Baltimore Ravens vs Pittsburgh Steelers: Position by Position Grades

Defensive Line

Sep 11, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens defensive end

(93) reacts after recovering a fumble in the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

After a stagnant performance in Week 1, the D-line came to play on Thursday night. They held running back Le’Veon Bell in check for pretty much the entire game. His numbers did look good on paper, as he rushed for 59 yards on 11 carries, but those yards were mostly due to the big 21-yard run he had in the third quarter. Other than that, he wasn’t much of a factor.

They also forced two of the first three turnovers for the Ravens in the 2014 season. On the first drive of the game, the Steelers were inside the Ravens red zone, but DeAngelo Tyson came up with a huge play, stripping the ball from Bell and forcing the turnover.

The big guy, Haloti Ngata, made a big play at the end of the game, putting the nail in the coffin with an interception of Ben Roethlisberger. It was the second time in his career that he picked off Big Ben. How many defensive lineman can say that about themselves? Not many, but Haloti Ngata isn’t like every other defensive lineman.

Grade: B+