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This loss could have lasting effects

By Ray Fittipaldo 8 years ago

Josh Scobee not only lost a game for the Steelers on Thursday night, he breathed life into Baltimore Ravens. And that could come back to haunt the Steelers in January. 

The Steelers had a chance to bury the Ravens and send them to 0-4, but Scobee’s missed field goals let the Ravens off the ropes. And now, they have a chance to come back to relevancy in the AFC playoff picture.

Don’t laugh. The Ravens are 1-3, but they have the Browns at home next week and a game at San Francisco the week after that. They very easily could be 3-3 and ahead of the Steelers, who play at the Chargers and then play host to the Arizona Cardinals.

Not to mention the Steelers must play a first-place schedule and the Ravens have the benefit of playing a third-place schedule. While the Steelers got the Patriots and Colts the Ravens get to play the Jaguars and Dolphins. 

That’s a big difference. 

Now, because of Scobee, the 23-20 overtime loss on Thursday night could make the Dec. 27 game in Baltimore a play-in game for the playoffs.

That would make for some great theater if it happens, and it could happen in what is shaping up to be a very mediocre AFC after New England and Cincinnati. The Raiders, Jets and Bills are the only other teams in the conference with two victories heading into the weekend.

The Bills might stay in the playoff race, but it’s hard to envision the Jets and Raiders doing the same. 

Twelve games remain, an eternity in the NFL, but I’m saying the Bills, Ravens and Steelers are playing for the two wild card spots, with the Dec. 27 contest at the Ravens deciding which team from the AFC North goes and which stays home.  

*The Steelers did the impossible by losing to the Ravens on Thursday night. According to numberfire.com, the Steelers had a 99.82 percent chance of winning with 1:59 remaining.

At that point in the game they faced a third-and-5 after Le’Veon Bell rushed for a 4-yard gain. The Steelers ran Bell up the middle again for 1 yard and ran the clock down to 1:06 before calling a timeout to bring Scobee on for a 41-yard field goal.

Scobee missed, giving the Ravens the ball at their own 31 with 1:01 to play in regulation. The Ravens then converted a third-and-10 when Joe Flacco threw to Kamar Aiken for 20 yards to the Steelers 32. Two plays later, Justin Tucker kicked the tying field goal.

*Scobee probably won’t be kicking for the Steelers when they play at San Diego on Oct. 11, but let’s place some blame on Mike Vick for missing a wide open Antonio Brown on the fourth-and-1 on the Steelers’ second overtime possession.

That’s a throw an NFL quarterback has to complete, and Vick threw it five feet over Brown’s head. Vick took the blame after the game, saying that throw will haunt him for a long time. At least he didn’t blame the wind like Scobee. 

*If there is a positive to come out of the game it’s that the Steelers had 167 yards rushing on 33 attempts. That’s better than 5 yards per rush, and it came against a defense the Steelers usually have a hard time running the ball against.

The Steelers rushed for 100 yards or more for just the fourth time in 18 games against a John Harbaugh-coached team. Le’Veon Bell had 129 yards on 22 attempts, including a 22-yard run at the beginning of overtime that set the Steelers up inside Ravens territory.

Bell gained eight more yards on the next two plays. Then the Steelers tried a pass on third down and a Vick run on fourth-and-2.

Hindsight is 20-20, but Bell was running so well at the time that maybe offensive coordinator Todd Haley should have given him at least one of those opportunities on those two downs.

*In case you missed it, Antonio Brown’s NFL-record streak of catching five passes for at least 50 yards came to an end at 35 games. Brown had five catches for 42 yards. Still, Brown set a franchise record for the most receiving yards through the first four games of a season. He has 478, 24 more than Mike Wallace, who had 454 through four games in 2011.

*Coach Mike Tomlin now has a losing record against the Ravens (8-9).

*Darrius Heyward-Bey is tied for the team in receiving touchdowns with two. Who would have that would happen at the beginning of the season?

*One reason to believe the offense might improve against San Diego: Martavis Bryant returns to the team today.