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Ravens vs. Steelers report card
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Before I get to my report card, I just wanted to say how impressed I was with Ben Roethlisberger for much of Sunday. I usually think he is very overrated, and he did make some of his usual dumb plays, but he had an outstanding fourth quarter and made things happen with a lot of pressure in his face. The Steelers did benefit from a gift call, but I was surprised they were able to come out of M&T Bank Stadium with a win. I have to give them props for going into the toughest stadium INFL with a very rowdy crowd and taking the AFC North crown.
As far as the officiating, it left a lot to be desired. The short-yardage play where the Steelers were awarded the first down and were short by half a yard was awful. How that wasn't overturned, nobody could say. It was also sad when the referee didn't even know the rule on the game-winning touchdown. It doesn't matter if the receivers feet came down in the end zone or not, the ball has to touch or cross the plane. For a call to be overturned, there must be indisputable evidence. Whatever the ruling on the field, whether it was a catch or not, it should not have been overturned. Absolutely terrible. The Ravens have had some tough luck with the referees this year.
Quarterbacks: D
Joe Flacco was pretty terrible all day and the biggest reason the Ravens lost. He missed on a number of opportunities and held onto the ball too long on other occasions. The blame isn't on the offensive line, which gave him plenty of time throw most of the afternoon.
Running backs: C+
Without Ray Rice, it was up to Le'Ron McClain and Willis McGahee to carry the load. McClain had a pretty good game and started to get going in the second half, but he dropped a critical pass when the Ravens were in the red zone. McGahee was pretty much a non-factor.
Wide receivers: C
This group didn't have a great day. Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton had trouble getting open and weren't thrown catchable balls when they did find some space. Todd Heap had a big completion go through his hands early in the game that could have put the Ravens at least in field goal position.
Offensive line: B
I thought the offensive line did a pretty good job. They started creating a decent amount of running room in the second half and gave Flacco plenty of time to throw the ball. They did a good job picking up Pittsburgh's pressure.
Defensive line: C+
The Ravens did a good job of getting pressure on the quarterback but had trouble finishing the play. For the most part, this group shut down the running game. However, they struggled to get after Big Ben on the final drive when it counted the most.
Linebackers: B
This group had a pretty good day. Ray Lewis was everywhere, but he did miss two tackles on two separate running plays. However, he also drew two holding calls. Bart Scott played like a man on a mission. It was arguably his best game of the year. That dude was everywhere.
Secondary: C-
The secondary played great until the fourth quarter, when they just seemed to fall apart. Some of that had to do with all the time Roethlisberger had to throw the ball, but there were some breakdowns as well. Fabian Washington was outstanding but spent much of the second half on the sidelines with a hamstring injury. When he went out, the unit seemed to fall apart.
Special teams: B+
Good day for the special teams. Matt Stover made all of his field goals, Sam Koch pinned the Steelers deep in their own end several times and Jim Leonhard was a major factor on punt returns. I really like him back there.
Coaching: D+
For the first time this year, I hate the offensive gameplan. The Ravens were way too conservative early in the game and allowed the Steelers to hang around. They also didn't attack the middle of the field with any slants, something Hines Ward did several times for big gains. As for the defense, Rex Ryan seemed to call off the dogs a little bit in the fourth quarter, and the lack of pressure allowed the Steelers to roll down the field.
For more info: Check back later for more on the game.
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