It took a full 60 minutes… but Joe Flacco found Torrey Smith (who had gotten behind Ryan Clark) for the game-winning score on a 26-yard strike into the end zone to cap a 92-yard drive at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh….and as time expired, the Ravens killed off a jinx which had been riding their backs forever.
Ryan Mink of Ravens.com tells the tale:
“This game was looking like so many gut-wrenching defeats in Pittsburgh before. The Ravens were outplaying the Steelers all game. They had a 10-point lead entering the fourth quarter. But the Steelers and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger rallied, taking a four-point lead into the final minutes.
Only this time, the Ravens wrote a different ending.
Baltimore drove 92 yards in two minutes, 16 seconds to shock the Steelers at Heinz Field on a 26-yard touchdown reception by rookie Torrey Smith with eight seconds remaining, winning 23-20.
It vaults the Ravens to 6-2 overall and puts them in a first-place tie with the Cincinnati Bengals atop the AFC North. It gives them a series sweep of the Steelers, meaning they hold the tiebreaker come playoff time.
Perhaps more than either of those scenarios, it destroys the Steelers’ stranglehold over the Ravens in such situations.
The Ravens beat Pittsburgh – at Heinz Field, with Roethlisberger under center – for the first time since 2006.
Baltimore took over possession at their own 8-yard line with two minutes, 24 seconds left on the clock. They marched down the field thanks to first-down conversions by wide receiver Anquan Boldin. But then, in a familiar sequence, the Ravens looked to be crumbling. Torrey Smith had a long pass into the end zone glance off his outstretched fingertips. Boldin followed with a dropped ball that would have put them on the 10-yard line.
Then, on what was perhaps their final chance, Flacco looked to his left and hit Torrey Smith with another bomb. He got behind Pittsburgh’s secondary and caught the pass as he slid to the ground despite a pass interference call.
Baltimore outplayed Pittsburgh for nearly three quarters before they saw their lead slipping away. They led, 9-6, at the half, but it could have been more.
The Ravens looked to have a 76-yard touchdown on the first snap of the game behind a cutback run by Rice. Only it was called back on a questionable holding call on Smith.
Baltimore still drove down the field on 14 plays in 6:56. Rice got in the end zone again after his offensive line gave him a push on a third-and-2 run, but it was ruled that his forward progress was stopped short of the goal line.
The Ravens opted to kick the field goal on fourth-and-1 and took a 3-0 lead.
After holding Pittsburgh to a three-and-out, the Ravens marched right back down the field thanks in part to a 29-yard reception by Smith. But kicker Billy Cundiff was wide right from 40 yards out, breaking a streak of 32 straight completions inside 50 yards.
The Ravens were leading Pittsburgh in total yardage, 120-8, yet had just a three-point lead to show for it. They left points on the field.
The Steelers offense started to gain traction. Given time in the pocket, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger drove down the field for a 36-yard field goal by Shaun Suisham to tie the game at 3-3.
Baltimore re-took the lead on a 43-yard field goal by Cundiff, but Pittsburgh came right back again to tie the game at 6-6 on the next drive.
The Ravens nearly had a red zone interception, but the ball bounced right through linebacker Jameel McClain hands and was caught for a 17-yard gain. Baltimore held up in the shadow of its own end zone thanks to their first sack of the game, which was shared by Paul Kruger and Pernell McPhee.
The Ravens had a minute left at the end of the half and they capitalized, driving down the field to set up a 51-yard field goal attempt by Cundiff. He nailed it, giving the Ravens a 9-6 halftime lead. It was just the fourth field goal from beyond 50 yards in Heinz Field history. Cundiff had missed seven straight field goals from over 50.
Pittsburgh marched down the field on their first offensive possession of the second half, but was halted when Terrell Suggs leapt in front of a quick outside pass for an interception. It was the first turnover in the game and came deep in Ravens territory.
The Ravens turned it into seven points the other way, notching the first touchdown of the game on a four-yard run by Ray Rice to take a 16-6 lead. The Ravens converted on third down three times on the drive to put them at 10-for-14 on third down.
Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor was flagged for a 23-yard pass interference penalty to put the Ravens on the 4-yard line, but Suggs deserved the assist. He caused the first “big mistake” players in this rivalry always talk about as the difference-makers.
The two rivals continued to trade punches.
Pittsburgh went right back down the field, thanks to an acrobatic catch by Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown on third-and-17 and two long completions to tight end Heath Miller. Running back Rashard Mendenhall punched it in from the 1-yard line to draw the game back to three points, 16-13. It was an 11-play, 80-yard drive.
Joe Flacco struck back, converting on third down three times on the next drive, pushing to the edge of field goal range. But on third-and-8, Flacco was sacked by James Harrison – who was playing in his first game back since suffering an eye injury in Week 4 – and fumbled. The Steelers recovered at their own 42.
Pittsburgh drove down the field and took the lead on a 25-yard touchdown reception by Mike Wallace. It was on a play that was so familiar, with Roethlisberger running to his right and slinging the ball on the move.
But at the end of the day, Flacco and the Ravens didn’t cave. It’s Flacco’s second game-winning drive in Pittsburgh in the last three games.”
Just a tremendous team win against all odds… And I don’t want to hear any more naysaying about Joe Flacco’s ability to come up big in crunch time…
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