Tim Benz: So much from Steelers-Ravens was overshadowed by officiating debates

During a full day of debate surrounding three huge officiating calls that benefited the Steelers during their 27-22 win over the Ravens on Sunday, Pittsburgh cornerback Joey Porter Jr. gave his blunt assessment of the pass breakup he got on a play that was initially ruled a fourth-quarter touchdown for Baltimore’s Isaiah Likely.

“I’ve seen it all on my timeline. It’s a drop. Close though. Really close,” Porter said Monday. “I was just fighting. Kept raking. And it finally came out. At that point, it is up to the refs. But after I looked at it, I was like, ‘He didn’t get the third step.’ So, incomplete.”

After review this was ruled an incomplete pass and not a touchdown for the Ravens pic.twitter.com/ZHjsi81JGs

— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) December 7, 2025

Eventually, the instant replay officials agreed and took the touchdown away. They also repealed an interception from Baltimore on a contested batted pass at the line of scrimmage and flagged them for a very pedantic interpretation of unnecessary roughness against long snapper Christian Kuntz.

With so much attention on those three calls, numerous other elements of that game got lost in the mix.

So let’s highlight a few storylines that were crucial to the Steelers’ win that had nothing to do with the officiating.

I’m really interested to see what Asante Samuel Sr. has to say about DK Metcalf in his latest podcast.

Last week, the former NFL cornerback (and father of the current Steeler DB) panned Metcalf for his inability to get separation, his overreliance on finesse and his lack of willingness to use his strength at the line of scrimmage to create space.

Well, whatever Metcalf was doing against the Ravens, it worked. He totaled a season-high 148 yards on seven catches and 12 targets. And Metcalf certainly got separation on his 52-yard reception to open the game.

RODGERS TO DK FOR 55.

PITvsBAL on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/bLKPYKWqQs

— NFL (@NFL) December 7, 2025

On his podcast, Samuel compared Metcalf to the big man you used to play youth basketball with who refused to play big down low and only wanted to hang out on the perimeter and shoot 3-pointers.

At times this season, that analogy has held water. But on Sunday, Metcalf was quite good, and I’m wondering what Samuel’s assessment will be now.

It was a mixed day for the Steelers’ offensive line. The unit only generated 34 rushing yards. However, Aaron Rodgers wasn’t sacked and was only hit once.

“I thought the pass protection was excellent,” Rodgers said after the win. “The line really gave me a lot of time today. There were some extensions. I kind of got out of a couple of potential sacks. But, for the most part, it was a super clean day. To still be recovering from my injury and to not really get hit a whole lot — I don’t know if I was on the ground one time without being clumsy and falling down — that’s a good day.”

Keep in mind that the team got down to its third-string offensive tackle in Dylan Cook during the win in Baltimore.

“I could definitely relax a little bit more,” Cook said of his NFL debut. “The sets kind of got wacky a little bit. But that was just nerves. Going forward, I know I can just take a deep breath, and I have more time than I think I do. Just settle in.”

The pass protection better be good against the Dolphins on “Monday Night Football” too. Their defensive front totaled six sacks last week.

The Steelers need to do a better job of staying on the field. The Steelers ran 26 fewer plays than Baltimore did.

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• 5 things we learned: In AFC North, Steelers control destiny, but so do 2nd-place Ravens

I realized Monday morning that I had written three pieces on a Steelers-Ravens game and had not mentioned T.J. Watt.

That’s probably because the outside linebacker was held without a sack for the third time in his last four games and was part of a rush defense that allowed more than 200 yards on the ground for a second straight week.

But Watt did have his moments, recording six tackles, four solo, one for a loss, and on a few occasions in the first half, he worked his way down the line of scrimmage and made tackles on Derrick Henry.

The run defense is going to be a real issue again against the Dolphins. Coach Mike McDaniel’s team put up 239 yards on the ground against the New York Jets on Sunday.

During their current four-game win streak, the Dolphins have averaged 192.2 yards per game on the ground. Miami has the eighth-best rushing team in football at 126.5 yards per game.

Former Dolphin turned Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith isn’t surprised.

“He puts them in advantageous circumstances,” Smith said of McDaniel’s philosophy with his running backs. “He creates a lot of running lanes and space where they can be elusive and be themselves and win those open-field one-on-one matchups. He is really putting guys in position to do so. Schematically, he is a good offensive mind.”

Lead running back De’Von Achane has 1,126 rushing yards, third-most in the NFL.

CAN'T STOP WON'T STOP#ProBowlVote @ffvmousvon_ ???? pic.twitter.com/LLvJfKGrar

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) December 7, 2025

The 24-year-old Texas A&M product suffered a rib injury versus the Jets, but an MRI revealed no fracture.

Aside from Metcalf. It was another “blah” performance from the other pass catchers.

Aaron Rodgers had to rely on Kenneth Gainwell and Jaylen Warren in the passing game if he wasn’t throwing to Metcalf. Those two running backs combined for nine catches and 76 yards, including Warren’s 38-yard touchdown reception.

Jaylen Warren takes it 38 yards for the TD!

PITvsBAL on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/lCwZkzIPxe

— NFL (@NFL) December 7, 2025

The remaining seven receivers and tight ends who were targeted during the game ended up with only six catches for 39 yards.

Baltimore almost came back from an 11-point second-half deficit. The “Fire Tomlin” chants would’ve started during pregame introductions and not during the fourth quarter this week if that had happened.

That would’ve been the fifth blown second-half lead of the season for the Steelers. And, man, the Ravens would’ve earned it.

Think about these second-half stats:

• The Steelers had three fourth-quarter possessions. They were all three-and-outs. They ran nine offensive plays. Baltimore snapped the ball 40 times.

• Baltimore held the ball for 10 minutes, 41 seconds of the fourth quarter.

• Total yardage in the fourth quarter favored Baltimore 220-8.

• The Ravens scored on their first three possessions of the second half. It would have been four in a row if not for the overturned Likely touchdown.

Oops. Sorry. I said I wouldn’t talk about the officiating anymore. I lasted as long as I possibly could.

Not a bad effort, if I do say so myself.

WATCH: Tim Benz and Mark Madden host “Madden-Benz: Unfiltered!”