The Ravens had their six-game winning streak snapped in a game where mostly backups played against their rivals.
The Baltimore Ravens hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers in a primetime divisional bout to kick off Week 18 and ended the regular season with a 17-10 loss at home to their longtime AFC North rivals. In a game where they had nothing to play for after wrapping up the division and clinching the No. 1 seed last week, the Ravens suffered their first defeat in nearly two months in a sloppy game on a rainy night that featured multiple turnovers, dropped balls, and stingy defense.
Despite resting several starters including soon-to-be two-time league MVP Lamar Jackson, their backups were able to keep it close until the very end. A Tyler Huntley-led offense still managed to keep their league-leading consecutive games with 100-plus rushing yards streak alive. Meanwhile, the defense was still able to generate pressure, force turnovers and hold a fourth-straight opponent to under 20 points while getting impressive and expensive contributions from several players.
Below are some of the top takeaways from the Ravens’ loss in Week 18.
Ravens emerge in good health with no major injuries
Since they could only not dress and play a limited amount of players for this essentially meaningless game in terms of playoff implications for them, the Ravens’ top priority more so than even winning the game was not sustaining any more devastating blows on the injury front. Although they had a handful of players leave the game with minor issues, they all were able to walk off the field under their own power. Head Coach John Harbaugh was relieved to reveal that none of them are going to be long-term setbacks and should be available in two weeks when the Ravens play in the Divisional round.
“I think it looks like we got through okay,” Harbaugh said. “Some of them looked a little tough but right now, it looks like we would have all those guys back for the playoff week and divisional game.”
The most notable player that got banged up was fourth-year safety Geno Stone who leads the team with a career-high seven interceptions and was arguably the most egregious snub from this year’s Pro Bowl roster. He was involved in a collision in the third quarter and did not return after being listed as questionable to return with a knee injury.
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