BALTIMORE — In an unthinkable turn of events, Ben Roethlisberger’s last NFL game morphed from a low-stakes nostalgic chapter in the Steelers-Ravens rivalry into a memorable surge that almost certainly gives him one more crack at the postseason. All Pittsburgh fans could do was watch in disbelief as the Jaguars did their part, upsetting the Indianapolis Colts, and the Steelers surged back to hold up their end of the bargain in a 16-13 overtime win Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium. The only way they don’t clinch the No. 7 seed in the AFC is if the Chargers and Raiders tie tonight.
More than likely, the Steelers (9-7-1) are back in the playoffs for the second year in a row, by virtue of a fourth-quarter comeback — his 44th all time — coupled with a stunning upset in Jacksonville. For three quarters, Roethlisberger’s first-half performance threatened to spoil it all for the Steelers, but he mustered up some magic for a 5-yard touchdown pass to Chase Claypool with 2:54 left, then a game-winning drive in overtime. He finished with 244 yards on 30-of-44 passing, plus that score and one confounding interception, but like so often in his 18-year career, a ‘W’ is his most important statistic — and he saved some of his best throws for last on the final drive.
The Steelers had plenty of other problems, from a running game that reverted to misery, to a run defense that did the same. Najee Harris missed most of two quarters with an elbow injury on the first possession of the game, and he followed his career-high effort last week with just 28 yards on 11 carries. It’s never a good thing when one of your receivers has a team-high in rushing, as Chase Claypool did with three jet sweeps for 33 yards.
And a defense that mostly stifled backup quarterback Tyler Huntley couldn’t solve a consistently powerful Ravens ground game. But add that all up, and this roller coaster of a Steelers season is still going.
