Dec 25, 2016 5 min read

PITTSBURGH – Down 20-10 early in the fourth quarter, the Steelers needed their star players to be stars.

To that point, it hadn’t happened.

In fact, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, running back Le’Veon Bell and wide receiver Antonio Brown had been a big reason why the Steelers trailed to that point.

All had some good moments in the first three quarters to be sure, but Roethlisberger had thrown two costly interceptions, Bell had a critical false start penalty that turned a third-and-5 play into a third-and-10 and Brown had committed an offensive pass interference penalty that ended another first-half possession.

“We were shooting ourselves in the foot, to be honest with you,” said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. “When we stopped kicking our own butts, we did what it is that we do.”

It was like a switch flipped to the on position in the fourth quarter. Roethlisberger stopped throwing interceptions. Bell, who had run well throughout the game, turned it up even more. Brown, who had four catches for 23 yards in the first three quarters, became uncoverable.

And the Steelers are headed to the playoffs because of them.

The Steelers rallied – twice – to beat the Ravens, 31-27, winning the AFC North title and beating their personal bogeyman. Baltimore had beaten Pittsburgh four consecutive times and had won six of the past seven meetings.

That made this one all the more sweet.

The Steelers also showed that this is a team that the rest of the AFC will have to reckon with in January.

Roethlisberger is as capable of playing great stretches of football as any quarterback who will be in the AFC playoffs. And even when he’s not having his best day, as was the case for the first 45 minutes of this game, you just never know when he can turn it on and become an unstoppable force.

After throwing two terrible interceptions in the third quarter that helped turn a 7-6 halftime lead into a 10-point deficit, Roethlisberger was on fire in the fourth quarter, completing 14 of 15 passes, not counting spikes to stop the clock. Those passes went for 164 yards and two touchdowns.

Bell and Brown were equally as impressive.

Bell, who finished with 122 yards rushing, showed his versatility in the fourth quarter, rushing for 41 yards and a touchdown on four carries while also catching a seven-yard TD pass on which he fought his way into the end zone from the one-yard line.

Brown, meanwhile, had six receptions for 73 yards and a score, the game-winner, which he caught at the one and fought through the tackle of two Baltimore defenders to reach the football into the end zone.

At 5-10, 190 pounds, Brown wasn’t going to be denied, even though one of the players standing between him and the goal line was 240-pound Pro Bowl linebacker C.J. Mosley.

“Gotta get the ball in. Yep, gotta get the ball in,” said Brown. “I knew I was going to take some contact. After that, I knew I was going to get the ball in.”

Those are the kind of things you expect from your stars.

“Those dudes, they’re great,” said Steelers safety Mike Mitchell. “Le’Veon, A.B. and (Roethlisberger) are great. People really need to recognize greatness.”

It wasn’t hard Sunday.

The Ravens certainly are aware.

“I think it was just playmaking,” said Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.

Indeed. And the Steelers have three of the best playmakers at their respective positions in the NFL.

But it wasn’t just the Big 3. Pittsburgh had great contributions from players such as receivers Eli Rogers and Demarcus Ayers, the latter playing in his first NFL game, the offensive line and tight end Jesse James.

“Eli Rogers with some big catches. Jesse James with big catches. It was a great team effort,” said Brown. “The guys up front. Those guys did a great job of providing Ben the time. Le’Veon was running the ball well. It’s a direct correlation to the kind of team we have.”

That would be a dangerous team in the postseason.

The Steelers have won six games in a row. Given that they play the Cleveland Browns next week at Heinz Field, there’s a good chance they can make it seven straight, even if they choose to rest some key starters.

But even a loss in that game wouldn’t change the momentum this team has built. And doing it the way they did, both beating the Ravens and riding the momentum created by their playmakers, made it all that more special.

“I don’t care how you get it, but it kind of adds to it how we got it,” said Pro Bowl guard David DeCastro. “Getting into playoffs, getting a home game. Let’s keep this thing moving.”

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