BALTIMORE — Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson saw the green grass in front of him and the end zone within reach and ran.

The 36-year-old signal caller ran 19 yards to get the ball inside the 5-yard line. To take another step toward the goal line, he cut back inside. Baltimore Ravens safety Ar’Darius Washington threw a punch.

“I just thought I had a chance to get to the end zone,” Wilson said. “I tried to cut back and just got hit. Just before I hit the ground the ball came out. It is unacceptable. This can’t happen.”

OUR BALL 🗣@ad_washington24 forces the fumbling and @KVN_03 is recovering!!!!

Turn on FOX pic.twitter.com/zWEtx7xIQ9

– Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 21, 2024

During the Steelers’ 34-17 loss to the Ravens on Saturday, plays occurred that don’t happen too often.

Any team facing Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and the Ravens’ potent offense knows they need one of their best offensive performances. Sure, perhaps the Steelers have been the exception in recent years, as TJ Watt and Co. have often proven to be Jackson’s kryptonite. But Pittsburgh entered the game without three defensive starters — safety DeShon Elliott, cornerback Donte Jackson and defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi — and then lost a fourth when cornerback Joey Porter Jr. left the game with a knee injury, making it even more important for the offense to keep up with the high-flying Ravens.

With a chance to win the AFC North and secure a home playoff game, Wilson had his moment to shine on Saturday. A Houdini-like escape on third-and-seven kept a touchdown drive alive. A well-timed 44-yard deep shot to Calvin Austin III scored another touchdown. Wilson went a respectable 22 of 33 for 217 yards and two touchdowns.

However, the aforementioned fumble and a late pick six when the Steelers were just a touchdown away ended any chance Wilson had of getting even with the Ravens. The Steelers fell to 10-5 after their second straight disappointment as injuries and inconsistencies continued to add up.

“I took this game on myself in the sense that there were two great opportunities,” Wilson said.

Make no mistake: The weakened defense certainly lacked Elliott’s physicality in the box and Ogunjobi’s presence in the running game. After the Steelers held Henry to just 65 yards on 13 carries in the teams’ first meeting in Week 11, he ran for 162 yards on 24 carries on Saturday. In the secondary, cornerbacks James Pierre and Cory Trice Jr. were brought in and safety Damontae Kazee was given an expanded role.

A year ago in Baltimore, coach Mike Tomlin was “cheering from the couch” after a series of understudies performed in a crucial season finale. This time, the repeated missed assignments or miscommunications, often involving backups, gave the Ravens’ pass catchers free rein. The sloppy moments added up to a defensive breakdown.

“We all have to pull together,” said inside linebacker and former Raven Patrick Queen, who wears the green dot on his helmet as a defensive signal caller. “It can’t be one person. There can’t be 10 people. There can’t be nine people. All 11 must be on the same stream.

“If we are in human insurance, there should be no man walking around free. … We conceded three touchdowns today without a draw. You definitely won’t win many games with that.”

Although the game played out differently than most Rock matchups between the Steelers and Ravens, the Pittsburgh offense had its chances. Instead of making game-changing plays, the mistakes were compounded. Wilson’s fumble inside the 5-yard line and the subsequent 96-yard touchdown drive that the defense allowed could be considered a 14-point swing.

In the fourth quarter, the Steelers were still within one possession (24-17) when Henry made a long run down the left sideline. Pittsburgh needed a game-changing play and got one when safety Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted his first pass since January 1, 2023. But just two plays later, Wilson was looking for tight end MyCole Pruitt in the flat. Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey intercepted the errant pass and returned it 37 yards for a touchdown. This extended the Ravens’ lead to 31:17 and effectively put the game out of reach with 13:06 minutes left in the game.

MARLON HUMPHREY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tune in to FOX! pic.twitter.com/LOMbBM914K

– Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 21, 2024

“It definitely changed the game when they got that interception,” Wilson said. “The defense did a good job getting the ball back. I tried to throw it to him (Pruitt) on his front number and unfortunately I felt like the ball just stayed in there.”

Just a few weeks ago, the Steelers had a two-game lead, the head-to-head tiebreaker and the best chance to win the division against the Ravens. They called Saturday a “hat and t-shirt” game with a chance to celebrate another AFC North title in the locker room of their biggest rival. Instead, the Steelers now faced two tests against legitimate postseason contenders – the Philadelphia Eagles and the Ravens – and lost both by a combined margin of 31 points.

The Steelers, who have already secured a playoff spot, remain in charge in the sense that if they beat the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals in the final two weeks of the season, they will still win the AFC North . This applies even if the Ravens win.

But for an offense that has sorely missed George Pickens and a defense that continues to lose starters, the challenge doesn’t get much easier against the Chiefs, with magician Patrick Mahomes and the fourth-ranked scoring defense (18.5 points per game). .

“There is still more football to be played, but if we don’t own up to our actions and learn from them, this will continue to happen,” defensive co-captain Cameron Heyward said. “We will play against good teams week in and week out. Especially when you get to the playoffs, there’s no sad team there.”

Wilson, an eternal optimist, spoke about the opportunities ahead and the players’ determination in the Steelers’ locker room after the game.

“I think the best thing we have is people of character who love the work, who love the process and who love each other,” he said.

In the next breath he said something even clearer.

“The key is simply to eliminate errors throughout,” Wilson continued. “I call them game-changing plays. There are always two or three who follow your path positively. There may be two or three that have a negative impact on you.”

The Steelers were at their best when they played supplemental football. When one side of the ball falls short, it is often saved by the other side. However, this formula also showed that Pittsburgh’s margin for error is razor-thin. Especially against strong opponents, the Steelers must be opportunistic, take advantage of opportunities and limit self-inflicted wounds.

“The most important thing is that we want to finish,” Wilson said. “It’s not the end yet. We have to react correctly.

“Everything we want and work for is still ahead of us.”

Maximizing these moments will ultimately be the difference between the Steelers celebrating a division title, a playoff win or more…or fumbling the ball near the goal line.

(Photo: Rob Carr/Getty Images)