The Pittsburgh Steelers were down by 10 points, and down to
their fourth and last running back. Somehow, they found an offense that was
missing for most of three quarters and a way to win a game that easily could
have been lost.
Jeff Reed kicked a 46-yard field goal in overtime and the Steelers withstood two
season-ending injuries to key players and a bad first half to outlast the Ravens
23-20 on Monday night.
Reed’s third field goal—and his seventh career game-winner—ended a
back-and-forth game in which the Steelers (3-1) were down 13-3 late in the third
quarter, rallied but couldn’t hold a seven-point lead, then won despite being
without their top three running backs.
“We lost a lot of guys,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. “I was more
emotional, more vocal than I’ve ever been at halftime. I screamed at our
offense. We were terrible in the first half. Not that we were great in the
second half, but we bounced back.”
The Steelers managed to win the game, but lost first-round draft pick Rashard
Mendenhall (fractured left shoulder) and right guard Kendall Simmons (right
Achilles) for the season. Both will be placed on injured reserve, coach Mike
Tomlin said...
Joe Flacco passed to Daniel Wilcox to the left for 4
yard gain (Matt Stover made PAT)
13 - 3
3rd Quarter
4:09
PIT
TD
Ben Roethlisberger passed to Santonio Holmes down the
middle for 38 yard gain (Jeff Reed made PAT)
13 - 10
3:54
PIT
TD
Joe Flacco fumbled. LaMarr Woodley recovered fumble and
returned for 7 yards (Jeff Reed made PAT)
13 - 17
4th Quarter
9:19
PIT
FG
Jeff Reed kicked a 19-yard field goal
13 - 20
4:02
BAL
TD
Le'Ron McClain rushed to the left for 2 yard gain (Matt
Stover made PAT)
20 - 20
OT
8:55
PIT
FG
Jeff Reed kicked a 46-yard field goal
20 - 23
Team Statistics
BAL
PIT
First Downs
16
11
Passing
12
7
Rushing
4
2
Penalty
0
2
Third Down Efficiency
7-17
5-15
Fourth Down Efficiency
0-0
0-0
TOTAL NET YARDS
243
237
Total Plays
69
55
Average Gain Per Play
3.5
4.3
NET YARDS RUSHING
103
69
Rushes
33
28
Average Per Rush
3.1
2.5
NET YARDS PASSING
140
168
Completions-Attempts
16-31
14-24
Yards Per Pass Play
3.9
6.2
Times Sacked
5
3
Yards Lost to Sacks
52
23
Had Intercepted
0
1
PUNTS
8
7
Average Punt
47.4
40.1
PENALTIES
8
5
Penalty Yards
72
29
FUMBLES
4
2
Fumbles Lost
1
0
TIME OF POSSESSION
34:22
31:43
Pregame Previews, Storylines,
and News
New Page 1
Preview:
The Pittsburgh Steelers aren't feeling too good - mentally or
physically - coming off a game against an aggressive defense that blitzed
relentlessly.
The Baltimore Ravens probably can't wait to try the same thing.
The early lead in the AFC North will be on the line Monday night in Pittsburgh,
where the beat-up Steelers will try to find some answers for the Ravens'
top-ranked defense in one of the NFL's most physical rivalries...more
Inside the Game Plans:
Notable:
RAVENS: The
Ravens will follow the same blueprint of the Philadelphia Eagles, who
had nine sacks against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Look for the Ravens to
use the same disguised blitzes to get a free runner on quarterback Ben
Roethlisberger. The Ravens aren't concerned with the Steelers running
game. They always held Willie Parker in check and should shut down his
replacement, Rashard Mendenhall...
FULL STORY
STEELERS: The
Steelers want to protect their quarterback and run against Baltimore.
Trouble is, those are two of the most difficult things to do against the
Ravens. They expect a close game, so they likely will operate that way.
On defense, they want to stop the run and put pressure and confuse
rookie QB Joe Flacco...FULL
STORY
The Steelers have won
five of the last six meetings between these two teams in Pittsburgh. The
Ravens' two worst losses all-time have come in the Steel City
The Ravens have had the ball an average
of 37:02 in their first two games of 2008 — the highest time of
possession in the league
Ravens RB McGahee probable for Monday
Sports Network ...Ravens running back Willis McGahee is listed
as probable for Monday night's divisional matchup with the Pittsburgh
Steelers with a lacerated eyelid. ...
The Ultimate Steelers Enemy: Ravens LB Ray Lewis
Behind the Steel Curtain ... eager to erase the ugly memory of the Eagle's game
out of our minds, the Steelers best do something early and often against
the Ravens defense. ...
17.7
20.5