Batch rallies Steelers
BALTIMORE – Because there’s still some life in the 37-year-old arm of Charlie Batch, the Pittsburgh Steelers remain alive in the AFC North Division.
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 Steelers a 23-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
Playing without injured Ben Roethlisberger for a third straight week, the Steelers turned to Batch for the second game in a row. The 15-year veteran went 25 for 36 for 276 yards, threw a touchdown and rallied the Steelers in a must-win game.
“This is big. It was another opportunity for me to come out here and start, which is rare right now,” said Batch. “To be able to go on the road and do something that nobody outside of our locker room thought we could do is big.”
Pittsburgh (7-5) snapped a two-game losing streak and kept alive its slim hopes of overtaking Baltimore (9-3) in the North. The teams split its games this season, with each winning by three points.
“Big necessary win for us tonight in a hostile environment. We don’t take that lightly,” coach Mike Tomlin said.
Seven of the last eight regular-season games between the teams have been decided by three points.
“That was a typical Pittsburgh-Baltimore game,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “It’s amazing how it works out that way.”
Pittsburgh trailed 13-3 in the first half and 20-13 in the fourth quarter.
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 QB Joe Flacco, who went 16 for 34 for 188 yards and fueled Pittsburgh’s comeback by losing a fumble in the fourth quarter.
Batch threw a 7-yard TD pass to Heath Miller to tie it with 7:24 to go.
Steelers 23, Ravens 20
| Pittsburgh | 3 | 3 | 7 | 10 | — | 23 |
| Baltimore | 0 | 13 | 7 | 0 | — | 20 |
Pit—FG Suisham 46
Bal—FG Tucker 45
Bal—FG Tucker 23
Bal—Boldin 28 pass from Flacco (Tucker kick)
Pit—FG Suisham 41
Pit—Dwyer 16 run (Suisham kick)
Bal—Rice 34 run (Tucker kick)
Pit—Miller 7 pass from Batch (Suisham kick)
Pit—FG Suisham 42
A—71,442.
| Pit | Bal | |
| First downs | 19 | 19 |
| Total Net Yards | 366 | 288 |
| Rushes-yards | 26-96 | 21-111 |
| Passing | 270 | 177 |
| Punt Returns | 5-9 | 0-0 |
| Kickoff Returns | 2-61 | 3-74 |
| Interceptions Ret. | 1-0 | 2-34 |
| Comp-Att-Int | 25-37-2 | 16-34-1 |
| Sacked-Yrds Lost | 2-6 | 3-11 |
| Punts | 4-38.5 | 5-50.6 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 2-1 | 1-1 |
| Penalties-Yards | 4-50 | 8-70 |
| Time of Poss. | 34:21 | 25:39 |
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—Pittsburgh, Dwyer 16-49, Redman 9-43, A.Brown 1-4. Baltimore, Rice 12-78, Pierce 8-34, Flacco 1-(minus 1).
PASSING—Pittsburgh, Batch 25-36-1-276, A.Brown 0-1-1-0. Baltimore, Flacco 16-34-1-188.
RECEIVING—Pittsburgh, Miller 5-97, Sanders 5-60, A.Brown 5-58, Wallace 5-44, Dwyer 3-8, W.Johnson 2-9. Baltimore, Boldin 5-81, Leach 4-40, T.Smith 3-33, Pitta 1-19, J.Jones 1-5, Pierce 1-5, Rice 1-5.
MISSED FIELD GOALS—None.