Ravens vs. Steelers: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2015 NFL Playoffs

The Baltimore Ravens put away their late-season struggles to knock off the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-17 in the Wild Card Round on Saturday. 

According to ESPN's Trey Wingo, Baltimore's victory was one for the record books, as it put the franchise in a tie with Green Bay for the most road playoff wins in NFL history:

Even though the Steelers dominated time of possession, holding the ball for more than 35 minutes, the offense was clearly lacking something with star running back Le'Veon Bell out due to the knee injury he suffered in Week 17. Mike Tomlin's offense converted one of three red-zone chances into touchdowns and had to settle for three field goals in the first half. 

ESPN's Scott Brown and Around The NFL had Ben Roethlisberger and Tomin's thoughts after the game:

Neither team had much success on the ground. The Ravens had 49 yards on 25 carries, though they did get a score from Bernard Pierce. The Steelers were a little better with 68 yards on 19 carries. ESPN's Ed Werder tweeted out this old quote about Bell's importance from Roethlisberger during the game:

The Ravens didn't do anything special on offense with 295 total yards, but they converted two of their three red-zone opportunities into touchdowns. This game was won on the defensive side, as John Harbaugh's team had no problem controlling the run and putting constant pressure on Roethlisberger. 

However, just because Baltimore's offense didn't light up the stat sheet doesn't mean it was held at bay. The big play of the game came late in the third quarter. With the Ravens leading 13-9, Joe Flacco moved out of the pocket and found Torrey Smith in the back of the end zone on third down to make it a two-possession game. 

After the game, NFL Network's Albert Breer had Harbaugh's thoughts on his quarterback:

Per ESPN Stats & Info, that was Smith's first touchdown catch in the playoffs since his memorable 59-yarder two years ago:

As noted by Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News, Kelechi Osemele deserves as much credit for that touchdown as Flacco and Smith, as he provided a key block on James Harrison as the pass-rusher was a step away from Flacco:

Pittsburgh's big play came early in the fourth quarter. Justin Forsett, who has been so good for Baltimore this season, fumbled on the first play after Flacco converted a 4th-and-inches. The Steelers recovered, and Ben Roethlisberger found Antonio Brown for a 44-yard gain on the next play to put the ball inside the Ravens' 1-yard line. 

After a false-start penalty moved the ball back to the 6, Roethlisberger found Martavis Bryant on a back-shoulder throw for a touchdown. The Steelers missed a two-point conversion, so the score was 20-15 with 11 minutes to play. 

The Steelers were loading up their offense to pass, especially after it became clear running wasn't a viable option. They played Bryant significantly more than usual, per Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus:

Chris Wesseling of NFL.com praised Bryant, both for his efforts in this game and all season, noting the Steelers will have an excellent duo on the outside for years:

Roethlisberger, who went 31-of-45 for 334 yards with one touchdown, two interceptions and was sacked five times, did set a new Steelers record for career playoff completions, per Jim Corbett of USA Today:

He also suffered an injury which led to Bruce Gradkowski seeing the field for a short time. Around The NFL delivered the specifics:

The Ravens tacked on a field goal on their next drive, which was aided by a 15-yard personal foul on Pittsburgh during the kickoff return and a 23-yard catch from Owen Daniels on 3rd-and-13, to take a 23-15 lead. 

On Pittsburgh's next drive, the game was decided. Roethlisberger was pressured on a third-down pass and tried to float the ball to Ben Tate out of the backfield, but it hit off his hands and into the knees of Terrell Suggs at Pittsburgh's 21, via NFL.com:

Flacco hit Crockett Gillmore for a touchdown on the next play to put the Ravens up 30-15 with less than eight minutes remaining. The Steelers drove into the red zone on their next drive, but Roethlisberger threw an interception to Darian Stewart in the end zone to seal the victory. 

For all the criticism of Flacco, some of it deserved, he's been money in the playoffs dating back to the 2012 season, via ESPN Stats & Info:

The Ravens came into this matchup having scored a total of 33 points in their last two regular-season games against Houston and Cleveland. They needed a 17-point outburst in the fourth quarter against the Browns in Week 17 just to make the playoffs. 

This was everything that fans have come to expect from a Ravens-Steelers game. It was physical and close for most of the game, though Baltimore pulled away late and took away some of the potential drama.

Even though the Steelers lost, this has to be considered a successful season that provided many positives for the future. They went 8-8 the past two seasons, so a division title and playoff appearance is a good step. Their offense is loaded, especially when Bell returns in 2015, after setting a franchise record with 436 points in the regular season. 

Things get interesting for the Ravens now. They will be underdogs throughout the playoffs, especially next week at New England. Baltimore's last three playoff games in the Patriots' home stadium include a 33-14 win in 2009, three-point loss in 2011 and 28-13 win in 2012. 

The Ravens aren't always sexy, but Harbaugh knows how to coach against Bill Belichick. It would be foolish to think they have no chance against the Patriots.