Ravens Top Steelers 17-14: Joe Flacco Engineers Cardiac Game-Winning Drive

If there was ever a game to measure a quarterback's progression and maturation by, it was today's matchup between the Ravens (3-1) and Steelers (3-1) at Heinz Field.

However, it wasn't just Joe Flacco who was responsible for this important win.  The entire Baltimore defense continued with their disciplined play, not allowing receivers to get deep, or committing penalties on crucial plays, which hampered their efforts last year.

Baltimore's main goal on defense was to stop Steelers' running back Rashard Mendenhall from becoming comfortable in the running game.  Although Mendenhall managed two touchdowns on the day, he failed to reach the 100-yard mark for the second time this season.

With the solid play of the Ravens' front four, QB Charlie Batch was forced into more passing situations than he'd hoped for.

Batch looked sharp for the most part during the first half of the contest.  He effectively spread the ball around to seven different receivers, including a 34-yard strike to Antwaan Randle El, who ended up one yard short of the end zone.  Two plays later, Mendenhall would score, which put the Steelers up 7-0 late in the first quarter.

Baltimore would counter in the second quarter, as Flacco led the Ravens on a methodical drive, finding both Anquan Boldin and Derrick Mason on several key third downs.  For the second week in a row, Todd Heap made a major contribution in the passing game.  Heap finished with only 35 yards on the day, but converted on a crucial third down to keep the drive alive during the second quarter.

Four of the Ravens' 22 first downs came on Pittsburgh penalties.

The only players that had trouble converting were kickers Billy Cundiff and Jeff Reed.  The open end of Heinz Field has historically been a tough area in which to kick.  Reed couldn't convert on either of his two attempts, but Cundiff managed to split his tries.

Half-way through the fourth quarter, Mendenhall recorded his second touchdown from seven yards out.  On the ensuing drive, Baltimore managed to drive nearly the length of the field, only to be denied on fourth down at the Steelers' two-yard line.

Celebrations were already starting on the Pittsburgh sideline after the fourth-down stop.

Pittsburgh got the ball back, but was unable to move on the Ravens' defense.  With just over a minute left, Pittsburgh had to punt from their own end zone, giving the ball back to Baltimore with 55 seconds left in the game.

A holding call was leveled against the Steelers during the punt, which set the Ravens up for the game-winning drive at the Steelers' 40.

Without any time-outs remaining, Flacco calmly moved the ball against a Pittsburgh defense that had previously allowed only two touchdowns all year.  Boldin made two spectacular catches in clutch situations, again proving why he was such a valuable additions to a Ravens' offense that desperately needed a major threat at receiver.

The clear play of the game (and maybe of Week 4) came with 36 seconds left in the contest, when Flacco found T.J. Houshmandzadeh running open in the end zone.

It was a perfect pass that capped an even more amazing comeback win for Flacco and the Ravens.

In the past, it was usually Baltimore that found themselves on the losing end of last-second drives. 

Today, however, Baltimore was the team that got the better of their opponent during the final seconds of a critical game.

Baltimore's win was an extremely big statement to the NFL, and all media personnel that said the Ravens couldn't win the big games when called upon to do so.

The media never gave the Ravens a shot at winning today.  All you heard was how great the Steelers' defense was, and how many takeaways they've created so far.  Media outlets were already comparing this year's defense in Pittsburgh to the "Steel Curtain" defense of past.

The Ravens came out today with confidence and said, "we have a pretty good defense too."

Both of these teams play excellent defense, but the better team got the win today.

The Ravens' 17-14 win over the Steelers puts them in sole possession of first place in the AFC North, and gives everyone a little reminder as to why they are the favorite to go the distance this year.

Unsung Player of the Game:  Todd Heap

It was Todd Heap that made the Ravens' game-winning drive possible.  Heap lined-up in the backfield, effectively blocking Troy Polamalu, allowing Flacco to deliver the go-ahead touchdown pass to Houshmandzadeh.

Player That Had the Most to Prove:  Joe Flacco

We all know what Flacco is capable of.  His record against Pittsburgh going into today was 1-4.  He needed to step up and make all the big plays elite quarterbacks make.  Flacco did that, and more.  Leading your team to a game-winning touchdown with seconds left on the clock is never an easy task in the NFL, especially against a great team in Pittsburgh.

Flacco continues to show his ability to overcome mistakes, no matter how big they are.  His progression from last season is already evident, and his name will soon be mentioned alongside other elite quarterbacks in the league.