Mistakes doom Steelers in close loss to Ravens

If the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to avoid their first losing season under coach Mike Tomlin — and keep alive any slim playoff aspirations they might have — they are going to have to run the table.

The margin for error is nil as the result of a 16-14 loss Sunday to the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium.

Three interceptions on passes that exchanged hands in the red zone and a blocked field goal conspired to snap the Steelers’ two-game winning streak and drop their record to 5-8 with four games remaining.

The defeat also was the first in the past five meetings with the Ravens, who remain tied with Cincinnati atop the AFC North at 9-4.

“A huge missed opportunity for us,” free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick said. “We could have beat them.”

Because the Steelers didn’t, they need to win their remaining four games to avoid their first losing season since 2003 — or four years before Tomlin replaced Bill Cowher.

“It’s upsetting,” outside linebacker Alex Highsmith said, “but it will be a test of our character and integrity as a team.”

Mitch Trubisky replaced an injured Kenny Pickett in the first quarter and directed two touchdown drives, including one with 2 minutes, 30 seconds left that pulled the Steelers within two points. But Trubisky also threw three interceptions — on passes that were hauled in at the Ravens 10, 8 and 1, respectively.

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“You just can’t turn the ball over, particularly in the nature of this matchup,” Tomlin said. “Usually the team that turns the ball over in the red area is the team that loses.”

Trubisky wasn’t the only backup quarterback — or even third-stringer — to factor into the outcome.

With Lamar Jackson sitting out because of injury, the Ravens started Tyler Huntley only to lose him in the second half to a concussion. That put the game in the hands of third-stringer Anthony Brown, freshly promoted from the practice squad a day earlier.

Brown directed a fourth-quarter field-goal drive that gave the Ravens a 16-7 lead.

The Ravens duo combined for 104 yards passing with 11 completions on 17 attempts. Despite knowing the Ravens would rely on the run, the Steelers were powerless to stop it. The Ravens smashed the defense for 215 yards rushing, the most allowed by the Steelers since the 2021 season finale at Baltimore.

J.K. Dobbins, who was activated from injured reserve this week, led the Ravens with 120 yards and a touchdown. Gus Edwards added 66.

“We weren’t physical enough,” Highsmith said. “The reason we’ve been a successful run defense all year is because we’ve been playing physical. We didn’t do that enough.”

The Steelers entered with the No. 7 run defense in the NFL, but the stat was a bit misleading. They were coming off a performance in which the Atlanta Falcons rushed for 118 yards in the second half.

Tomlin said the Steelers “wore down” against the Ravens, apparently forgetting that Baltimore had 127 yards on the ground at the break. That included a 44-yard run up the middle by Dobbins, which set up his 4-yard touchdown carry that provided the Ravens with a 10-0 lead.

The backbreaker came after Chris Boswell’s 40-yard field-goal attempt was blocked by Calais Campbell with 11:19 remaining that kept the Steelers trailing 13-7.

The Ravens ran nine times on a 13-play drive that consumed 7:55 and ended with Justin Tucker’s 30-yard field goal that made it a two-score game.

“You have to know it’s going to come down to the run game,” defensive tackle Cameron Heyward said. “We didn’t execute enough to get off the field.”

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Trubisky pulled the Steelers within 16-14 when he finished off a 49-second drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Pat Freiermuth with 2:30 to play.

Armed with two timeouts, all the Steelers needed to do was force a punt to give Trubisky another chance to atone for his interceptions. Instead, Edwards gained 13 yards on three runs, allowing the Ravens to run out the clock.

“It’s devastating,” linebacker Myles Jack said. “It’s heartbreaking because that’s all we’re on the field to do — give the ball back to our offense and give them another shot.”

Pickett was evaluated for concussion symptoms after the first drive of the game. He was cleared to return and played one more series before departing for good. It was the second game Pickett had to leave because of a concussion.

In the first, Trubisky rallied the Steelers to a victory against Tampa Bay.

His three interceptions Sunday — two of which came in the final 5:47 of the first half — kept the Steelers from ever taking the lead.

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“We did a good job moving the ball,” Trubisky said, “but I have to protect the football, and that’s obvious.”

So is where the Steelers stand within the AFC hierarchy heading into the final four games of the season.

“Everybody in this locker room knows what’s at stake, knows what we’re trying to do,” Jack said. “This was great opportunity to get back to .500, and we didn’t execute.”