BALTIMORE (AP) ― Ben Roethlisberger couldn’t have done it any better. Third-string quarterback Charlie Batch directed a 61-yard drive in the closing minutes, and Shaun Suisham kicked a 42-yard field goal as time expired to give the Pittsburgh Steelers a 23-20 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
Playing without the injured Roethlisberger for a third straight week, the Steelers turned to the 37-year-old Batch for the second game in a row. He went 25 for 36 for 276 yards, threw a touchdown and rallied the Steelers past their arch rivals in the AFC North.
Pittsburgh trailed 13-3 in the first half and 20-13 in the fourth quarter before coming back. Batch missed a wide open Mike Wallace in the end zone near the end of the first half, but the veteran quarterback more than made up for it after halftime.
Pittsburgh (7-5) snapped a two-game losing streak and kept alive its slim hopes of overtaking Baltimore (9-3) in the division. The teams have split their games this season, with each team winning by three points.
The Ravens could have clinched a playoff berth with a victory. Instead, Baltimore had its 15-game home winning streak snapped and also lost for the first time in 13 games against division foes.
Batch outplayed Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco, who went 16 for 34 for 188 yards and fueled Pittsburgh’s comeback by losing a fumble in the fourth quarter.
One week after committing eight turnovers in a loss to Cleveland, the Steelers gave the ball away three times against Baltimore. The Ravens converted two of the takeaways into touchdowns, and the third ― a leaping interception by Ed Reed in the end zone ― kept a 20-13 lead intact with 10:59 left.
Pittsburgh got the ball back, however, when James Harrison forced a fumble by Flacco at the 27. Batch threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Heath Miller to tie it with 7:24 to go.
The next time Pittsburgh got the ball back, Batch showed his poise with a beat-the-clock march. The key play in the final drive was a 15-yard completion to Wallace on a third-and-7.
Texans clinch berth
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) ― Gary Kubiak can tell his Houston Texans are maturing both as a franchise and as a championship contender with a simple glance around his locker room.
This time, they acted like they’ve been in the playoffs before.
Yes, the Texans are excited by clinching a second straight postseason berth and setting a franchise record for wins in a season by beating the Tennessee Titans 24-10 on Sunday.
“We’re very happy, I can tell you that,” Kubiak said. “But I think they expected to get there, and they got there today. There’s a lot more to work on. We’ve got to continue to push our group.”
Rookie linebacker Whitney Mercilus recovered a fumble and had two sacks as the Texans (11-1) remain tied with Atlanta for the best record in the NFL with their sixth straight win. After needing overtime the past two games, the Texans forced six turnovers they turned into 10 points and had six sacks of Jake Locker when the Texans weren’t batting down a handful of other passes.
Houston is 6-0 on the road this season, the only unbeaten team away from home.
Texans quarterback Matt Schaub, injured when Houston clinched its first postseason berth a year ago against Cincinnati, called this a great feeling.
“It’s good to know we’re in,” Schaub said. “It’s a great feeling to know that we’ve reached that goal, but we’ve got a lot more to accomplish.”
The Texans also swept Tennessee (4-8), the team they replaced in Houston, for only the second time. Schaub threw for 207 yards and two touchdowns, and Arian Foster ran for a TD.
Chiefs win amid tragedy
KANSAS CITY, Missouri (AP) ― Romeo Crennel stood in the middle of the Kansas City Chiefs’ locker room Sunday, the emotion threatening to overcome the good-natured coach.
Chiefs owner Clark Hunt was at his side, offering support. Members of the team hugged each other, the mud smearing with tears on their cheeks. And over along the wall stood the empty locker that once belonged to Jovan Belcher, his jersey still hanging from a hook.
Just one day after the linebacker killed his girlfriend and then turned the gun on himself, the Chiefs banded together to play their finest game of the season, an inspired 27-21 victory over the Carolina Panthers that ended an eight-game losing streak suddenly rendered trivial.
“As far as playing the game, I thought that was the best for us to do, because that’s what we do,” Crennel said, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. “We’re football players and football coaches and that’s what we do, we play on Sunday.”
According to authorities, Belcher shot his girlfriend multiple times early Saturday at a residence near Arrowhead Stadium, then sped to the team’s practice facility and turn the gun on himself as Crennel and general manager Scott Pioli watched in the parking lot.
Pioli walked through the press box before the game and said he was doing “OK.”
Buffalo 34, Jacksonville 18
Seattle 23, Chicago 17
St. Louis 16, San Francisco 13
New England 23, Miami 16
NY Jets 7, Arizona 6
Indianapolis 35, Detroit 33
Green Bay 23, Minnesota 14
Denver 31, Tampa Bay 23
Cleveland 20, Oakland 17
Cincinnati 20, San Diego 13
Dallas 38, Philadelphia 33
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
