Ravens' Roquan Smith Takes Direct Dig At Steelers As Pittsburgh Heads On Vacation

The Pittsburgh Steelers were simply out-matched against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday evening. There was very little belief almost immediately that Mike Tomlin's team could end up finding a way to compete and win the game. Losing 21-0 by halftime, it was going to take a miracle for the tides to turn, and they didn't. This will leave another long offseason for an organization and fan base that have been starved of a playoff victory dating back to the beginning of the 2017 campaign. Change is necessary and, in the coming weeks, there should be some answers to some pressing questions.

There's not much of a worse feeling than falling to a division rival in the playoffs. The Steelers will head into the offseason with serious questions about a quarterback situation that is in flux, defense that can't find a way to be consistent against good offenses, and personnel altogether. Pittsburgh has to look itself in the mirror and consider some drastic changes that are not characteristic for the organization,

Meanwhile, the Ravens are doing just fine after beating the Steelers for the second time in less than a month. Patrick Queen decided to come to the Steel City in an effort to be on the strong side of the rivalry, but the last two contests could have him wishing that he attempted to stay in Baltimore. His former partner-in-crime, Roquan Smith, is wishing the Steelers' entire roster well, sarcastically, as the offseason clock begins.

One has the right to talk the talk if he walks the walk, and Smith's Ravens sure did that on Saturday evening. No one is talking about how Pittsburgh had previously dominated Baltimore of late, and that's because one team is moving onto the Divisional Round, and one is not. It's clear that the Steelers are going to have a tough time keeping up with the Ravens moving forward, especially what has happened in the teams' last two contests.

There is going to have to be a lot of soul-searching in the Steel City, and it makes it even worse that the team has to head into the offseason after a postseason loss at the hands of the Ravens. The rivalry is sacred and Pittsburgh completely dropped the ball in the span of just about 21 days. Smith has the right to call out his opponent, and it can't even be used as bulletin board material with the Steelers next meaningful game nine months away.

Fans have the right to be furious and demand change after yet another unfortunate effort from Tomlin's team in the playoffs. There is going to have to be some kind of significant move made to send a message to the black and gold faithful that winning still is at the top of the priority list in Pittsburgh. Regardless of what the national media says, Tomlin's message is stale, and it's not getting any better as each year passes. Non-losing seasons are no longer good enough.

Steelers Are Stuck In A Very Tough Spot Known As Football Purgatory

Pittsburgh is good enough to make the playoffs most seasons. The talent and roster construction is there overall, but the group is not great enough to win a championship. This leads to appearances in the postseason, draft picks in the backend of rounds, and no real plan forward. There are so many holes on the roster and while the Ravens enjoy preparation for another meaningful contest, the Steelers need to get to work on how to fix almost everything.

Do you think that the Steelers needs to completely change the roster and coaching staff? Let us know in the comments below!

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