Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — It’s hard to think that the crowd at Acrisure Stadium had turned on the Pittsburgh Steelers just two months ago.
Sunday night’s 26-24, thrill-ride win over the Baltimore Ravens was an encapsulation of the season Mike Tomlin’s team has had. Frustration had reared its head plenty throughout the schedule, never more than when boos rained down and chants called for the longtime leader’s job during a decisive loss to the Buffalo Bills in November.
But even as the Steelers’ grip on the division crown loosened, setting up a loser-goes-to-Cancún matchup with their hated rival, neither the team nor its supporters were ready to throw in the towel.
A fanbase that had wanted to give up on its hometown crew at times showed up. Supporters decked out in black and gold bit their fingernails as Ravens kicker Tyler Loop’s 44-yard field goal try curved outside the right upright as time ran out.
Steelers star T.J. Watt commended his team’s faithful afterward.
“Through the roof,” Watt said of the excitement level of being in front of the home fans. “Tonight was arguably the best atmosphere I’ve been a part of here in Pittsburgh. It was absolutely incredible. The fans were loud when they needed to be loud and they were quiet when they needed to be quiet.
“Renegade was played at a great time. … Just an incredible atmosphere. This is why we play.”
Receiver Calvin Austin III reeled in a go-ahead 26-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers with less than a minute to go. Austin refused to watch Loop’s try, but had a feeling his side’s fans would play a part in the outcome.
“I turned around and just looked at the crowd,” Austin said. “The crowd got crazy, so I knew. The crowd was hype the whole game, so I knew they (were) gonna miss.”
Now the Steelers get to host a playoff game in front of a capacity crowd for the first time in what feels like forever, when the Houston Texans visit for a Wild Card Monday Night Football game next week. Count on Steelers fans coming out in droves.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Fans Answer Bell in Crucial Win Over Ravens: ‘The Best Atmosphere I’ve Been a Part Of’
