Kyle Hamilton was named the Ravens’ MVP by local reporters last week, and this game showed why he’s so valuable.
The Ravens were ahead 10-3 early in the third quarter when Hamilton left the game with a concussion. With the All-Pro safety off the field, the Steelers offense came to life.
Pittsburgh scored three touchdowns and kicked a field goal on five second-half possessions.
“Losing Kyle Hamilton changed the game,” Smolka wrote. “Until then, Hamilton had been the Ravens’ most active defender, and he has been among their most fundamental tacklers all season. All facets of the Ravens’ defense suffered in his absence. Hamilton’s replacement, Ar’Darius Washington, missed tackles and struggled in coverage, including when Aaron Rodgers found tight end Pat Friermuth down the seam for a 31-yard pass that set up the Steelers’ go-ahead score with 3:49 to play.
“The tackling overall got worse after Hamilton left, as the Steelers more than once turned a run or short swing pass into a moderate or long gain.”