The Pittsburgh Steelers were back on the field Sunday for the tenth time of the 2024 regular season when they hosted the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11 of regular season action. The Steelers were winners in the contest, but that doesn’t mean every player had a good or bad performance.

Players who play well can be considered ‘Winners’, while those who left a lot to be desired can be called ‘Losers’. It may sound harsh, but it is the crux of this exercise.

Let’s check in to see who fell on which side of the ledger after the latest game…

Winners

Patrick Queen
Stat Line: 10 tackles, 3 solo, 1 TFL, 1 FF, 1 FR

There wasn’t a better story this week than Patrick Queen’s story. He was open about not being wanted back by the Ravens and them not extending a contract to him this offseason. It was an emotional week, and you could tell. The Steelers made Queen a captain for the game, and he went out there and played some inspired football against his former team. There is something special about a former player who was shunned by a previous employer being able to stick it to those individuals. That is exactly what Queen did vs. the Ravens, and his performance was perfectly timed. Can we also talk about how it looks like the Steelers finally figured out their ILB situation? More on that when I talk about another ILB who made a key play in this game.

Chris Boswell
Stat Line: 6/6 FGs

What else is there that needs to be said? Boswell made kicks of 57, 52, 50, 37, 32, and 32. He produced all of the Steelers points and out-shined Justin Tucker at Acrisure Stadium. While one kicker was complaining about turf conditions, Boswell was just out there doing his thing. Here comes another AFC Special Teams Player of the Week award for Boz in Week 11.

T.J. Watt
Stat Line: 3 tackles, 3 solo, 1 sack, 2 TFL, 2 QB Hits

Watt’s sack totals might not be what some fans would like, but he is impacting the game in a variety of ways. Watt was a demon in run defense, and even had several negative plays negated by Steelers penalties. When all was said and done, the attention Watt receives from the opposition you have to wonder how he ever makes an impact at all. Nonetheless, Watt was back to blowing up runs and playing strong in the pass rush category once again, and it was much-needed.

Nick Herbig
Stat Line: 2 tackles, 1 solo, 1 QB Hit, 1 FF

How good is it to get Nick Herbig back on the defense? Well, it didn’t take long for him to make an impact. The forced fumble on Derrick Henry was a game-changing play, even if it was on the opening series. A play which might not get as much attention would be Herbig’s play on the Ravens would-be tying two-point conversion late in the game. The designed quarterback run to Lamar Jackson was blown up by Herbig knifing through the defensive front and forcing Jackson to the outside. It was there where Joey Porter Jr. was able to do the clean up work after Herbig blew up the play. A great day for the second year pass rusher.

Takeaways
Stat Line: 3 takeaways (2 FR, 1 INT)

The Ravens offense had only turned the ball over 6 times entering this season, and the Steelers were able to take it away three times in Week 11. They needed every one of them too. The Steelers never truly capitalized on these turnovers, but did garner points off these takeaways. Nick Herbig’s forced fumble on Derrick Henry changed the tenor of the game on the very first drive, and the Steelers opportunistic defense continued to do their thing vs. Baltimore when it mattered most.

Payton Wilson
Stat Line: 2 tackles, 2 solo, 1 PD, 1 INT

Wilson’s time in the NFL has been hit-or-miss. You’ve seen him make key plays, but also struggle against the run and much larger/stronger blockers. If it’s boom-or-bust for the rookie linebacker, his performance in Week 11 was a boom! Even if he only made one key play, it was a huge play in the victory for the Steelers. Wilson’s interception didn’t just get the football back to the Steelers, it negated the Russell Wilson red-zone interception. Wilson is starting to settle into his role on the defense, and if he keeps trending in this direction he’s well on his way to being a force in multiple areas.

3rd Down Defense
Stat Line: BAL – 4-for-11

While the Steelers 3rd down offense struggled, more on that later, the Pittsburgh defense stood tall on 3rd downs. The Baltimore offense never had an answer to the Steelers defense on 3rd downs, and that was evident throughout the entire game. The Pittsburgh defense had to win in key areas, and 3rd downs are certainly one of those areas. The Pittsburgh 3rd down defense is becoming one of the best in the league, again, in this key area.

Minkah Fitzpatrick
Stat Line: 7 tackles, 4 solo

Some will chuckle with the thought of having Fitzpatrick in the winners column, but when you look at some of the tackles Fitzpatrick made he is deserving of the honor. Tackles on Derrick Henry and Mark Andrews likely stopped either touchdowns or huge chunk plays, and those plays are significant in a close game like the one Sunday in Pittsburgh. Fitzpatrick spied Jackson on more than one occasion, and putting him on the two tight ends absolutely played a role in the result. It wasn’t flashy, but Minkah played a tremendous game.

Running Game
Stat Line: 122 total rushing yards

The Steelers rushing attack entered the game as a Top 10 unit, but it was the Ravens rushing defense which was the top ranked unit in the league, giving up just 73 yards per game. The Steelers never abandoned the run, and it played a huge role in the offense’s success, and helping the defense stay fresh while Lamar and company got cold. The Steelers rushing for 122 yards without any one back really lighting up the stat sheet shows the Steelers offensive line was moving a very good defensive front in Baltimore’s top ranked unit.

George Pickens
Stat Line: 8 catches, 89 yards, 11.1 ave., 0 TD, 37 long, 12 targets

On a day when there was no one doing anything in the passing game, Pickens still showed up and put in the tough yards. If it weren’t for Pickens and Darnell Washington, the passing attack was nothing more than check downs and swing passes. It was by design, to an extent, but Pickens did plenty of dirty work in this game to corral 89 yards total receiving. It would have been great to see Pickens hit pay dirt, but when the Steelers needed a play it was Pickens who delivered in the passing game.

Run Defense
Stat Line: 19 carries, 124 yards, 6.5 ave., 1 TD, 31 long

Some might look at the total numbers and wonder why the run defense would be on the winner list, but when you look at the Ravens rushing averages and other factors and you’ll see why. The Ravens were averaging over 180 yards a game on the ground, and the Steelers held them to 124 total yards. On top of that, Derrick Henry was held to just 65 yards total. The Ravens had over 50 yards on just two carries by Henry and Lamar Jackson, and while those count it does show how the Steelers bottled up the run. It was a great performance by the defensive front from top-to-bottom.

Time of Possession
Stat Line: PIT – 36:22 / BAL – 23:38

What is an important facet of defending a high-flying offense with a dynamic quarterback like Lamar Jackson? How about keeping them on the sideline? That’s exactly what the Steelers did vs. Baltimore, and it was largely due to the running game which I mentioned above. Don’t look now, but the Steelers offense is dominating time of possession on a weekly basis. If they can just figure out the red-zone issues this will be a really good offense.

Losers

3rd Down Offense
Stat Line: 4-for-16

There was a time in the second half when the Steelers were 1-for-11 on 3rd downs. It was a sad performance when it mattered most, both 3rd down and the red-zone, more on that later, and it ultimately was the difference in the game. The Steelers 3rd down offense has been full of ups-and-downs, and this certainly was a “down” performance vs. the Ravens in Week 11.

Penalties
Stat Line: 7-for-45

Another game with the Steelers highly penalized. It isn’t the overall numbers, it’s when they happen. Broderick Jones had two penalties which negated chunk plays, and a Nick Herbig offsides negated a negative play on the defensive side of the ball. The Steelers need to play a cleaner brand of football.

Red-Zone Offense
Stat Line: 0-for-4

Another game with Russell Wilson at quarterback where the offense puts up a goose egg in the red area. Unlike the last time, the Week 8 Monday night game vs. the Giants, there weren’t a ton of penalties and such which negated would-be touchdowns. In this instance, the Steelers offense just looked like they were guessing when the field got short. Give credit to the Ravens defense, but you expect the Steelers to cash in on at least ONE of these trips. And if they had, it likely would have been a drastically different game.

Red-Zone INT
Stat Line: Inexcusable

I know there are some serious questions about Darnell Washington’s effort on the red-zone interception, and maybe there is a reason for his lack of effort. Did he think there was someone behind him? Either way, Wilson has to know better as a veteran quarterback in the league. The worst thing you can do there is turn it over. Take a sack. Throw it in the upper deck. Both are fine, but don’t turn it over. The Steelers are fortunate for Payton Wilson’s interception on the Ravens next drive, but that play was plain-and-simply inexcusable.

If you want a more detailed look at the above list, check out my “Let’s Ride” podcast in the player below where I outline each Winner and Loser, and MORE!