BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Ravens frustrated longtime nemesis Ben Roethlisberger long enough to build a three-touchdown lead.
By the time Roethlisberger finally found his groove, it was too late.
Joe Flacco threw a 95-yard touchdown pass to former Steeler Mike Wallace, and the Ravens beat Pittsburgh 21-14 on Sunday to snap a four-game losing streak.
Baltimore (4-4) moved into a tie atop the AFC North with the Steelers (4-4), who have dropped three in a row.
Three weeks after undergoing surgery on his right knee, Roethlisberger returned well ahead of schedule. Playing for the first time since Oct. 16, the 13-year veteran looked out of sync until the fourth quarter, when he directed a 75-yard drive that got the Steelers to within 21-7 with 8:38 remaining.
Before that, Pittsburgh’s offense produced only two first downs and was limited to 69 yards. The Steelers totaled 36 yards rushing.
Roethlisberger ran for a 4-yard score with 48 seconds left, but Chris Boswell botched the onside kick – barely knocking it off the tee – and Baltimore closed out its fourth straight win over Pittsburgh (including playoffs).
“The bottom line is we put ourselves in a big hole with some adversity, some of which was created by us,” Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin said.
After going 8 of 18 for 54 yards and an interception through three quarters, Roethlisberger finished 23 of 45 for 264 yards.
Baltimore’s only offensive touchdown came on Flacco’s pass to Wallace, who broke free on the left sideline, caught the pass in stride and outran safety Mike Mitchell to the end zone. It was the longest play from scrimmage in Ravens history during the regular season and second-longest in the NFL this year.
The home crowd gasped in the third quarter when Flacco hopped off the field after sliding at the end of an impromptu run. It appeared he had reinjured his surgically repaired left knee, but it turned out that his protective brace broke. He missed only three plays.
Baltimore led 10-0 at halftime and 13-0 in the fourth quarter before Javorius Allen blocked a punt and Chris Moore took it 14 yards for a TD and a 21-0 lead.
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