In their first game against the Cleveland Browns, the Pittsburgh Steelers were 0-0-1 and folks started to panic. After losses to the KC Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens, they were 1-2-1 and in last place. Now after their 20-13 win in their rematch with the Ravens, the Steelers are now 5-2-1 and remain in first place in the AFC North Division. Needless to say, there’s a lot less panic in Steeler Nation.
“Tough environment today. Obviously, the Ravens were playing with a lot of resolves.” Said Head Coach Mike Tomlin whose Steelers now won 4 in a row. “We weren’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but I just loved the spirit, the competitiveness of the group. And, I am just grateful to get out of here with a win.”
The Steelers weren’t perfect, but they’ve proven that you don’t have to be perfect to win the game, just have more wins than the other team, especially with it now being November football. So far, the Steelers are now 3-1-1 in the division and 3-2-1 in the American Football Conference (AFC) as they begin to position themselves for a playoff run.
In this game, it was once again about RB James Conner as he posted another 100-yard game, this time against the NFL’s #1 ranked defense. Conner rushed for 107 yards on 24 carries and had 56 yards on 7 receptions, which was tied for most on the team with WR Juju Smith-Shuster. Conner also had a 7-yard TD pass from QB Ben Roethlisberger to give them a 7-3 lead after Raven K Justin Tucker started the scoring with a 23-yard FG.
It’s rare that a Steelers RB can even get 100 yards on the Ravens, but after only 19 yards in their first matchup, Conner proved he could do it, and then some. “I don’t want to take anything away from James, but the big boys up front are opening up holes and so it’s a collective effort.” Said Tomlin on Conner. James Conner is going above and beyond, but I am more pleased with what he is doing in the passing game from a blitz pickup standpoint. That’s a little more unique than the rushing. We knew he could run the ball since he showed up at Pitt at 18 or 19 years old.”
Roethlisberger wasn’t too shabby either as he passed for 270 yards and 2 TDs, the one to Conner and to Brown on a 6-yard score. Big Ben also scored on a 1-yard QB sneak as he got assistance by Conner and Smith-Shuster.
The Steelers scored when they needed to, and their defense also did what they could by keeping the Ravens out of the end zone all but once in the game. They kept the pressure on QB Joe Flacco, sacking him 2 times, and keeping him from getting the ball to his receivers. “You talk about what the Ravens offense does uniquely well, they were 3rd or fourth in the red zone in the NFL.” Said Tomlin “So to hold those guys to field goals in the first half was also significant.”
After missing another extra point, Steelers K Chris Boswell connected for a 29-yarder for their final points of the game. The Ravens only TD came on a 1-yard run by RB Alex Collins.
So now the Steelers must rest quickly and turn around and face a very hot Carolina Panthers team (6-2) who beat Tampa Bay (3-5) 42-28. “We have to quickly transition to Thursday night ball and embrace that challenge.
Notes: The Ravens honored the Tree of Life Synagogue victims with a moment of silence and a banner on their scoreboards that said, “Baltimore Stands with Pittsburgh.”- “We in this NFL community, man this is a brotherhood.” Said Tomlin “We understand the roles that we play within our community and for this nation and we embrace that…We want to show respect to those who are hurting. I appreciate that from the Ravens, not that it was expected. They are a class organization.
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Pittsburgh 23, Baltimore 16
Nov. 4, 2018
Post-Game Notes
TEAM
• Pittsburgh improved to 5-2-1 in 2018 and to 3-1-1 against AFC North opponents.
• The Steelers have won each of their previous four games, dating back to Oct. 7, 2018, vs. Atlanta.
• The Steelers are now 25-21 in regular-season series history against the Ravens and 11-12 in Baltimore.
• Pittsburgh has won each of the previous two regular-season road games in the series against Baltimore (Oct. 1, 2017: 26-9).
• Pittsburgh has won each of its last six games in the month of November, dating back to Nov. 20, 2016, at Cleveland.
• The Steelers are 462-287-3 during the regular season since 1970.
• Mike Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger now have 111 regular-season wins together – the most by a Steelers Head Coach-Quarterback in team history and tied for the third-most by a HC-QB tandem in NFL history (Bill Belichick-Tom Brady: 202 (Plays on Sunday Night Football), Don Shula-Dan Marino: 116, Sean Payton-Drew Brees: 111 (Game in Progress), Chuck Noll-Terry Bradshaw: 107).
• Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown have connected on 68 touchdowns as a Quarterback-Receiver tandem, breaking a tie with Peyton Manning-Reggie Wayne for sole possession of the seventh-most touchdown connections by a Quarterback-Receiver tandem in NFL history.
Head Coach Mike Tomlin
• Improved his regular-season record to 121-62-1 since becoming the Steelers’ head coach in 2007 (54-37-1 on the road).
• Evened his regular-season record against Baltimore to 12-12 (5-7 on the road).
• Upped his record to 90-47-1 in regular-season games vs. AFC opponents (41-27-1 on the road).
• Earned his 50th regular-season win against AFC North division foes, improving to 50-20-1 against divisional opponents, (23-12-1 on the road).
• Improved to 28-17 in games during the month of November (14-9 on the road).
• Is now 91-15-1 when the Steelers hold a lead at halftime.
QB Ben Roethlisberger
• Completed 28-of-47 passes for 270 yards with two touchdowns for a passer rating of 89.8 and added a rushing touchdown.
• Improved to 140-65-1 as a starter during the regular season (64-39-1 on the road).
• Increased his Steelers franchise record for the most wins as a starting quarterback to 140 (Terry Bradshaw, 107).
• Is now 13-9 against Baltimore in the regular-season as a starter (4-6 in Baltimore).
• Became 57-18-1 in his regular-season career as a starter against AFC North teams (28-10-1 on the road).
• Increased his Steelers records for pass completions to 4,386, passing yards to 53,625 and touchdown passes to 345.
• Has thrown for 2,560 passing yards in the first eight games of the 2018 season – surpassing his previous team record of 2,380 passing yards in the first eight games of the 2014 season.
• Increased his career touchdown pass total to 345– the eighth-most touchdown passes in NFL history:
Rk. PLAYER TOUCHDOWN PASSES
6. Philip Rivers 359
7. Eli Manning 347
8. Ben Roethlisberger 345
9. Fran Tarkenton 342
10. Aaron Rodgers 326
• Threw his 15th touchdown pass of the 2018 season on his first scoring toss, extending his NFL record for the most consecutive seasons with at least 15 touchdown passes to begin a career to 15 (Peyton Manning: 13).
• Scored a touchdown on a one-yard run in the third quarter, his second of the season and the 18th of his NFL career, the third-most rushing touchdowns by a Steelers’ quarterback (Kordell Stewart, 35; Terry Bradshaw, 32).
WR Antonio Brown
• Caught five passes for 42 yards and a six-yard touchdown pass from QB Ben Roethlisberger.
• Has caught a touchdown pass in six consecutive games, extending a personal best streak, dating back to Sept. 24, 2018 at Tampa Bay.
• His six-game touchdown catch streak is tied as the second-longest in team history (Buddy Dial: 11, Ron Shanklin: 6, Buddy Dial: 6).
• Has caught nine touchdown passes in the first eight games of the 2018 season – breaking a tie with Buddy Dial (1960, 8), Jim Smith (1980, 8) and Louis Lipps (1985, 8) for the most touchdown catches in the first eight games of a season by a Steeler.
• Has registered at least one reception in 131 consecutive games in which he has played, including the postseason – dating back to October 3, 2010.
• Has registered at least one reception in 121 consecutive regular-season games – dating back to October 3, 2010.
• Caught his 50th reception of 2018 on his fourth catch to mark his sixth consecutive season with at least 50 catches through the first eight games of a season, dating back to 2013.
• Increased his career receiving yardage total to 10,504 – the second-most in franchise history:
Rk. STEELER, YEARS RECEIVING YARDS
1. Hines Ward, 1998-2011 12,083
2. Antonio Brown, 2010-current 10,504
3. John Stallworth, 1974-87 8,723
• Increased his reception total to 784 – the second-most in team history:
Rk. STEELER, YEARS RECEPTIONS
1. Hines Ward, 1998-2011 1,000
2. Antonio Brown, 2010-current 784
3. Heath Miller, 2005-15 592
• Increased his scrimmage yards total to 10,623 – the fourth-most in team history:
Rk. STEELER, YEARS SCRIMMAGE YARDS
1. Franco Harris, 1972-83 14,234
2. Hines Ward, 1998-2011 12,511
3. Jerome Bettis, 1996-2005 11,377
4. Antonio Brown, 2010-current 10,623
5. John Stallworth, 1974-87 8,834
• Increased his career touchdown reception total to 68 – the second-most in franchise history:
Rk. STEELER, YEARS TOUCHDOWN CATCHES
1. Hines Ward, 1998-2011 85
2. Antonio Brown, 2010-current 68
3. John Stallworth, 1974-87 63
• Increased his combined touchdown total to 73 – the fourth-most total touchdowns in Steelers history:
Rk. STEELER, YEARS MOST TOUCHDOWNS
1. Franco Harris, 1972-83 100 (91 rush / 9 rec.)
2. Hines Ward, 1998-2011 86 (1 rush / 85 rec.)
3. Jerome Bettis, 1996-2005 80 (78 rush / 2 rec.)
4. Antonio Brown, 2010-current 73 (0 rush / 68 rec. / 5 return)+TODAY
5. John Stallworth, 1974-87 64 (1 rush / 63 rec.)
• Increased his career points total to 446 – the eighth-most points by a Steeler in franchise history:
Rk. STEELER, YEARS POINTS
6. Hines Ward, 1998-2011 526
7. Jerome Bettis, 1996-2005 482
8. Norm Johnson, 1995-98 452
9. Antonio Brown, 2010-current 446
10. Chris Boswell, 2015-current 397
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
• Led all players with a game high of 78 receiving yards and tied for the team lead of seven receptions.
RB James Conner
• Led all players with a game best 163 yards from scrimmage (107 rushing / 56 receiving) and added his first career touchdown catch on a seven-yard pass from QB Ben Roethlisberger.
• Scored the 10th touchdown of his 2018 season on a seven-yard pass from QB Ben Roethlisberger in the first quarter becoming the first player in team history to score 10 touchdowns in the first eight games of a season (nine rushing / one receiving).
• Eclipsed 1,000 yards from scrimmage (1,085) – becoming the second player in team history to reach the 1,000-yard milestone in the first eight games of a season (Le’Veon Bell, 2014: 1,086).
• Has rushed for at least 100 yards in four consecutive games, and in five games on the season.
• His streak of four consecutive 100-rushing yard games is the first by a Steeler since 2016 (Le’Veon Bell, four games, Nov. 20-Dec. 11).
• Has totaled at least 100 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown in four consecutive games, joining Franco Harris (6 games and 4 games), Tom Tracy (5 games), Le’Veon Bell (4 games) and Jimmy Orr (4 games) as the only players in team history with a streak of at least four games with 100 yards and a touchdown.
• Recorded 112 yards from scrimmage in the first half – the second first half of his 2018 season with at least 100 yards from scrimmage (Week 5 vs. Atlanta: 107).
TE Jesse James
• Extended his consecutive regular-season games played streak to 48 – the fourth-longest active streak among active NFL tight ends.
• Caught a 51-yard reception from QB Ben Roethlisberger in the fourth quarter to establish a career-long catch.
OT Alejandro Villanueva
• Extended his consecutive regular-season games played streak to 56 – tied as the fourth-longest active streak among active NFL offensive tackles.
DE Stephon Tuitt
• Sacked Baltimore QB Joe Flacco (minus seven yards) on the Ravens’ final possession of the game.
• Has recorded 3.0 quarterback sacks on the season and one occurring in three consecutive games, dating back to Oct. 14, 2018, at Cincinnati.
S Sean Davis
• Led all defenders with 8 tackles (8 solo).
LB Vince Williams
• Split a sack with LB Bud Dupree of Baltimore QB Joe Flacco in the third quarter, increasing his season total to 1.5 and career total to 12.0.
LB Bud Dupree
• Split a sack with LB Vince Williams of Baltimore QB Joe Flacco in the third quarter, increasing his season total to 3.5 and career total to 18.0.
K Chris Boswell
• Converted a 29-yard field goal attempt in the fourth quarter, improving to 7-of-10 on field goal tries in 2018 (92-of-105 in his NFL career) and to 24-of-24 on field goal attempts from 20-29 yards in his NFL tenure.
• Increased his career field goals made with the Steelers to 92 – the sixth-most in team history:
Rk. STEELER, YEARS FIELD GOALS MADE
1. Gary Anderson, 1982-94 309
2. Jeff Reed, 2002-10 204
3. Roy Gerela, 1971-78 146
4. Shaun Suisham, 2010-14 124
5. Norm Johnson, 1995-98 105
6. Chris Boswell, 2015-current 92
• Increased his career point total to 397 – the 10th-most in franchise history:
Rk. STEELER, YEARS POINTS
6. Hines Ward, 1998-2011 526
7. Jerome Bettis, 1996-2005 482
8. Norm Johnson, 1995-98 452
9. Antonio Brown, 2010-current 446
10. Chris Boswell, 2015-current 397
P Jordan Berry
• Extended his punts inside the 20 to 94 – the third-most punts inside the 20 in Steelers history:
Rk. STEELER, YEARS PUNTS INSIDE THE 20
1. Josh Miller, 1996-2003 194
2. Craig Colquitt, 1978-84 112
3. Jordan Berry, 2015-current 94
4. Mark Royals, 1992-94 85
5. Daniel Sepulveda, 2007-11 81
