Team Grades: Ryan Mallett Leads Ravens To Upset Win Over Steelers
By Samuel Njoku
The Ravens had only two games left in the regular season. They were mathematically eliminated from the postseason and the Pittsburgh Steelers were in town with hopes of sealing a playoff berth. But Baltimore had other ideas as they upset the Steelers 20-17. The Ravens moved to (5-10) and Pittsburgh moves to (9-6) and out of the 6 seed in the AFC playoff bracket.
Offense: B+
Jimmy Clausen was playing good football. Not great football, but good enough to warrant a start for a team struggling in 2015. So when the news came that Ryan Mallett would start at QB for the Ravens, many second guessed the decision.
Then the game started.
Ryan Mallett played extremely well for a player that was just signed two weeks prior. He finished the day going 28 of 41 for 274 yards and a touchdown. It wasn't necessarily the statistics that caught many by surprise, it was how comfortable he looked in the offense. It shocked Pittsburgh, too, it seems. It was clear that the Steelers planned to stop the run and dare Mallett to beat them. But following the first series, Baltimore decided not to play into Pittsburgh's hands and had their quarterback cut loose. Even though Aiken led the team in receptions, Mallett was able to spread the ball to 7 different targets.
The Ravens wanted to give him these last two games to audition for the Ravens backup role and he nailed his first opportunity. Buck Allen had an opportunity of his own on Sunday. After being benched the week before due to fumbling issues, Allen was eager to make amends. He did just that as he finished with 79 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown. West carried the ball himself in relief 13 times for 42 yards. Pittsburgh clearly went into this game hoping to stop the run, but with Mallett becoming a much bigger threat than they realized, West and Allen were able to take advantage
Defense: A
The Ravens may not have technically deserved an A for their defenses performance, but if you hold the Steelers to 17 points with the talent they have on the field, anything less than an A is unfair. Where have these guys been all season. They were all over the Steelers receivers on Sunday. The pass rush was average, nothing to spectacular to warrant poor trows from Roethlisberger. But the defense was still able to grab a pair of interceptions. Big Ben only had 215 yards, less than Mallett, but to be fair the Ravens secondary was flagged for a number of PI penalties.
Roethlisberger may not have had much success getting the football into the end zone, but DeAngelo Williams had no such problems. He finished with exactly 100 yards and 2 touchdowns. Both scores are a product of the pass interference penalties that started the Steelers offense at the 1 yard line.
Special Teams: B
Pro Bowl Punter Sam Koch showed why he was selected with very well placed punts to keep the Steelers away from Ravens territory. Justin Tucker routinely placed Pittsburgh on the 20 with kickoffs going for touchbacks. His two field goal kicks in the second quarter were huge as the game was only decided by 3 point—a reoccurring theme in this heated rivalry.
Coaching: A
The Ravens' nod to Ryan Mallett was a gutsy one, considering how well Clausen has played over the past two weeks. But the decision to test him out ended up being the catalyst for a huge Ravens win. Baltimore may not have a postseason to look forward to, but the Pittsburgh sweep gives fans something fun to remember in 2015.
The final game of the season will be in Cincinnati as the Bengals look to capture home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Could Baltimore play the role of spoiler for the second straight week?
Samuel Njoku was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and is a graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Samuel has covered the Ravens for Examiner.com since 2010. Prior to 2010, Samuel was an avid blogger and radio personality in Salisbury, MD. Samuel Njoku is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @Ravens_Examiner.