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Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen gave a surprising admission after beating the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. Pittsburgh's gritty 18-16 win was very consequential for the AFC North race. Mike Tomlin's team now sits at 8-2 overall, one and a half games in front of their 7-4 rivals. Now a key player on the Steelers' defense, Queen was an All-Pro player in Baltimore before signing with Pittsburgh this past offseason.
Before this divisional matchup, the 2020 first-round pick noted that he left Baltimore because he felt unwanted by the organization. Queen, however, had a very different tone in the postgame when speaking to Steelers reporter Chris Adamski.
“I think at the beginning, I probably thought back then that I'd be a little bit more pissed off. But I just woke up this morning and didn't feel any anger.”
Patrick Queen and the Steelers' defense have been elite this season
Queen's professional response reflects why he's been a terrific fit for the Steelers. Heading into Week 11, the linebacker out of LSU is second on the team in total tackles with 62, recording four tackles for loss and three passes defended.
The Steelers' defense ranks second in the NFL in points allowed and came up huge on Sunday. MVP candidate Lamar Jackson came into this game, leading the highest-scoring offense at 31.8 points per game. Thanks to Queen, who recorded ten total tackles and one tackle for loss, the Steelers' defense held the Ravens to 16 points.
Mike Tomlin's team is one of the hottest in the league. The Steelers are currently on a five-game winning streak and undefeated when quarterback Russell Wilson has played. Pittsburgh is now the overall three-seed in the AFC and tied in the loss column with the two-seeded Buffalo Bills. Despite the good vibes within the franchise, Russell Wilson and company will need to stay focused on their upcoming schedule.
The Steelers will face their divisional rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns twice, Baltimore one more time, and the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. With Kansas City's loss to Buffalo, Pittsburgh can now win out and earn the one seed in the AFC. Mike Tomlin has never finished the season with home-field advantage guaranteed for the entire playoffs. Considering the expected harsh weather in “the Steel City” in January and Pittsburgh's defense, finishing first in the conference is critical.
The Steelers, of course, are by no means guaranteed to go undefeated the rest of the stretch. While the Chiefs are in the running to win a third straight Super Bowl, the trip to Philadelphia might be Pittsburgh's most challenging game remaining. The Eagles have won six consecutive games, primarily due to an MVP-caliber season from running back Saquon Barkley. Patrick Queen's contributions will ultimately be as crucial as they've ever been for Mike Tomlin's team over these next few months.
