The Baltimore Ravens' defense stood tall in a huge 13-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night at Heinz Field. With the win, the Ravens moved two games ahead of the Steelers in the AFC North.
Ravens vs. Steelers final score: Baltimore earns hard-fought 13-10 win
The Baltimore Ravens picked up a key road victory on Sunday night, defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers 13-10.
Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE
Baltimore's defense harassed Byron Leftwich, starting in place of the injured Ben Roethlisberger, all night long. Leftwich went 17-of-38 for 201 yards and one interception. The fill-in starter appeared to be fighting an injury of his own, constantly grabbing at his side in the second half.
Things actually started well for Pittsburgh, as they got on the board in the first minute of the game. Leftwich did his best Roethlisberger impersonation on a 31-yard touchdown scramble just 31 seconds in to give the Steelers an early 7-0 lead.
Baltimore scored the next 13 points, with their defense and special teams providing a huge spark. A forced fumble of Mike Wallace turned into three points, while Jacoby Jones returned a punt 63 yards for a touchdown. That would be all the Ravens would need, as their defense held strong the rest of the way.
Winners: The Baltimore defense atoned for some poor performances earlier in the year with a great effort on the road. Meanwhile, Jones’ punt return helped turn the game in the Ravens’ favor. Jones also gets an A for his sweet celebration:
Losers: Leftwich and the Steelers’ division title hopes. The quarterback struggled and was noticeably hurting in the second half against a tenacious Baltimore defense. And for the team, this tough home loss really hurts the Steelers’ chances of winning the AFC North.
Stat of the game: Baltimore won despite amassing just 200 yards of offense.
Fantasy studs and duds: There were no standout individual fantasy performances in this game. There were plenty of duds, however. Ray Rice had 93 total yards. Joe Flacco threw for only 164 yards and no touchdowns. Mike Wallace only caught three passes for 26 yards. No Steelers running backs had more than 55 yards.
Injury report: Steelers running back Isaac Redman and Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta both left the game with concussions.
Did they cover?: Baltimore was a 3-point favorite, so this game finished as a push.
What's next?: Baltimore will visit the San Diego Chargers. Pittsburgh will travel to Cleveland to take on the Browns in Week 12.
See More:
