PITTSBURGH — — The Pittsburgh Steelers dusted off the rust to beat the Baltimore Ravens 19-14 on Wednesday to stay perfect this season. The game was originally scheduled for Thanksgiving Day before being moved three times due the COVID-19 spike in Baltimore’s camp.
Ben Roethlisberger threw for 266 yards on 36 of 51 completed passes with a fourth-quarter touchdown to JuJu Smith-Schuster to help the Steelers (11-0) win 11 straight games to the start the season.
Pittsburgh was no where near its best, but found a way to win again – even playing without starting running back James Conner and center Maurkice Pouncey who missed the game because of COVI-19.
The Ravens (6-5), who had over a dozen players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, played the game without several key players, including starting quarterback Lamar Jackson, the reigning NFL MVP as well as running backs Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins.
Baltimore was losing for the third straight time, which saw them losing grounds on second place Cleveland Browns in the AFC North Standings.
The Ravens struggled without the service of duel threat of quarterback Jackson, as backup quarterback Robert Griffin III struggled to control the game during possession and turned the ball it over twice in the first quarter.
Griffin III completed 7 of 12 passes for just 33 yards and one interception before being replaced midway through the fourth quarter with Trace McSorley after sustaining a left hamstring injury.
McSorley was one of the 11 Baltimore players who were promoted from the practice squad before kickoff.
The third string ended 2 of 6 on completed passes for 77 yards and a 70-yard touchdown pass to Marquise Brown with 2:58 remaining. Brown had four catches for 85 yards for the short-handed Ravens in a game that was played on a rare Wednesday afternoon.
Both teams finished the game with more injury concerns, as the Steelers lost outside linebacker Bud Dupree in the fourth quarter with an undisclosed injury and the Ravens lost cornerback Jimmy Smith, who had to leave the game with a groin injury in the first half and did not return.
Baltimore will play hosts to the Dallas Cowboys next Tuesday, on December. 8. This game was originally scheduled for this Thursday.
The Steelers, meanwhile, will entertain the Washington Football Team next Monday afternoon.
