Ravens-Steelers: Baltimore Outlasts Struggling Steelers 20-17 in Overtime

This was not a game for the faint of heart.  Every single second of this AFC North showdown lived up to the pregame hype.  And if you didn’t have a bottle of Valium in-hand, you probably weren’t even watching the game.

We all know the Ravens (6-5) and Steelers (6-5) hate each other.  It’s a deep-seeded hatred players on both sides take personally. 

Even though the rivalry is 14 years young, it has grown into one of the most sought after matchups in the NFL.  Sunday night’s game certainly didn’t fail to disappoint the most die-hard of fans. 

Baltimore came into the game knowing what was on the line—their entire season.  Their offense, which has had trouble establishing itself at the beginning of games, came out on fire.  The Ravens’ first possession on offense ended with a two-yard touchdown run by Willis McGahee.  The Ravens offense was poised and in-sync for the entire first half of the contest.

This was only the start of one of the more memorable games in recent history.

Due to a concussion Ben Roethlisberger received last week against the Chiefs, Pittsburgh was forced to start third-string quarterback Dennis Dixon. 

Dixon, a second year player out of Oregon, had only attempted one pass in the NFL prior to Sunday night’s game.  However, he was a marquee player at Oregon, and a runner-up for the Heisman trophy in his senior year.  A devastating injury cost him the honor of the Heisman, and hurt his stock in the NFL draft the following year.

Dixon filled in well for the injured Roethlisberger.  He was able to exploit the Ravens’ blitz packages, and kept the vaunted Ravens’ defense on their toes for the majority of the game.

The inexperienced Dixon finished the game with 172 all-purpose yards, and two touchdowns (one passing and one rushing). Dixon did throw a costly interception in overtime, which all but ended the Steelers’ hopes of pulling off an upset in front of a sold-out crowd at M&T Bank Stadium.

On the other side of the football, the Ravens had to overcome great adversity towards the end of the game in order to come out on top in this heated matchup.

One of the worst aspects of this game was the quality of the officiating. 

Baltimore was on the receiving end of some highly questionable no-calls that occurred when Joe Flacco tried to locate Derrick Mason and Todd Heap in the end zone.  The no-call on Mason even had Chris Collinsworth pining for a flag to be thrown.

The final blunder by the officiating crew came on the last play in regulation, when Flacco was sacked, resulting in the Ravens’ field goal unit rushing to the line to attempt a game-winning kick.  Luckily, for the sake of the officials, Billy Cundiff’s kick came up a few yards short. 

Instead of spotting the ball where Flacco went down, they gave Baltimore a spot where the ball came out due to a fumble.  The rule simply states that the ball must be spotted where the player originally went down.  The officials seemed to have no clue in this instance.

All of these extra obstacles the Ravens had to overcome during the game didn’t end up playing a major game-changing factor.

Flacco shredded a usually stout Steelers secondary, throwing for 289 yards and a touchdown.  He overcame five sacks, a fumble and was able to make the big plays when he needed to—something that he was having trouble doing during his three game slump.

On 4th-and-5 in the fourth quarter, the Ravens opted to go for the first down inside their own territory with only one time-out left.  Joe “Cool” Flacco remained calm, and found Ray Rice on a short check-down pass. 

Rice made the play of the game, taking the ball down to the Steelers’ 10-yard line.  This short pass ended up resulting in a 44-yard gain, as Rice eluded defenders during the scamper.

This crucial play set up the ensuing field goal by Cundiff, sending the game into overtime.

In overtime, Baltimore’s defense rose to the occasion.  They were able to keep the Steelers’ eighth ranked pass offense in check.

Dennis Dixon’s inexperience surfaced in overtime, when Baltimore called a masterful zone blitz to confuse the young quarterback.  The result was an interception by talented young linebacker Paul Kruger, who dropped back into coverage after fooling the offense into thinking he was coming on the blitz.

This set up the game-winning field goal from only 29 yards out.

The excellent winning effort by the Ravens moved them into second place in the tight AFC North, and ensured them a more favorable spot in the AFC wild-card race.

And the game ball goes to...

Joe Flacco and company on offense and the entire Ravens’ defense.

It was refreshing to see a more aggressive attack on offense.  Flacco wasn’t limited in this game and did an excellent job of picking apart a good Steelers secondary.

Ray Rice made some game-changing plays, and continues to show why he’s a top-five back in the NFL.  He tore apart a good Steelers run defense all game.

The Ravens’ defense was solid, to say the least.  They held one of the best offenses in the league to total 298 yards.  So the whole defense gets a game ball, too.