Madden Monday: Ravens ‘should be displeased by how stupid they played’ vs. Steelers

This week’s Madden Monday podcast poses an in-depth question about the Steelers victory in Baltimore.

What was the bigger reason for the 28-24 outcome? Did the Steelers steal it? Or did the Ravens give it away?

I gave you my thoughts after the win in Maryland. TribLive columnist and 105.9 The X radio host Mark Madden has some as well.

“(Ravens coach John) Harbaugh should be displeased by how stupid they played,” Madden said. “They took nine penalties. (Linebacker Matthew Judon) got ejected for a ridiculously dumb thing (contact with an official). They turned the ball over four times. I don’t want to say the Steelers tried their best to lose the game. They weren’t bumbling. But did the Ravens lose the game more than the Steelers won it? That’s a close race. I’m not sure who got their nose in front there.”

The way quarterback Lamar Jackson played fast and loose with the football suggests it is the latter. He threw two interceptions to linebackers. Cornerback Joe Haden had another overturned. Jackson lost fumbles twice and had a third the Steelers almost scooped up.

That’s not to take anything away from the Steelers. At all. They went on the road and beat the 5-1 defending AFC North champions. The victory and the franchise’s 7-0 record are worthy of praise regardless of how they have happened.

And, to Madden’s point, the Steelers managed to do so with only playing one half of superior football.

Again.

Much like victories over the Giants, Texans, Broncos and Titans, the Steelers had one good 30-minute stretch of play and one bad one.

“The only game where you can say they played 60 minutes is Cleveland,” Madden said. “And even that’s arguable because they took their foot off the gas at the end of the game because it was wrapped up.”

For as close as the Ravens game was late, it was a play early in the first quarter that could’ve made a difference.

“If it wasn’t for that pick-6 by Robert Spillane, they would’ve been out of that game by halftime,” Madden insisted.

Mark and I also talk about the Steelers schedule moving forward, how they may dance around their injury issues, and how things lay out for the Thanksgiving rematch versus the Ravens.

We also delve into the Pirates punting on the rest of the Chris Archer era, why Madden wore a JuJu Smith-Schuster jersey on Channel 11 Sunday night, and the new albums from AC/DC and The Struts.

Listen: Tim Benz and Mark Madden discuss the Steelers win over the Ravens