Bill Cowher breaks down Steelers huge win in Baltimore | The NFL Today

Bill Cowher breaks down Steelers huge win in Baltimore | The NFL Today

and welcome to the NFL today on YouTube. JB along with coach Nate and Madden. Folks, we’re talking about the action in the AFC North, the Steelers and Ravens. Bill, it hasn’t been pretty this year. It hasn’t been dominating, but it is scintillating. Does that make sense? It it does JB because I think we got to the point that a lot of narratives have been out there certainly with Pittsburgh in terms of what the last seven weeks two and five going into this game. But also I think from Baltimore Ravens standpoint that they’ve been hot. Lamar Jackson’s coming back has not played as great football but they both sit there at six and six heading into this game in week 14 and it was all on the line and I think what you saw today was probably a little bit of a microcosm of both these teams. I think the biggest thing my take away from this game is that Aaron Rogers that brought back the deep ball. Yeah. I think you saw the lack of pass rush from the Baltimore Ravens with a four-man rush with which gave Aaron some time. Um you also saw a Pittsburgh defense that really gave up over 200 yards rushing again, but they played very very well in the red zone. And I think when you look at DK Medaf, what he has got to them in the deep ball. Aaron Rogers wants to do this. I tell you, he he got him into the game early and often. And you see right here, they took advantage of the time. Aaron Rogers felt comfortable in the pocket. And I think from a Baltimore Ravens standpoint, their inability to score down in the red zone, the big play from Joey Porter in the end of that game in terms of getting that strip right there on Isaiah likely is a big play in the game. Yeah, I agree. I I think the issue with with Baltimore, it’s a little like we’ve seen with Kansas City. Yards are not turning into points. Yeah. And and I think that’s the issue with Baltimore right now. You mentioned it. the rushing yards was good, the passing yard that all of that is is okay, but it it’s the ability to score and whether that’s the red zone or plays from outside the red zone creating those big plays that we’ve become accustomed to seeing. Um, you know, but I I then look on the other side and and Pittsburgh really offensively had been anemic coming into today. Yeah, this was the best performance I think from their offense the entire season. And you said it is the ability to throw the football down the field, Aaron getting into rhythm with DK Metaf, the The thing is, because JB, you talked about it, it it hasn’t been pretty. Uh, and somebody’s going to win this division. Yeah. But as I look at the seating of of what it would look like right now getting into the playoffs, the Steelers sit at the four seed. That means you’re going to have to see Buffalo. And I don’t know. I don’t know if any of these teams, either of these teams are good enough to get into that seven game tournament in the AFC and be able to advance. You know, you never know. You never know how those games are going to shake out and you gota you have to give yourselves opportunities, but uh I don’t think either of these offenses are clicking at a at a rate that you’d feel comfortable going into the playoffs with. So, we’ll see how the upcoming schedules go for both these teams. I mean, they’re not easy. Both sides are not easy. There’s a lot of football to be played in the next four weeks. This thing could shake out any number of different ways. Yeah, if you’re familiar with the AFC North, you know, these type of ugly wins are just fine because they are just that wins. You know, I I got to be honest, I thought when they were adding receivers to the receiving core that they might not be happy with the rhythm and the pacing, but then I forgot about some of the big plays I’ve already seen with Aaron Rogers and DK Mave. And then today was another example of what happens when Aaron Roger is really hitting guys in stride and focusing on his true number one talent, which is DK Medav. Another guy that’s kind of an unsung hero. Now, his numbers might not jump off the board to you, but Kenneth Gainwell. 100%. I I just feel like he he’s like that uh he’s like kind of like that glue guy that, you know, when we need a play, not necessarily a big play, but just a a play to help us kind of metriculate the ball down the field. you know, if I if I if I need a a screen play or a quick pass that is an extension of the run game, they’re going to go to him. Every time I look up, it seems like he has the ball in his hand. And sometimes you need a guy like that that you can count on. I I know Darnell Washington has been like that in the passing game for Aaron Rogers, but these are the type of guys that Pittsburgh has. I mean, these I just remember playing against the Pittsburgh Steelers and thinking to myself, these are guys that didn’t jump out at me when I was doing my scouting report, but they are making a huge impact on the game. And then you look at their numbers, they have made that same impact all season long. And and that’s what makes up a championship quality squad. Not necessarily the big names that we’re all familiar with. It’s the glue guys. It’s the glue guys. And I just think they have those dudes on offense and defense. And I think that just moving forward, I mean, listen, they’re in control of their own destiny. They sit there and look at who they got, you know, coming up. They’re they’re going to play the Miami Dolphins. They’re going to play at the Detroit Lions. Y I I still think it’s an offense that still needs to be more balanced. I think the one thing that they can’t keep relying on is for Aaron Rogers to have that kind of time in a drop back game, take those shots. And I think the running game will allow them also to have time of possession because you still are asking your defense to be out there for, you know, like 35 or 40 minutes a game. And I think they do wear down over a period of time. So I think if they can establish and develop and you know and you say that at this point in the season, well you’re trying to develop in one phase. Yeah. It’s okay to be in that kind of mode because if you can now establish something. Yeah. Let’s throw it from a base. Let’s establish something. Okay. We now have a deep threat. We got a quarterback that feels good about throwing that ball deep and taking some shots down the field, which I think you should do seven or eight times a game. Yeah. But let’s also with that big offensive line, with those big tight ends, let’s establish that run game well. It’s okay. We’re at this point in the season and we’re still figuring some things out. It’s okay% the luxury is you’re in the mix, baby. And they played well. They they I think a one of the greatest example today for the Pittsburgh Steelers and what Mike Tomlin brought to this was the play by Joey Porter in the fourth quarter because you talk about finishing plays. He tried to strip that thing out twice. Yep. It was the third one before that third foot got down. that kind of effort, that kind of finale, that kind of like resiliency. Yeah. And talking about I’m never going to give up on a play. You talk about finish till the whistle goes. He exemplified that today. And that’s the way this football team needs to play with a sense of urgency, a sense of finishing in everything they do. And that’s how Tomlin coaches like when you were watching the the game, he’s on the sideline talking to superstars, talking to the glue guys, talking to the special teams players. Hey, listen. We got to finish this thing out. We got to finish. It’s it’s the fourth quarter. We got to finish it out. We got 10 minutes left. We got five minutes left. We got two minutes left. We have to finish this thing out. And they did. Situational football. Yeah, that’s it. I think part of the success of the Steelers today has to be the Baltimore Ravens and their inability to get home rushing the passer. Y but also because you can’t get home with four and you start to pressure, you leave individuals one-on-one on the outside. I think the Pittsburgh Steelers can win in the passing game with a guy like DK when you have one-on-one opportunities, multiple opportunities. The problem for Pittsburgh moving forward is that they’re going to see teams that can rush the passer with four and there is coverage behind and are they able to throw the football the way they need to. We just saw that graphic there too of Lamar. We have to talk about this. Yeah, the last four weeks have been a struggle. Yeah, they have been a struggle for Lamar Jackson. Part of that is due to injury. Yeah. Part of that I think it’s not even the injury that’s affecting him on the field. I think the limitations of not being able to practice during the week. You’re seeing that show up with inconsistencies in the passing game. Yeah. And you need those reps no matter how good you are. And Lamar, we are all huge fans of of Lamar and and just marvel at his ability to make plays. His explosiveness does not look the same as usual. But I also think the passing which he has made great strides of in his career. The efficiency, the accuracy, it just has not been there. And I think that’s part and partial because you’re not practicing. You got to go out there and you got to do it. You got to be on the same page with the guys that you have. So let me ask this question. You guys have done an excellent job in explaining the granular. We know both of these fan bases have been dissatisfied. What would you guys as a coach and player say to the fan bases who are screaming for the heads one a little louder now in Pittsburgh than John Harbar was earlier in the season. What is it that they have done? Because you say they are in the mix even even if it hasn’t been textbook. You follow what I’m trying to I think the bottom line these two teams are playing hard and you can see the sense of urgency in how they’re approaching the game. You saw that with Lamar. I mean, you saw him running and doing some things today and trying to extend some of these plays and they may have been one step away from winning that football game, right? So, that’s not that’s not just make it think it was a one-sided affair. And so, from the same standpoint, yes, we all understand there’s deficiencies this time playing. You look at this play. This is a I mean, look at the fact that watch this. Great ball, great catch, and just keep punching at it. Joey Porter, watch this. Okay, one. Okay, I don’t get it. Okay, let me try this this one. No, now they get the third one. Just keep pulling after before that other one gets down. Good point. So, the play is never over till it’s over. And I just think this is a great example right here of a guy and I think Joey Porter, he made some big tackles last week. So, I mean, an individual like that can inspire everybody else around you. Aaron Rogers sense, and I’ll just say this, just talking to that building, the sense of urgency was in that building in terms of their preparation. Yeah. And I don’t know if it was there the week before. I just think right now the sense of urgency they’re in playoff mode. They need to keep that sense of urgency that keep that chip on their shoulder right now the rest of this season. I think that play speaks to to both coaching staffs because everybody in that picture was doing it exactly like your coach to do it and it happened to work out for the Pittsburgh Steelers. But Isaiah likely is doing exactly what you’re taught in those situations of keeping the ball extended away from the defender who’s got to reach all the way through those long arms. Yeah. And he was a click away from getting that third foot down. And so the gap the the the difference but the delta between these two teams it is small. It is tight. And Nate you you you talked about this as a receiver. You sometimes when you get across the goal line you start to relax ever so slightly because you think you got your feet down. I just think he was I don’t think he did. I don’t think he did. You know, I just noticed something as we looked at that in slow motion. I thought that Porter hit the ball. I thought he played through the ball through his hands. What Porter did realizing he couldn’t get to the ball. Watch how he shoves the inside of the elbow and buckles his arm. I just noticed this. He didn’t hit the ball. Actually, check out this other angle. So, he’s trying to fight through. Isaiah likely keeps the ball all the way. And then, watch this. Right. He’s going to hit the inside of that elbow. that left arm and that left arm buckles it. You’ll see it better from this angle right here. And that is just impressive. He punches the inside of that tricep, inside of that elbow. He’s punching which takes the grip out of the ball for likely. Um, you know, you can argue all day long whether you think the two feet down should have, you know, you know, constituted as a touchdown. I know a lot of people online are arguing that, but at the end of the day, the Steelers, they made enough plays to win this game. But here’s the thing. The division is still some up for grabs. And they play again. It is up for grabs. Week 18, they play again. That’s what I’m saying. That’s what I’m saying. That was going to be the closing point. You guys were masterful in using that highlight as an instructional tool. Don’t know if it will satisfy the demanding public, right? But that was incisive and insightful. Absolutely. Hey folks, there you have it from the professors. And keep in mind, we’re on every Sunday, 12 noon on the NFL Today on CBS.

Bill Cowher, Matt Ryan, and Nate Burleson talk about the Steelers outlook for the rest of the season after their win in Baltimore.

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