Steelers star praises offense despite lack of touchdowns in win over Ravens

The Pittsburgh Steelers needed six Chris Boswell field goals and a key defensive stop to secure an 18-16 home victory over the rival Baltimore Ravens (7-4) that improved first-place Pittsburgh to 8-2 on Sunday afternoon. 

Despite the lack of touchdowns, star Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward told NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated after the win that starter Russell Wilson and backup Justin Fields have given Pittsburgh "one of the top quarterback rooms" of the ongoing season. 

"We’re very experienced," Heyward explained. "We’ve seen the highs. We’ve seen the lows. Everybody is better because of those. When we get into those tight situations, using [coach Mike Tomlin's] words, we don’t blink. One thing that’s been working in our advantage, we have an offense that can sustain drives. I know they didn’t get touchdowns, but they moved the ball with success. Having a good defense that gets off the field, offense that stays on the field, when we create that, it allows us to stay fresh. It allows us to perform in the fourth [quarter]."

Back in Week 1 when Wilson was recovering from a lingering calf issue, the Fields-led Steelers kicked six field goals in an 18-10 win at the Atlanta Falcons. Fields ultimately won four of six starts, but Tomlin and company clearly felt Wilson could get more out of the offense as its QB1. Wilson is now 4-0 as Pittsburgh's starter, and he completed 23-of-36 passes for 205 yards and one terrible fourth-quarter interception versus the Ravens. 

According to ESPN stats, Wilson would be ranked 29th in the NFL with a 43.1 adjusted QBR if he was among qualified players. While such a number could worry fans, the Steelers showed Sunday they can beat a contender that features a legitimate Most Valuable Player Award candidate in Lamar Jackson even when Wilson isn't what he was during his best days with the Seattle Seahawks. 

"You just learn to stay even keel," Heyward said. "No matter if it was good or bad, you got to weather the storm, rally around each other — and understand we can still make a play." 

The Steelers made the game's biggest defensive play, one that prevented Jackson from successfully converting what would've been a game-tying two-point score with 1:06 remaining in regulation.