Russell Wilson’s Blunder Keeps Pittsburgh Steelers AFC North Crown in Jeopardy

Russell Wilson’s mistakes vs. Ravens could loom large in Steelers’ division title quest.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are usually well-rounded enough to win games even if Wilson doesn’t play spectacularly.

That showed on Nov. 17, when Pittsburgh held off the visiting Baltimore Ravens 18-16 with first place in the AFC North on the line. 

Wilson threw for just 205 yards, was intercepted once, and never got the offense in the end zone, but Chris Boswell’s six field goals were just enough for a Pittsburgh defense that clamped down on Baltimore’s high-powered offense.

Skip ahead five weeks to Saturday’s rematch, and Wilson again was pedestrian, to put it kindly. This time that wasn’t good enough. And it may end up costing the Steelers the division.

Wilson was better against the Ravens the second time around in some ways, throwing two touchdowns and finishing with a 38.0 QBR after posting a season-low 15.2 clip in the first meeting. But with his increased production came a pair of pivotal mistakes.

The first occurred with the game tied at 7 early in the second quarter and triggered a 14-point swing.

Pittsburgh drove to Baltimore’s 23-yard line when Wilson escaped the pocket and charged toward the end zone. He seemed poised to give the Steelers the lead until Ravens safety Ar’Darius Washington forced a fumble with a jarring hit, and Baltimore recovered at its own 4. Eight plays and 96 yards later, the hosts jumped ahead 14-7.

Wilson helped Pittsburgh draw even at 17 early in the third quarter, and the Steelers were still very much in the game when Wilson and company trotted onto the field trailing 24-17 with 13:57 left in the fourth.

Then came the backbreaker. 

Wilson faked a handoff, rolled to his right and misfired on a throw in the flat that Marlon Humphrey intercepted and returned 37 yards for a crucial pick-six. Deflated, Pittsburgh did nothing on its final two drives and watched its arch rival secure a third straight playoff berth.

A Steelers win would have locked up the division, but Pittsburgh’s margin for error is now uncomfortably slim entering the final weeks of the regular season.

Both the Steelers and the Ravens are 10-5, and while Pittsburgh currently owns the tiebreaker by way of conference record, Baltimore’s final two games are a bit more favorable. The Ravens visit Houston on Wednesday before hosting Cleveland in the regular-season finale. 

Of course, neither of those games are gimmies, but Baltimore could very well take the North if it can prevail in both considering what’s on tap for the Steelers. Pittsburgh hosts 14-1 Kansas City on Wednesday and then welcomes a Cincinnati squad that challenged the Steelers in a 44-38 loss on Dec. 1.

Pittsburgh still controls its destiny in the AFC North, but it’ll be fair to look back on Saturday’s game if the Ravens come out on top. The Steelers had their chance, and they flopped—Wilson in particular.

The rematch demanded more from Wilson than the teams’ first meeting did. Pittsburgh was without top receiver George Pickens as well as three starters on defense, and star linebacker T.J. Watt was likely less than 100 percent as he played through an ankle injury.

Even with Pickens out, Wilson needed to shine because the Steelers weren’t going to overwhelm the Ravens on the ground.

Pittsburgh managed just 3.6 yards per carry against Baltimore in Week 11, and though the Steelers averaged 4.9 yards a pop on Saturday, it simply wasn’t enough to keep pace with a Ravens offense that wore down Pittsburgh’s patchwork defense.

To Wilson’s credit, he played aggressively and completed a handful of impressive throws in tight windows and on the run. He could have slid on his ill-fated scramble, but you have to respect the veteran quarterback for welcoming contact and not giving up on the play.

Wilson’s mistakes on Saturday were far too costly. Exactly how deep the impact might go is to be determined.