“Let us be dangerous,” says Steelers’ Cameron Heyward. We have a formula that is currently working. We’re hoping to get some guys back. We’re not going to underestimate ourselves”; Ravens’ Patrick Queen: “We had a chance to send them home, and now they have a chance to go to the playoffs.” It stings a little.”
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Mason Rudolph threw a 71-yard touchdown pass to Diontae Johnson, and the Pittsburgh Steelers advanced to the playoffs with a 17-10 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
Rudolph led the Steelers (10-7) to three straight victories to finish the season, and now the Steelers must wait. If Buffalo loses to Miami or Jacksonville loses to Tennessee on Sunday, they will make the playoffs.
In the midst of all that optimism, the Steelers received some bad news. TJ Watt, who had two sacks to take sole possession of the NFL lead with 19, was injured in the third quarter. Watt’s status was not updated by coach Mike Tomlin following the game.
The Ravens (13-4) already had the top seed in the AFC locked up, and they kept MVP favorite Lamar Jackson, as well as a few other key players, out of this game. Tyler Huntley started at quarterback, and both teams struggled to get the ball moving on a rainy, windy day.
With the score tied at seven, Rudolph found Johnson over the middle for the game-winning touchdown. With 3:13 remaining, the Steelers kicked a field goal after Baltimore’s Gus Edwards fumbled. Until that point, the Ravens had not trailed by more than seven points all season.
With 16 seconds remaining, Justin Tucker hit a field goal, but Baltimore couldn’t recover the onside kick. The Ravens’ six-game winning streak was snapped. Rudolph completed 18 of 20 passes for 152 yards, and each team lost two fumbles.
Najee Harris’ six-yard touchdown run in the first quarter gave Pittsburgh the lead. The Ravens didn’t get a first down until the second quarter, but Huntley’s 27-yard scoring pass to Isaiah Likely tied the game.
The Steelers have won seven of the last eight meetings with Baltimore, all by seven points or less.
Pittsburgh’s four straight wins at M&T Bank Stadium are the most by a visiting team since the Steelers won five in a row from 1998 to 2002.
They stated…
“Let us be dangerous,” Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward said. We have a formula that is currently working. We’re hoping to reintroduce some players. We’re not going to underestimate ourselves. We know we have work ahead of us, and we’re looking forward to it.”
“We had a chance to send them home, now they have a chance to go to the playoffs,” Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen said. It hurts a little, but we have a lot of pages in our book that prepare us well. Nobody’s head is bowed or anything. We’ll be ready if we see those guys again.”
