5 days Ago By Brogan Noey, Steeler Nation
The Pittsburgh Steelers walked away with another narrow victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday to improve to 8-2 on the season. The win grew Pittsburgh's lead in the AFC North as they continue to go through a gauntlet of a schedule in the second half of the 2024 season. Pittsburgh's defense was a big reason for the victory, as was Chris Boswell who nailed six field goals.
Games between Pittsburgh and Baltimore are typically tight, but the rivalry has been relatively lop-sided in recent years as Pittsburgh keeps finding ways to win. This was the second time during the 2024 season when Boswell kicked six field goals in a victory where the offense had failed to find the end zone. He also did this in Week 1 when Pittsburgh beat the Atlanta Falcons.
George Pickens spoke to the media following the win , and he spoke about certain players on Pittsburgh being able to make plays while some of the Ravens struggled when asked about the toll the physicality takes on play. "Me personally, thats what I want the team to be." Pickens said.
"A lot of guys are going to talk, I'm going to talk, but as far as making plays on the field, that's the most important part. I feel like we kind of did that a little bit more than them." Players for the Steelers were making plays throughout the game.
They easily won the turnover battle while being able to contain Lamar Jackson and the potent offense of the Ravens. Pittsburgh defense came up big, as did Boswell. Pittsburgh's kicker easily won his matchup with Justin Tucker, who has been considered the best kicker in the NFL throughout his career.
Pickens' comments especially reign true when it comes to the kicking matchup. Boswell went six for six while accounting for all of Pittsburgh's points, while Tucker missed two relatively easy field goals during the first half of the game. Tucker left six points on the board in the first half by missing a 47-yard field goal and a 50-yard goal.
These are two kicks that the All-Pro can usually make in his sleep, but his struggles during the 2024 season continued into the matchup with Pittsburgh. In such narrow games these plays on special teams are especially important. If Tucker was able to make even one of his missed kicks Baltimore probably would have won the game.
Tucker was able to see one go through the uprights in the second half which went for 54-yards, while Boswell's longest kick of the day went for 57-yards. Tucker's performance on Sunday certainly hurt his reputation as the best kicker in the league, and his counterpart in Pittsburgh might have taken his spot. Steelers' Chris Boswell Cementing Himself As The Best Kicker In The NFL Boswell and Tucker have been atop the league for quite a while, and Brandon Aubrey of the Dallas Cowboys has recently put himself in the conversation as the best in the league as well.
For years Tucker got all the shine as he has been elected to seven Pro-Bowls and been named an All-Pro nine times, while Boswell has only been voted to the Pro-Bowl once. In 2024, Boswell is certainly leading the way when it comes to All-Pro consideration. Boswell has made 29 of his 30 field goal attempts in the 2024 season, and he has been the most accurate kicker by far.
His only miss came in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers when he attempted a 62-yard field goal before halftime. This article first appeared on SteelerNation.com and was syndicated with permission.
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