Samuel Njoku: Ravens Are Resilient Amid Adversity

Ravens show their mettle in win over Steelers

BALTIMORE — Resiliency in the face of adversity is a trait few teams possess in the NFL. 

But the Ravens have proven they have it – in bunches.

How else can you explain defeating a division opponent with a third-string undrafted free-agent quarterback after the second-string QB you were forced to start leaves the game with an injury in the third quarter?

Tyler Huntley was forced out of the game due to a concussion in the second half and Anthony Brown Jr. was forced to step in and lead the Ravens to victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers 16-14. Brown would finish the game with 3 completions on 5 attempts for 16 yards. Unimpressive to the naked eye for sure. But compared to Mitch Trubisky’s three costly interceptions, it's easy to understand why Ravens fans and players were impressed.

“For Anthony Brown to come in and play the way he did, demand the huddle the way he did, it was very impressive,” stated Mark Andrews on Sunday. “It was a huge team win. It was awesome to see."

The @Ravens were able to topple the Steelers 16-14 in Week 14.
Here's their Report Card.#RavensFlock https://t.co/LGWK0jbx98 via @toddkarpovich

— Todd Karpovich (@toddkarpovich) December 12, 2022

A huge team win may be an understatement.

The Ravens have played underwhelming football for the last month against some of the worst teams in the National Football League. And while the Steelers aren’t going to be competing for a chance at the Lombardi trophy, this win certainly feels different.

It starts with J.K. Dobbins who returned from injury to amass 120 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown. He dominated a Steelers defense that knew it had to stop the run. Dobbins won’t take all the credit even though he most certainly deserves it.

“The offensive line was blocking so good, and I can only go as far as they go,” said Dobbins. “They did a good job for me. I'm going to keep having their back as well. I'm going to keep finding the hole that they make and things like that and keep making guys miss to help them out when I need to. It's just a testament to our offensive line."

It wasn’t just Dobbins who made an impact upon returning from injury. Marcus Williams made his long-awaited return to the field following a wrist injury and wasted no time picking up where he left off with an interception at the Ravens' 1-yard line to hold off any momentum Pittsburgh had late in the third quarter. One of three crucial turnovers on a day when you knew it would take just that to account for the loss of Lamar Jackson.

The Ravens are most likely going to be without Jackson for at least one more game. Losing your starting quarterback in December when the wins matter the most is devastating. And losing your backup quarterback mid-game is beyond unfortunate. But the Ravens have proven to be resilient and hungry. Whether that equates to wins in the playoffs remains to be seen. 

But it certainly equated to a win against the Pittsburgh Steelers.