NFL GAME RECAP

Roethlisberger rallies Steelers by Ravens

The Sports Xchange

December 10, 2017 at 11:34 pm.

Dec 10, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA;  Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) looks to pass against the Baltimore Ravens during the first quarter at Heinz Field. Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Dec 10, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) looks to pass against the Baltimore Ravens during the first quarter at Heinz Field. Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH — Call them the Cardiac Kids.

The Pittsburgh Steelers won another game on a Chris Boswell field goal in the final minute to defeat the Baltimore Ravens 39-38 on Sunday night in a wild game at Heinz Field.

The Steelers (11-2) won their eighth straight game and clinched the AFC North Division title. The Ravens fell to 7-6.

It was the fourth time in the last five games that a late Boswell field goal gave Pittsburgh a win. Unlike the other three, the Steelers left time on the clock, but a T.J. Watt sack of Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco ended the game and wrapped up the division title.

The Steelers rallied from a 39-28 deficit with 2:31 left on a record performance by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. He completed a career-high 44 passes on a career-high 66 attempts for 506 yards. Antonio Brown caught 11 passes for 213 yards.

Roethlisberger became the first quarterback with three 500-yard games. Drew Brees of New Orleans is the only other quarterback with two 500-yard games, a total that has been reached only 21 times in league history.

Trailing 20-14 at halftime, the Ravens scored 17 unanswered points to open the second half. A 40-yard pass from Flacco to Mike Wallace set up a 47-yard Justin Tucker field goal that cut the deficit lead to 20-17 with 10:06 left in the third quarter.

Baltimore finally took the lead with 5:20 left in that quarter on an easy seven-play, 60-yard drive through the toothless Steelers defense in 3:06. Alex Collins ripped off a 17-yard run past linebacker Arthur Moats to the Pittsburgh 1, from where Buck Allen, lined up as a fullback, bulled his way into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown and a 24-20 lead.

The assault continued with another Ravens touchdown in three plays. Fullback Patrick Ricard caught a 6-yard pass from Flacco for a score to complete an embarrassing defensive showing with 46 yards on two penalties and a 21-yard run by Collins. It put the Ravens ahead 31-20 with 2:43 left in the third quarter.

Boswell kicked his third field goal, a 24-yarder, to cut the lead to 31-23 with 12:16 left.

Roethlisberger tossed a 1-yard touchdown pass to Roosevelt Nix with 9:15 left to play to put the Steelers into position to tie the game. But, after a pass interference penalty moved the conversion attempt to the 1, running back Le’Veon Bell was stopped running wide and the Ravens held on to their two-point lead.

Baltimore answered with a 9-yard touchdown run by Allen, but the Steelers stormed back with an 11-yard touchdown run by Bell to cut the lead to 38-36 with 3:15 remaining.

Pittsburgh then took the 39-38 lead with a 46-yard Boswell field goal that proved to be the game-winner.

An interception kick-started the Steelers’ opening touchdown drive. The Ravens took the opening kickoff and drove to the Pittsburgh 30, but on third-and-4, Flacco was intercepted by safety Sean Davis at the 6.

Davis returned it to the Pittsburgh 41 and Roethlisberger went to work. His eight-play drive was capped by a 20-yard touchdown pass to Bell, who beat safety Tony Jefferson in coverage and ran through linebacker C.J. Mosley and safety Eric Weddle at the goal line to score.

The Steelers increased their lead to 14-0 on their second possession. A 28-yard Roethlisberger pass to Brown put the ball at the Baltimore 6, and a pass interference penalty on Maurice Canady moved the ball to the Baltimore 1. Bell scored his second touchdown by running over Jefferson.

Chris Moore put the Ravens on the board by hauling in a 30-yard touchdown pass from Flacco with 9:07 left in the half. It was Moore’s second career touchdown catch and it cut the Steelers’ lead to 14-7.

A 43-yard Roethlisberger pass to Brown set up a 52-yard field goal by Boswell that gave the Steelers a 17-7 lead with 4:14 left in the half.

The Ravens came right behind running back Collins, who ripped through some shoddy Steelers tackling for a 37-yarder down the sideline before running 18 yards for a touchdown that cut the deficit lead to 17-14 with 1:53 remaining.

A 43-yard field goal by Boswell with one second left in the half gave the Steelers a 20-14 lead at the break.

NOTES: Sean Spence, picked up Wednesday by the Steelers to replace the injured Ryan Shazier and Tyler Matakevich, started next to Vince Williams at inside linebacker. … Ravens first-round draft pick Marlon Humphrey made his second career start, as a replacement for injured and suspended cornerback Jimmy Smith. … Boswell’s 52-yard field goal in the second quarter was one yard short of a Heinz Field record Boswell had matched in the Steelers’ previous home game.