Ravens at Steelers: Highlights, score and recap

The Pittsburgh Steelers won the AFC North after beating the Baltimore Ravens 31-27 at Heinz Field on Christmas Day. Here are the highlights and key players from Week 16’s game.

Antonio Brown stretched to break the plain of the end zone with 10 seconds left to give the Pittsburgh Steelers the AFC North title at the expense of the Baltimore Ravens, who were eliminated from the playoff race after losing a wild shootout 31-27.

Brown’s score capped a wild, back-and-forth final quarter featuring a quartet of touchdowns and three lead changes.

Ravens fullback Kyle Juszczyk plowed over from 10 yards out, after a terrific second effort, for what looked like being the winning score with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter.

The Steelers earlier thought they’d won it after Lev’Veon Bell scored two touchdowns to bring them back from 10 points down in the fourth.

Bell was the star as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger struggled against a savvy Baltimore defense. Big Ben threw two costly picks in the third quarter, mistakes the Ravens turned into 11 points to help build a 20-10 lead.

But Bell had been in electrifying form from his first carry. His runs helped set up the Steelers’ first score, a 20-yard touchdown pass to tight end Xavier Grimble.

The NFL’s official Twitter account relayed highlights of Grimble’s catch:

Two Justin Tucker field goals made it a one-point game at halftime. The Ravens were struggling to corral Bell, but they were doing an excellent job shutting down Pittsburgh’s other premier offensive weapon, wide receiver Brown.

Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette summed up how quiet Brown was through two quarters:

It was Roethlisberger’s first pick, thrown to inside linebacker Zach Orr, that helped the Ravens finally seize the initiative in the third period:

Baltimore’s offense turned the turnover into a touchdown when quarterback Joe Flacco connected with Steve Smith from 18 yards out:

Smith also snagged Flacco’s two-point pass to put the Ravens in front by seven.

Flacco’s pinpoint pass targeted the middle of the Steelers’ defense. The Ravens were exploiting the middle often during the first three quarters, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

An exchange of field goals made it 17-10, but the Ravens soon rued settling for three again, after Roethlisberger was picked off for a second time.

C.J. Mosley snatched what should have been a game-breaking INT:

But another Tucker field goal was all Flacco and Co. could manage. Buoyed by keeping things close, the Steelers then rode Brown to a clutch comeback.

He scored first on a seven-yard run after making two defenders, including Terrell Suggs, miss in the backfield:

Then Bell caught a seven-yard pass from an under-pressure Roethlisberger to put the Ravens up by four:

But there was still time for Juszczyk to rumble his way over to apparently give the Ravens the win:

However, few teams have been burned by late magic from Roethlisberger as often as the Ravens. So it proved again as Big Ben spread the ball around on the game-winning drive, before going back to his main man with everything on the line.

Brown still needed to produce an awesome second effort to wrap up the division:

Three Stars

1. Le’Veon Bell

Bell put on a clinic in shifty running. He layered moves on top of moves to make more than one Baltimore defender look foolish, en route to 122 yards on 20 carries.

Almost every carry became a signature highlight, including this one:

Bell was also breaking ankles on this devilish cutback masterpiece to kick-start a scoring drive in the fourth:

In all honesty, Bell has made his name out of making the spectacular standard. Yet it was still impressive to see him turn on the style so often against a run defense as stingy as the Ravens.

Bell set the tone early, needing only one drive to better his previous effort against Baltimore this season, per NFL Research:

Running backs just aren’t supposed to do this to the Ravens. But Bell is not merely any back. He’s the principle star at his position in the NFL.

2. Steve Smith

Smith didn’t break 100 yards in what could well prove to be his last game as a pro, but he made key plays whenever his team needed them. His best sequence came on two catches that accounted for eight points in the third quarter.

Smith’s 18-yard touchdown grab came on a smartly designed play. The Ravens lined up in an empty backfield set with Smith aligned next to fellow wide receiver Mike Wallace flexed out of the slot.

The Ravens got the look they wanted when the Steelers showed a single-high safety look, with only Sean Davis deep. It meant Smith was isolated against inside linebacker Ryan Shazier when he attacked the middle vertically.

Davis chose to rotate toward Wallace’s route, so Smith had an easy one-on-one matchup. The 37-year-old then proved the clutch qualities that have served him so well since 2001 by grabbing the two-point conversion.

Smith finished with seven catches for 79 yards. If this is the end, the veteran will leave as one of the league’s all-time greats.

3. Antonio Brown

Smith’s legacy is secure, while Brown is still building his. At this rate, No. 84 is destined for a spot in Canton.

Brown responded to being kept in mothballs during the first half by snatching the game-winning score. The play was the signature moment of a 10-catch, 96-yard effort to break Ravens hearts.

These Steelers are powered by Bell. But they’ll only make waves in the playoffs if Brown is allowed to prove his greatness when it matters most.