Roethlisberger puts Pittsburgh on verge of postseason berth
BALTIMORE — Calm as can be on what could have been his final pass, Ben Roethlisberger was right on target, finding Ray-Ray McCloud over the middle on fourth down to set up Pittsburgh for the winning field goal in overtime.
“He’s the same when everybody else gets funny,” head coach Mike Tomlin said. “Everybody else gets a little tight. He’s the same guy.”
Roethlisberger delayed his retirement for a few hours and probably longer, guiding Pittsburgh to a 16-13 win over the Ravens on Sunday that left the Steelers on the verge of an improbable playoff berth. Chris Boswell made a 36-yard field goal with 1:56 remaining to win the game for Pittsburgh, which stood to make the playoffs as long as Sunday night’s Chargers-Raiders game didn’t end in a tie.
The Steelers (9-7-1) didn’t sound too worried about that possibility.
“I’m just happy for Ben,” Boswell said. “We’re sending him to the playoffs. This team deserves it.“
Both Baltimore and Pittsburgh had slim playoff hopes coming into Sunday. The Steelers needed to win and have Indianapolis lose to Jacksonville to have any chance of extending Roethlisberger’s career with a postseason appearance. The Ravens needed a win, a loss by the Colts — and losses by the Dolphins and Chargers later in the day.
The most unlikely part of those scenarios — Indianapolis losing to lowly Jacksonville — happened. The crowd in Baltimore roared its approval when highlights of that game were shown. The Jaguars prevailed 26-11 and were in control for much of the second half.
“We knew we had to take care of our business first and foremost,” Roethlisberger said. “It took extra time but we found a way to do it.”
The Steelers and Ravens (8-9) both would have been eliminated if their game had ended in a tie, so it was no surprise when Pittsburgh went for it on 4th-and-8 from the Baltimore 41 with 2:28 left in OT. McCloud made the catch for a 10-yard gain.
After the winning field goal, Roethlisberger held up his fist in celebration and went slowly to the middle of the field to commiserate with Baltimore linebacker Justin Houston.