PITTSBURGH (AP) — Technically, the standings still show the Pittsburgh Steelers atop the AFC North.
It just doesn't exactly feel that way at the moment.
While the Steelers still have everything in front of them even after a 34-17 loss in Baltimore on Saturday in which a pair of Russell Wilson turnovers and a battered defense starting to show signs of wear allowed the Ravens to pull away, the grasp they had on the division two weeks ago is now far more tenuous.
There were no excuses offered afterward. Yet there's also no time to pout either. Not with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs visiting Acrisure Stadium on Christmas Day.
“The one thing I’m not going to do is keep my head down," Wilson said shortly after a fourth-quarter pick-6 allowed Baltimore to pull away. "I know for us, we got so much great confidence in who we are and what we can do and how we’re going to respond.”
If Pittsburgh wants the home playoff game that capturing a division title for the first time since 2020 would provide, it doesn't really have a choice.
To do it, the Steelers will likely have to beat the two-time defending Super Bowl champions on three days' rest and then the Bengals in the regular-season finale, not exactly ideal opponents for an injury-marred defense that has given up more than 400 yards in consecutive weeks for the first time since the first three games of the 2019 season.
Beating Philadelphia and Baltimore on the road even in the best of times is a tough ask. The Steelers came up empty twice in six days, and while Wilson's turnovers didn’t help, Pittsburgh’s inability to match up with either team in the trenches could be a far bigger problem going forward if it can't find a way to regain the physicality it showed earlier this season.
True, the Ravens and Eagles have the two best running games in the league led by backs who are putting together Hall of Fame resumes. Still, every team the Steelers figure to face in the postseason will almost certainly try to follow the blueprint Philadelphia and Baltimore used so effectively.
Pittsburgh's truncated schedule — the visit by the Chiefs will be its third game in 11 days — means the tackling issues that have popped up of late will have to be addressed more in theory than in practice.
It's a less-than-ideal situation. Yet despite the step or two back recently, the Steelers believe that everything they want to do this season is still in front of them.
That's certainly true. Wilson — who knows a thing or two about winning this time of year — remains upbeat.
“We can’t let a tough game like this take us into a negative state of mind because there’s a lot more to play for and a lot more we’re searching for, and we can still win the (AFC) North,” he said. "There’s still a lot of opportunity there, too, as well. And so we just got to buckle down and get back to work.”
What's working
Being disruptive in the red zone. Minkah Fitzpatrick's fourth-quarter pick of Lamar Jackson — his first in 26 games — was the fifth takeaway by the Steelers inside their 20 this season, tied for second most in the NFL.
What needs help
Just about everything else in the red zone. The Steelers allowed Baltimore to score touchdowns on its first three drives that reached the Pittsburgh 20. The other two ended with Fitzpatrick's interception and a chip-shot field goal by Justin Tucker in the final minutes.
Two short touchdown throws from Jackson to tight ends Isaiah Likely and Mark Andrews bothered Steelers coach Mike Tomlin the most.
“It is just too late in the year to have guys running open like that, to be quite honest with you," Tomlin said. “So we’ve got some work to do this week and try to shore some of that up.”
Stock up
Calvin Austin III is the only wide receiver who seems capable of being a difference-maker with George Pickens out of the lineup. The 5-foot-9 Austin has nine receptions for 130 yards over the past two games, and while Wilson's fourth down heave to Austin at the goal line in the third quarter fell incomplete, it also symbolized the faith Wilson has in a highly motivated player who thrives on being underestimated.
Stock down
Complementary football. The Steelers surged to the top of the division by having a team that thrived in all three phases.
That hasn't happened of late. The Ravens turned Wilson's fumble into a 96-yard touchdown drive. Fitzpatrick's interception appeared to give the Steelers momentum only to have Wilson give it right back with a poor throw that Marlon Humphrey turned into the clinching score.
Injuries
Pickens could return from the hamstring injury that has forced him to miss the past three games. Safety DeShon Elliott (hamstring), defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi (groin), cornerback Donte Jackson (back) could also play after sitting out against Baltimore.
The news isn’t as positive for starting cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (knee) and wide receiver Ben Skowronek (hip), both of whom left against the Ravens and did not return.
Key number
39 — field goals this season by Chris Boswell, five short of the NFL record set by David Akers with San Francisco in 2011.
Next steps
Try to heal up quickly and beat Mahomes for the first time. The Kansas City star is 3-0 against the Steelers with 14 touchdowns and zero interceptions.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Will Graves, The Associated Press
