Steelers Report Card: Game 9 vs. Ravens
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QUARTERBACKS B+
Ben Roethlisberger came back from a shaky start to complete 7 of 11 passes for 124 yards and a pair of late scores to overcome a 10-point deficit. Unlike the way he had performed during the four-game winning streak, Roethlisberger looked unsure in the first half when he complete just 7 of 15 passes for 115 yards. An interception in the red zone on the first possession of the second half almost changed the momentum.
RUNNING BACKS C
Rashard Mendenhall didn't get a lot of carries, but was effective when he did, especially in the second half. He gained 29 yards on his first six carries, including a 1-yard TD run. The Steelers rushed for only 26 yards on eight carries in the first half, but came out in the second half with three consecutive runs by Mendenhall for 13 yards and he had 32 yards rushing on six carries in the third quarter.
WIDE RECEIVERS B
Already without Emmanuel Sanders, the Steelers lost Hines Ward (stinger) and Arnaz Battle (hamstring) in the first 20 minutes, leaving them with just three wide receivers. Antonio Brown had two catches for 52 yards in the first half, including a 32-yarder to set up a field goal. Mike Wallace did not have a catch in the first half, but he had a big catch -- a 25-yarder for the go-ahead TD late in the fourth.
OFFENSIVE LINE B-
Actually, the line did a decent job in run blocking and Roethlisberger was sacked just once in the first half. The running game showed life in the second half, especially Mendenhall. But the Steelers didn't stick with it enough once they took the lead in the fourth quarter. The Steelers didn't utilize Mendenhall enough when they needed to control the clock and run out the time against the Ravens.
DEFENSIVE LINE C+
It looked like a repeat of the last game when Ray Rice ran 76 yards for an apparent TD on the first play, but the play was negated by a holding penalty. Otherwise, the Ravens rushed for just 37 yards on 17 carries in the first half and finished with 67 yards on 27 carries. And the line did a good job stuffing two runs from the 1 on the opening series, forcing the Ravens to settle for a field goal.
First Published November 7, 2011 12:44 am
