Steelers ride last-minute Chris Boswell kick to win over Ravens, division title
Emotions were running high when the Steelers took the field Sunday night at Heinz Field while Pro Bowl linebacker and leading tackler Ryan Shazier remained hospitalized with a spinal cord injury.
They were pretty dizzying when the game ended, too.
The Steelers rallied from a nine-point deficit in the final seven minutes — and 11 points overall in the second half — to beat the Baltimore Ravens, 39-38, on Chris Boswell's fourth winning field goal in the past five games.
Boswell's 46-yard kick with 42 seconds remaining lifted the Steelers to their eighth consecutive win, one that clinched the AFC North title.
Shazier watched the game from his hospital bed surrounded by family.
"It's amazing that we could pull it out for him," said linebacker Vince Williams, perhaps Shazier's closest friend on the team.
Ben Roethlisberger, after a record-setting night, carried Shazier's No. 50 off the field. Upon entering the locker room, the Steelers had a video chat with Shazier. Players planned to present him with the game ball, T-shirt and cap that designated the AFC North championship.
"He had an opportunity to share that moment with the team, and that's a special thing," coach Mike Tomlin said. "We did what we had to do to win tonight."
Roethlisberger set career highs in attempts (66) and completions (44) while throwing for 506 yards. It is the third time Roethlisberger has reached 500 yards passing in a game during his career, becoming the first player in NFL history to so.
Antonio Brown caught 11 passes for 213 yards in a game the Steelers played without the suspended JuJu Smith-Schuster. Le'Veon Bell scored three touchdowns, and Jesse James had 10 catches for 97 yards.
For the fourth time in the second half of the season, the Steelers (11-2) won despite trailing in the second half. They squandered a 20-14 halftime lead and trailed 31-20 entering the fourth quarter. They also were down 38-29 with 6:44 remaining.
"You have to have the confidence and belief in your players, your teammates and your coaches," Bell said. "That's what we did today."
Steelers cornerback William Gay's pregame shoes feature a tribute to Ryan Shazier during warm-ups against the Ravens on Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017, at Heinz Field. For more images from Week 14, visit the Trib's photo gallery.
Photo by Christopher Horner
The Steelers put up an inspirational performance for the injured Shazier in the first half, jumping to a 14-0 lead, but the adrenaline wore off after intermission.
Hurt by big plays, poor tackling and costly personal fouls, the Steelers didn't exactly honor Shazier with a strong defensive showing. The Ravens stormed back with 24 points in the second half, including 17 in a row in the third quarter.
The Steelers gave up 120 yards rushing to Alex Collins and 269 yards passing to Joe Flacco. The Ravens had four plays longer than 30 yards and two more that were at least 20.
That doesn't bode well with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots (10-2) visiting Heinz Field next Sunday in the most anticipated AFC game of the season.
The Steelers needed to score 19 points in the fourth quarter to beat the Ravens, and Bell said the offense will be prepared to match the Patriots' high-scoring offense.
"We can win a shootout with anybody," he said.
Trailing 31-20, Boswell kicked a 24-yard field goal with 12:16 remaining.
Roethlisberger and Brown hooked up with a 57-yard catch and run with 10 minutes remaining. A pass interference call in the end zone on a toss intended for Brown set up a 1-yard touchdown pass to fullback Roosevelt Nix on a broken play.
Nix's catch, on his first touch of the season, pulled the Steelers within 31-29 with 9:15 left. The 2-point conversion attempt failed when Bell was tackled short of the goal line.
The Steelers' problems, however, returned, beginning with the Ravens returning the ensuing kickoff to the 44. Sean Davis body-slammed Benjamin Watson on an incompletion, moving the ball 15 yards closer for the Ravens on the personal foul. Artie Burns was called for pass interference that put the ball on the Steelers 25.
This led to Javorius Allen's 9-yard touchdown run with 6:44 remaining and a 38-29 lead for the Ravens.
The Steelers pieced together one more touchdown drive, moving 68 yards in eight plays and getting an 11-yard touchdown run by Bell with 3:29 left for his third score.
The defense forced a three-and-out, putting the ball back in Roethlisberger's hands with 2:25 left on a drive that began at the Steelers 17.
"I appreciate their efforts their efforts at the end," Tomlin said about his defense. "Regardless of circumstance. It was one of those back-and-forth shootout type games. They made the necessary plays down the stretch."
A 34-yard completion to Brown put the Steelers on the Ravens 30 and set the stage for Boswell to kick his fourth field goal of the game.
With Shazier watching from his hospital bed, the Steelers sealed the win when Flacco fumbled on a sack by T.J. Watt. The ball rolled out of bounds, and the clock ticked off the remaining seconds.
"We put ourselves in some bad situations," Williams said. "Some things that we knew that we needed to stop, we couldn't stop. A win is a win. You can't complain about them. You just have to get them how you can get them."
Joe Rutter is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at jrutter@tribweb.com or via Twitter @tribjoerutter.
