Steelers snatch OT win over Ravens

PITTSBURGH: Jeff Reed's 46-yard field goal in overtime gave the Pittsburgh a 23-20 win over Baltimore in the NFL on Monday, as the Steelers overcame a 10-point deficit, numerous injuries and a late Ravens comeback.

Reed's third field goal ended a back-and-forth game in which the Steelers were down by 10 late in the third quarter, rallied but couldn't hold a seven-point lead, then found a way to win despite being without their top three running backs.

Pittsburgh came back to win despite losing two players to season-ending injuries, running back and first-round draft pick Rashard Mendenhall (fractured shoulder) and right guard Kendall Simmons (right Achilles tendon).

The Ravens, losing for the seventh time in their past eight games in Pittsburgh and falling out of the AFC North lead, won the important overtime coin toss but were backed up by two penalties and a sack and had to punt out of the end zone.

Then, on third-and-8, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger found fourth-string running back Mewelde Moore - playing only because of the injuries - on a 24-yard pass for a first down at the Ravens' 31-yard line. On third-and-14, Moore made a 7-yard catch to move the ball to the 28, bringing kicker Reed closer to goal.

"That was important - a 46-yarder there isn't a given, and a 53-yarder isn't easy," Reed said. "I get too much credit. My foot won it, but that's what I'm supposed to do in that situation."

Moore said, "Coach Tomlin told me when I came here I'd be his minute man, that I had to be ready on a minute's notice. Everything he said held true."

Pittsburgh opened the scoring with Reed's 49-yard field goal on their first possession, but Baltimore responded with two field goals of its own via kicker Matt Stover - from 33 and 20 yards - to go up 6-3.

With 17 seconds to play until halftime, Baltimore's rookie quarterback Joe Flacco threw the first touchdown pass of his career, a 4-yarder to Daniel Wilcox to put the visitors up 13-3 at the break.

Flacco, outplaying Roethlisberger for much of the game, set up that score with completions of 13 yards to Derrick Mason and 25 to Le'Ron McClain, who was in the game because starter Willis McGahee hurt his chest earlier in the 56-yard drive.

In a game filled with injuries, the Steelers also lost backup running back Carey Davis (ankle) and backup linebacker Andre Frazier, who was carted off the field on a stretcher with a spinal injury after being blocked during the opening kickoff. Frazier was immobilized before leaving the field, but appeared to be fine after the game.

The Steelers, booed by their own fans while held without a touchdown for eight quarters, finally awoke late in the third by going to a no-huddle offense with Roethlisberger lined up in a shotgun formation.

With only one first down since the first quarter, the Steelers got a second when Baltimore's Jarret Johnson gave away a foul with an out-of-bounds hit. With his best field position since the first quarter, Roethlisberger - sacked and harassed by Baltimore's defense most of the game - found Santonio Holmes for a 38-yard touchdown pass three plays later on a third-and-4.

Roethlisberger was 14-of-24 for 191 yards and was sacked three times.

On Baltimore's next play after the kickoff, Flacco - who had impeccably managed the game until then in only his third career start - fumbled. Linebacker LaMarr Woodley scooped up the ball and scored from the 7. The momentum was going Pittsburgh's way, but Baltimore tied it 20-20 with four minutes left on the clock, when Flacco hit Derrick Mason for 35 yards ahead of Le'Ron McClain's 2-yard TD run.

Agencies

(China Daily 10/01/2008 page12)