3 Takeaways from Steelers' Week 8 Win

The last undefeated team remaining in the NFL will remain that way for another week.

On Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers continued their impressive start to the season with their most notable victory yet, as they went on the road and held on for a 28-24 win over the Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers now have a two-game lead atop the AFC North after improving to 7-0.

Baltimore had the ball at Pittsburgh's 23-yard line with five seconds remaining, but Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick broke up a Lamar Jackson pass attempt in the end zone in the closing seconds to secure the victory. Pittsburgh overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to come back for the win.

Here are three takeaways from the Steelers' latest victory.

The Steelers Can Make Big Plays When They Need To

Nick Wass/Associated Press

It hadn't been a great day for the Steelers' offense. They lost a fumble on their opening drive, then punted on each of their next four possessions. And although they got it going a bit in the second half, they still faced a 24-21 deficit when they got the ball with 11 minutes, 56 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

That's when Pittsburgh went 80 yards on eight plays, as Ben Roethlisberger's 8-yard touchdown pass to Chase Claypool with 7:29 to go put them ahead by four points and marked the final score of the game. The defense also rose to the occasion late, as Baltimore's ensuing drive ended at the Steelers' 6-yard line with 2 minutes remaining as Fitzpatrick forced Jackson to fumble and linebacker Robert Spillane recovered.

Pittsburgh continues to show it can pull out wins in close games against strong teams, as this victory came a week after its 27-24 road win over the Tennessee Titans. The latest one may not have been the Steelers' best showing, but they again did what they needed to for a victory.

"Nothing about this game was pretty from an offensive perspective until the end and we looked at the scoreboard," Roethlisberger said post-game.

The defense allowed 457 yards, including 265 on the ground. However, the Steelers made big plays on that side of the ball throughout the game, forcing four Ravens turnovers, which included an interception return touchdown by Spillane and a pick by linebacker Alex Highsmith.

More Defensive Injuries ... But Help is on the Way

Gail Burton/Associated Press

Although the Steelers' defense has been among the best in the NFL this season, they keep getting bit by the injury bug. Last week, they lost linebacker Devin Bush for the season because of a torn ACL. And some of this week's struggles against the Ravens' running game can at least partially be attributed to another pair of key losses.

Defensive tackle Tyson Alualu left in the first quarter with a knee injury, while defensive end Cameron Heyward exited in the fourth with an undisclosed injury. Neither returned to the game. The Steelers were also still without cornerback Mike Hilton because of a shoulder injury.

"Injuries are a part of it," Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin said, according to Ray Fittipaldo and Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "It is significant, but I thought losing Tyson Alualu in-game and losing Mike Hilton prior to the game, those are two critical run-down defenders that made it tough for us to function at times because they are exceptional at running the football."

Can the Steelers' defense maintain its high level of play as the injuries continue to pile up? Well, they made one addition after Sunday's game that should help.

Pittsburgh acquired linebacker Avery Williamson in a trade with the New York Jets, a move that was first reported by Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Williamson has 59 tackles and an interception in seven games this season, and he should help fortify the Steelers' linebacker corps with Bush sidelined.

As long as Pittsburgh can avoid more key losses, it should get back to playing at a high level on defense.

The Undefeated Start May Keep Going for a While

Gail Burton/Associated Press

The past two weeks have been tough for the Steelers. Road matchups against teams like the Titans and Ravens are challenging, and yet they still kept their perfect record intact. Now, Pittsburgh's next few games will be against teams that haven't played quite as well to begin 2020.

In Week 9, the Steelers go on the road again to play the Dallas Cowboys, who are 2-6 and continue to have quarterback woes after losing Dak Prescott to a season-ending ankle injury. The following week, they'll take on the AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals for the first time this season. The Bengals sit in last place in the division at 2-5-1.

And then in Week 11, Pittsburgh will travel to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are 1-6. So, entering a three-game stretch against a trio of opponents with a combined record of 5-17-1 is setting up the Steelers well to potentially keep their unbeaten start going.

Of course, anything can happen in the NFL on a weekly basis. But Pittsburgh is going to have strong odds to win for much of November.

If the Steelers get through this stretch with three more wins, then they'll put their undefeated record on the line against the Ravens once again on Thanksgiving night in Pittsburgh. Either way, that's going to be a huge matchup that could have strong implications in deciding the AFC North title.