag followed on the play. Roethlisberger continued with what he thought may have happened.
"I don't know if that center thought he saw movement and thought he was offsides, so he snapped it," Roethlisberger observed. "The back tried to come across late for TJ and Lamar rolls out. When you watch Harbaugh and his reaction, I don't think that was planned. It stinks when you are a quarterback and the center snaps it. Every once in a while, whether the guy jumped and got back and the ref didn't call it, now it's not a free play."
Steelers Took Advantage Of Ravens Mistakes
The Ravens offense made plenty of mistakes against the Steelers and there was plenty of blame to go around. Harbaugh's decision to line up with a timeout remaining and a running clock to draw the Steelers offsides is a much more likely scenario than switching protection away from TJ Watt on a crucial pass play. Baltimore for whatever reason made a mistake and did snap the ball and it cost them three crucial points in the process.
Gene Puskar / ap Photo
Steelers defenders pile onto Lamar Jackson during 17-10 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
Pittsburgh has now beaten a Jackson-led Baltimore squad four consecutive times. The Steelers are in first play in the AFC North, and the Ravens are licking their wounds on the way to jolly old England. Pittsburgh has 99 problems to address during the bye week, but a loss to the Ravens isn't one.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Do you think Harbaugh intended for Jackson to run a play, or is Roethlisberger right and Linderbaum made a mistake? Please comment below or on my Twitter/X: @thebubbasq.
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