Jamison HensleyESPN staff writer4 minutes of reading
DJ Watt comes up big on defense with a late fumble recovery and a sack
DJ Watt recovers a fumble on a drive and ends the Ravens’ hopes on the next possession with a sack on fourth down.
PITTSBURGH — Many Baltimore Ravens players, including quarterback Lamar Jackson, sat in disbelief at their lockers after Sunday’s 17-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Ravens talked about the need to fix their mistakes, which included three turnovers, five dropped passes, a blocked punt for a safety and a miscommunication late in the first half that eliminated a field goal opportunity.
“It’s almost like a sleeping giant, man,” Ravens tight end Mark Andrews said. “We should wake up.”
Instead of a win that would allow the Ravens to sweep all of their AFC North road games this season, Baltimore (3-2) is now tied for first place with the Steelers.
Coach John Harbaugh said the Ravens showed how uncoordinated they were at the end of the first half when a “miscommunication” cost them a 40-yard field goal. Baltimore looked to run down the clock in the final minute before kicking a field goal, but center Tyler Linderbaum accidentally snapped the ball when he saw a Steelers defender jump offsides. A surprised Jackson threw an incomplete pass on fourth down, and the Ravens led 10-3 at halftime.
“Really, it’s on me to understand the situation and make sure he crosses the ball before I get the ball,” Linderbaum said. “It was my fault that our team got into a bad situation.
Baltimore couldn’t catch the ball and gave up points on the field. The Ravens dropped five passes, the most in a game since 2021. Wide receiver Rashod Bateman failed to catch a third-down pass in the end zone in the second quarter.
“That stuff can’t be infectious,” Andrews said. “If one [drop] Whatever happens, [we have to] Move on to the next play. We must be better. Obviously, Lamar puts the ball where it needs to be and we have to be there for him and make plays. We do that and we win this game.”
In the fourth quarter, Jackson threw an interception in the end zone and fumbled while being sacked, his seventh fumble of the season.
“Well, we emphasize that every day in practice and we’ll continue to work to do that,” Harbaugh said of the turnover. “There’s a lot that goes into it. Obviously, you have a great pass rush out there, they bring the heat in those situations, and [we’re] We try to make plays and do what we need to do. So, it’s definitely something we’ll be chasing going forward. It’s not something we want to do. It makes a difference in sports, there’s no doubt about it.”
Jackson is now 1-3 against the Steelers, the only team he has thrown more interceptions (seven) than touchdown passes (four).
Jackson was asked if the Ravens gave the game to the Steelers.
“I hope so,” Jackson said. “We don’t want to, but [we had] Minor accidents. We are right there. We have [the Steelers] ft. [On] Offense, we need to find our groove; We didn’t find it. The defense played great — kept making stops, giving us chances. We have to do what we do [and] Complete the drives.”
