The Pittsburgh Steelers had a chance leave Baltimore Sunday alone at the top of the AFC North with a win over the Ravens. But, as many of these rivals’ bouts have played out, the game came down to the final drive. With plenty of star power on both sides of the ball, who would step up?
Well, on Sunday, it was Steelers OLB Alex Highsmith who stepped up in the dying seconds. With nine seconds remaining, the Ravens faced a 3rd and 1 from the Steelers’ 30-yard line. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson took the snap, and Highsmith chased him down for the sack. But insider Ray Fittipaldo thinks that Highsmith’s impact on the game went far beyond that game-clinching takedown.
“He had three tackles for a loss,” Fittipaldo said on Monday’s episode of the North Shore Drive podcast. “Both he and T.J. Watt crashed down hard and put some pretty good licks on [Derrick] Henry. I can remember at least three or four, at least two from Highsmith, where they came down the line of scrimmage and dropped him for either a loss or a zero-yard gain.”
The last time the Steelers faced off against the Ravens, Henry repeatedly tore through their defense. In the 2024 Wild Card Round, Henry carried the ball 26 times for 186 yards and two touchdowns. That was part of a Ravens 299-yard rushing outburst in their 28-14 win.
The Steelers vowed that it wouldn’t happen again. Unfortunately, the run defense has been on a roller-coaster ride this season. They’ve given up 1,629 rushing yards, 21st in the league. And the Steelers allow 4.4 yards per carry, 18th in the league.
But on Sunday, Highsmith helped key a run defense that held Derrick Henry under 100 yards rushing. He carried the ball 25 times, only one fewer than in that Wild Card matchup. But he only managed 94 yards and 3.8 yards per carry.
And Highsmith had three tackles for a loss, which led the Steelers. He was a key part of the Steelers’ run defense keeping Henry largely a non-factor in the game. And then, in the biggest moment of the game, Highsmith tripped up Jackson for the sack to end the Ravens’ comeback bid.
LB Patrick Queen praised Highsmith after the Steelers’ 27-22, calling him an “absolute dawg” and saying that he inspires them with that mentality. That “dawg” mentality showed up on Sunday as Highsmith was one of the most important Steelers defenders in the game. And he made an impact both against the run and the pass.
