Baltimore Beatdown
Two teams in the AFC North emerged victorious in Week 9, while another suffered an all-too-common heartbreaker. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns enjoyed a week off.
The Pittsburgh Steelers snapped a two-game losing streak with a 27-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
The Steelers’ defense has struggled for much of the season, but the unit stepped up big time with six turnovers against a red-hot Colts’ offense led by quarterback Daniel Jones. Jones has played like one of the league’s best quarterbacks in his first season in Indianapolis, but Pittsburgh made him look much more like the player that the New York Giants opted to cut ties with last year. He threw three interceptions, fumbled twice, and took five sacks. Safety Kyle Dugger made four tackles in his debut for the Steelers after being traded by the New England Patriots. Linebacker Alex Highsmith was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Colts, as he totaled four tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble.
Offensively, quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 25 of 35 passes for 203 yards and a touchdown against Indianapolis. Jaylen Warren was the leading rusher with just 31 yards on 16 carries, although he found the end zone twice. Calvin Austin led all receivers with 56 yards on five catches while tight end Pat Freiermuth caught Rodgers’ lone touchdown. Star wide receiver DK Metcalf had the worst game of his season, catching just two passes for a measly six yards.
The Baltimore Ravens won their third game of the season and second in a row with a 28-6 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Thursday Night Football.
The story of the game was the return of two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson for his first game in over a month. Jackson immediately reminded the world of his impact as he completed 18 of 23 passes for 204 yards and four touchdowns, earning AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors in his first game back. Derrick Henry eclipsed 100 yards on the ground for just the third time this season as he racked up 119 yards on 19 carries. Zay Flowers led the receivers with 64 yards on five catches, but it was the tight ends who stole the spotlight in the passing game for Baltimore as Isaiah Likely caught three passes for 60 yards, Mark Andrews caught two touchdowns, and Charlie Kolar found the end zone for the second game in a row.
The Ravens’ defensive resurgence continued against the Dolphins, as the unit forced three turnovers. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey and safety Alohi Gillman both forced and recovered fumbles, while rookie first-round safety Malaki Starks had an interception off quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Baltimore’s defense has not allowed more than 17 points in three straight games now, after starting the season as one of the worst units in the NFL. Zach Orr’s defense received some more help ahead of the trade deadline, as the Ravens...
