Steelers' Mike Tomlin Secures His Own Brand Of "Football Justice" In Week 5 Against Ravens John Harbaugh

The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2023 season has been a roller coaster ride. The Steelers are undefeated in the AFC North, and the defense is responsible for 16 of the 43 points the team scored against the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens. The offense has only managed to score 20+ points once, and that was against the Las Vegas Raiders. Kenny Pickett is undefeated against Lamar Jackson, and Matt Canada is somehow still employed as of Monday morning.

Steelers Legend Terry Bradshaw Threw His Last NFL Pass And His Career Away For One Last Division Title

The Steelers have been outscored by Kyle Shanahan and his coaching tree 60-13. Pittsburgh has outscored the AFC North and the Josh McDaniels-led Raiders 66-50. If you take away the 16 points the defense conjured up themselves, they are tied 50-50. Pittsburgh's offense has to improve, but long-time fans of the franchise know all too well the Steelers played this brand of football for a quarter century after Terry Bradshaw retired in 1983. It produced division titles, AFC Championship game appearances, and even a Super Bowl XXX appearance.  

Mike Tomlin met with the press after the Steelers defeated the Baltimore Ravens. Pittsburgh took advantage of eight drops, two fourth-quarter turnovers, and a blocked punt to pull off a victory. The Steelers Head Coach was relieved to get a win and had an interesting theory on how Pittsburgh was able to have so many things go right to secure victory.

“The things that we talked about leading up to the week that we had to do better in preparation,” Tomlin stated. “I felt the earnest effort in that regard and there’s football justice.”

Just a quick follow up, how exactly does football justice work, coach? Does the team that works the hardest always win? Do padded practices guarantee victory? The pool reporters at Tomlin’s press conference did not challenge the football justice reasoning or ask Coach Tomlin to expound upon the thought. Let’s explore the theory of football justice as it pertains to the Week 5 meeting between the Steelers and Ravens.

John Harbaugh Decides Not To Make It A Two Score Game Before Halftime

Harbaugh, the analytics guru, with under :30 seconds left in the half, leading 10-3, made a very curious decision. The Ravens were well within the field goal range of any mortal kicker, never mind Justin Tucker, and passed on the opportunity for three points and a 13-3 lead. The CBS broadcast team wondered aloud, with the Ravens' obvious indecision about the play call, why not call timeout? Football justice strikes at the very heart of the analytics craze in the NFL. Maybe there is something to this. 

Ravens Receivers Drop An Astounding Eight Passes

Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and Nelson Agholor were the best defensive backs not named Joey Porter Jr. on the field for Pittsburgh. The rookie Flowers was so wide open on a deep ball he didn’t bother trying to drop it. He just fell down. What did he trip over? Football justice, of course. Steelers fans could hardly anticipate that Patrick Peterson’s boast of keeping an eye on Flowers was so he didn’t trip over him running back to the line of scrimmage.

Pickett Comes Up Clutch When It Counts Most In Another Comeback Win

It is hard to imagine more adversity for Pickett than what he has faced at the hands of Canada’s play-calling. The second-year quarterback showed again that if the Steelers are within one score at the end of the game, Pickett, like his predecessor Ben Roethlisberger, has magic in his right arm. Social media rumors of a Pickett audible were debunked by SteelerNation's own Trai Essex that Pickett changed the play when he found George Pickens for a 41-yard go-ahead touchdown late in the game.

Ignoring Canada and winning a game would be sweet football justice if only it was true. Maybe Coach Tomlin is on to something here. The Steelers offense has not gained 400 total yards in one game in the last 38 tries. If the season ended today, they would secure their second division title in four years. The crowd loudly chanted to “Fire Canada,” and Pickett’s clutch throw might have saved his job. Football justice giveth and it taketh away. 

Pickett's timely pass shouldn’t matter, but if you are a gambler, odds are that Canada is still employed when the Steelers face the Rams in Week 7. Of course, now, instead of blaming Tomlin and Art Rooney II, Steeler Nation is aware of the real culprit, football justice. Thanks for explaining it to us, coach.

What do you think, Steeler Nation? Are you buying into football justice or are you just happy with first place in the AFC North? Please comment below or on my Twitter/X: @thebubbasq.

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