Mark Madden: Steelers' resolve shows again in win at Baltimore

More than anything, the Steelers are 7-0 based on grit and resilience.

They got outgained 457-221 at Baltimore Sunday. They had the ball for less than 25 minutes. They were 3 for 9 on third down. Ben Roethlisberger was 4 of 10 for 24 yards in the first half. The Steelers were offensively incompetent in those first 30 minutes. Only an unlikely pick-six by linebacker Robert Spillane kept them within 17-7 at halftime.

But the Steelers stopped self-destructing. Baltimore didn’t.

Baltimore took nine penalties for 110 yards. The Ravens committed four turnovers to the Steelers’ one. Pro Bowl linebacker Matthew Judon was ejected for making contact with a ref.

The Ravens could have won, maybe should have. But the Ravens blew it.

Make no mistake, the Steelers were worthy winners. Their victory had little to do with luck and much to do with not taking no for an answer.

It was a game where Le’Veon Bell might have dreamed up a hamstring injury, or Antonio Brown would have thrown a halftime fit if he wasn’t getting targeted enough.

By contrast, JuJu Smith-Schuster had zero catches in the first half. But he had seven grabs for 67 yards in the second half, including four on the game-winning touchdown drive.

The Toxic Twins-era Steelers had better weaponry. But this offense gives itself a chance to be greater than the sum of its parts. Be patient. Roethlisberger will involve you.

These Steelers want to win, and not much else. That old-school attitude is getting results like in 1978, the last time the Steelers started 7-0. (They won the Super Bowl that year.)

What’s next? Well, 8-0, probably, then 9-0 and 10-0. The Steelers play at Dallas, host Cincinnati and visit Jacksonville for their next three games. Those foes are 5-17-1 between them.

The Steelers have a two-game lead on Baltimore in the AFC North and, obviously, the head-to-head tiebreaker. They also have a bead drawn on the lone bye in the AFC.

Given the chance presented, the Steelers must do better than just make the playoffs. Get the easiest path. Home-field advantage may not mean as much in the pandemic era. But get it anyway.

Are the Steelers as good as 7-0 says? Why not? Momentum has made them a runaway train. Being 6-0 helped provide the composure to waltz through Sunday’s raindrops on the way to 7-0.

If you gave Roethlisberger a letter grade for his performance this season, C+ is about right. Like the Steelers as a whole, he has trouble putting together 60 minutes. But he’s making the plays he has to, and his resolve trickles down. Roethlisberger’s leadership and poise are invaluable.

The Steelers defense got gouged all afternoon by Baltimore, not least safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, a fraction of last year’s All-Pro presence. But who broke up Lamar Jackson’s throw to the end zone on the game’s last play? Fitzpatrick.

Spillane is all heart, but is slow and lacks pedigree. His pick-six, however, provided a fast start and what turned out to be a critical lifeline when the Steelers mostly bumbled away the first half. (It may also turn out to be a de facto farewell to starting: After the game, the Steelers acquired inside ‘backer Avery Williamson from the New York Jets. He’s a needed upgrade.)

I’m not totally sure who Isaiah Buggs is, but he made two big stops on Baltimore’s penultimate possession in the absence of the injured Tyson Alualu.

That’s how you win games. That’s how you start 7-0. It’s not always about being the best, or even being at your best. It’s about being ready when your chance comes, both as a team and individually. You can struggle or even stink occasionally.

That last part isn’t recommended, but it’s worked for the Steelers.

It sounds absurd to say at 7-0, but the Steelers need to be better. They need to put together 60 minutes. They need to shear off some rough edges.

If that seems a bit demanding of an undefeated team, coach Mike Tomlin gets it: “We did not play well (Sunday). We lacked detail in a lot of areas.”

But, Tomlin also said, “We didn’t blink. The way (the players) didn’t fall apart in the midst of some of the things going on, I think that is as critical as anything.”

That may be more critical than anything.