Steelers Recap: A Repugnant Loss To The Ravens

PITTSBURGH, PA - Time to panic? Perhaps. The facts are sobering: The NFL season is a quarter of the way over and the Steelers are tied for last place in the AFC North.

The Steelers looked far from Super Bowl contenders in a 27-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field Sunday night that dropped their record to 1-2-1. The schedule doesn’t get any easier as the Atlanta Falcons and their high-powered offense are up next week. Le’Veon Bell still isn’t giving any indication he’s about to show up for work.

The Steelers are a mess right now. Here’s what national sportswriters are saying:

• Jonathan Jones, Sports Illustrated: “Is the drama catching up to Pittsburgh? Could Mike Tomlin suffer his first losing season as a head coach? The Steelers have yet to look impressive for any sustained time through a quarter of the season and are tied with the Browns for the worst record in the division.”

• Jeremy Fowler, ESPN: “A third straight AFC North title is starting to slip away. The Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns are all better. The season might be salvageable, but not the way the Steelers are currently playing -- especially with Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons coming to Pittsburgh in Week 5.”

• Jarrett Bell, USA Today: “Time for another round of Steelers drama. This time, the impetus is a stinging loss from their bitter division rival, as the Baltimore Ravens hung a 26-14 defeat on the Steelers.The verdict was a rather complete verdict. It all added up to a result that keeps the Steelers (1-2-1) in the cellar of the AFC North, tied with the Cleveland Browns.”

• Ryan Wilson, CBS Sports: “As far as the 2018 season goes, Sunday night was your typical Steelers experience. They were embarrassed early as the Ravens jumped out to a 14-0 first-quarter lead only to bounce back in the second quarter to tie the score. But it was Baltimore's defense that trumped Pittsburgh's occasionally high-powered offense and cruised to a 26-14 victory.”

• Frank Schwaab, Yahoo Sports: “If only the Pittsburgh Steelers had a running back to give them some offensive balance. Remember when James Conner had a big Week 1 and everyone said that the Steelers might not miss Le’Veon Bell? Yeah, about that. Bell is still holding out, and the Steelers are 1-2-1, looking nothing like a Super Bowl contender they hoped to be. By staying away, Bell has proved his worth to Pittsburgh’s offense.”

• Brent Sobleski, Bleacher Report: “Sunday's 26-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field merely highlighted all the deficiencies found on the Steelers roster. Le'Veon Bell's absence looms large. Ben Roethlisberger's inconsistency becomes more glaring with each passing week. Antonio Brown isn't on the same page with his quarterback. Finally, the defense is counted among the league's worst.”

Photo: Getty Images.

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