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Steelers, Ravens rivalry lives on

4 min read

BALTIMORE – Over the course of the Steelers-Ravens series, there have been a number of instant classics played between the two AFC North rivals.

Thursday night, the two teams added several chapters to the ever-growing book. Call this one the Thanksgiving Throw Down.

You want drama?

This game had plenty of it, with the Steelers storming back from deficits of 13-0 and 19-7 to cut the lead to 22-20 with just over a minute remaining on drive that saw the Steelers score three times, only two have two overruled upon review.

Or, how about the Steelers’ attempt to tie the game with a two-point conversion, running the same play on which they had just scored the game-tying touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the 1? Baltimore cornerback Chykie Brown appeared to faceguard Pittsburgh receiver Emmanuel Sanders, never turning to play the ball. But the screen was enough to keep Sanders from clearly getting a view of the football and he dropped it.

If that wasn’t enough, there was also Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin’s near tackle of Baltimore return man Jacoby Jones as he watched Jones break through his coverage unit on the jumbotron.

Or maybe you want game-changing plays?

Joe Flacco and Torrey Smith had a big one early, connecting for a 54-yard gain to the Pittsburgh 1 to set up Baltimore’s lone touchdown in the game.

And then there was Jones’ 73-yard return to answer Pittsburgh’s first score.

The Steelers had some as well, both good and bad.

They botched a field goal attempt in the first half on a play that ended with placekicker Shaun Suisham running for his life before being tackled for a 12-yard loss.

But the offense also produced some big-time plays to get back into it, most notably a 43-yard run by rookie running back Le’Veon Bell to set up the Steelers’ first touchdown and a screen pass to Bell on second-and-24 that went for 29 yards to set up Pittsburgh’s final score.

“Maybe it’s because it just happened, and it’s fresh in our memory that there are more memorable, but this is a classic,” said Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. “This is another classic Ravens-Steelers game. These games just keep happening. I thought the last time we played them this year was a classic, but this was better played. I thought both teams have improved quite a bit since the last time we played, and it was really a well-played game.”

The Steelers weren’t much in the mood to talk about the level of the play or the overall merit of the game. They were too concerned with the ramifications.

Now at 5-7, four days after climbing back into muddled AFC playoff picture, the Steelers saw their road to the postseason get a lot rockier.

With four games remaining, the Steelers might need to win their final four games to have a shot. Three of those games are at home against AFC opponents. The fourth is a matchup two days before Christmas at Green Bay.

“We’ve felt we’ve had to win out for a while,” said Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. “So we’re going to focus on the next game.”

That’s all the Steelers can do. But this one is going to hurt for a while.

Baltimore had only allowed three touchdowns at home all season. The Steelers scored three in the final 22 minutes to nearly tie the game.

Baltimore had streak of 19 consecutive games with at least two sacks. They had none in this game, the second consecutive game the Steelers’ much-maligned offensive line has not given one up.

Bell, the Steelers’ second-round draft pick, had the breakout game everyone had been waiting for, putting up 136 total yards and scoring the first rushing touchdown allowed by the Ravens at home and just the second all season.

Heck, the Steelers, whose red zone woes have been well-documented, scored on all three of their trips inside the 20 against the Ravens, who have been the best team in the league this season in red zone defense.

It was that kind of game.

With any luck, maybe we’ll get to see this matchup a third time. Maybe the Ravens will overtake the Bengals, who they are now just a game behind, in the AFC North standings.

Maybe the Steelers will miraculously make the playoffs as well.

Maybe we’ll see a Baltimore-Pittsburgh rematch in the opening round of the AFC playoffs.

We can all hope for that, anyway.

F. Dale Lolley can be reached at dlolley@observer-reporter.com.

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