Ravens vs. Steelers 2016 final score and highlights from Pittsburgh’s division-clinching win

Final score: Ravens 27, Steelers 31

The action picked up in the final frame of this heated rivalry. The Steelers went up 20-10, but on two straight Steelers drives with a heavy dose of Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh took a 24-20 lead. Flacco, with some help from fullback Kyle Juszczyk, got the Ravens the lead back with just over a minute left to play.

The Steelers drove down the field with their playoff hopes on the line, and the offense delivered. Pittsburgh drove 75 yards in barely more than a minute to score a touchdown to get the lead back with just seconds left on the clock.

It was a beautiful effort by, who else, Antonio Brown to contort himself into the end zone of the score.

Third quarter: Ravens 17, Steelers 10

On the first play of the second half, Zach Orr picked off Big Ben and the Ravens took advantage of the good field position. Flacco connected with Steve Smith for an 18-yard touchdown and then converted the two-point attempt. Each team added a field goal, and then Roethlisberger was picked off again — this time by C. J. Mosley — right before the fourth quarter.

Second quarter: Steelers 7, Ravens 6

The Ravens fumbled the hold on a field goal attempt to start the quarter, but the Steelers couldn’t convert it into any points. Joe Flacco marched his team down the field before the half, but once again, the Baltimore offense stalled. Tucker hit a 38-yard field attempt to get the Ravens within a point.

First quarter: Steelers 7, Ravens 3

The Steelers got on the board first when Ben Roethlisberger found tight end Xavier Grimble for a 20-yard touchdown.

But not everything went Pittsburgh’s way: A long catch by Antonio Brown was wiped out by offensive pass interference. The Ravens tacked on a field goal from their automatic kicker, Justin Tucker.

DeAngelo Williams dressed as up as an elf before the game.

Antonio Brown became just the second wide receiver ever to record 100 or more catches in four straight seasons.

Eli Rogers bowled over a kicking net on the sideline. Sorry, Odell Beckham Jr.!

Le’Veon Bell made the Ravens look silly with this jump cut.

It’s Week 16, the AFC North is on the line, and the Steelers are hosting the Ravens. The NFL rarely gets better than this.

One of the biggest games of 2016 kicks off on Christmas Day when one of the league’s best rivalries marks its 46th installment. Pittsburgh and Baltimore have clashed for 21 seasons since the franchise relocated from Cleveland, and on Sunday the Steelers can vanquish their foe to clinch a division title and the playoff berth that comes with it.

They’ll have a few advantages they missed out on when the Ravens won that first 2016 meeting between these teams. Ben Roethlisberger returned way ahead of schedule from a torn meniscus, but was still janky against a swarming Baltimore defense. He completed only 23 of his 45 passes as Pittsburgh was held to its second-lowest scoring performance of the season in a 21-14 defeat.

But Baltimore won’t have the benefit of home-field advantage Sunday, nor will they have an 80 percent Roethlisberger to batter in the pocket. The two-time Pro Bowl quarterback has led his team to a five-game winning streak, trashing Indianapolis and the New York Giants along the way. While he’s been up-and-down this fall — he threw three interceptions in a win over the Bills — his only loss against a divisional opponent came in the aforementioned defeat in Maryland.

The pressure will fall on the Ravens to derail one of the league’s top offenses. The Steelers are scoring more than 26 points per game in their recent winning streak thanks to the All-Pro combination of Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell. Though Pittsburgh has the talent to kill a defense with 1,000 cuts, those two will hack through the Ravens defense like an explorer clearing brush with a machete if given the chance.

But Baltimore is equipped to stop them. The Ravens rank third in the league when it comes to yards allowed per pass (6.3) and second in rushing yards allowed per game (82.1). If that defense can hamstring the Steelers’ big three, it can take control of the AFC North with just one game to play.

If Pittsburgh wins, the Steelers claim the division. If the Ravens win, Baltimore just has to beat 5-9-1 Cincinnati on the road in the final week of the season to return to the playoffs. A victory there will be paramount, as Pittsburgh only has to beat lowly Cleveland to round out its season at 10-6.

Ravens fans pontificate on who the most hated Steeler in their lifetimes has been (Baltimore Beatdown)

John Harbaugh’s terrible playcalling last week could only be salvaged by an intense defensive effort (Baltimore Beatdown)

The Steelers resiliency was the difference between winning and losing against the Bengals (Behind the Steel Curtain)

Steelers got their groove back just like every year, but this time Le’Veon Bell’s ready to go (SB Nation)