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BALTIMORE (AP) — Mason Rudolph threw a 71-yard touchdown pass to Diontae Johnson on the first play of the fourth quarter and the Pittsburgh Steelers took a step toward the postseason with a 17-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday.
Rudolph finished the season by leading Pittsburgh (10-7) to three straight wins, and now the Steelers wait. If Buffalo loses to Miami, or Jacksonville loses to Tennessee, they will be in the playoffs on Sunday. They also have a chance to clinch a spot if Saturday night’s Houston-Indianapolis game ends in a tie.
There was some bad news for the Steelers. TJ Watt – who had two sacks to take sole possession of the NFL lead in sacks with 19 – left in the third quarter with a knee injury.
The Ravens (13-4) already had the top seed in the AFC, and they kept MVP favorite Lamar Jackson out of this game along with a few other key players. Tyler Huntley started at quarterback, and both teams had difficulty moving the ball on a rainy and windy day.
With the score tied at 7, Rudolph found Johnson up the middle for a big play, which Pittsburgh needed. After a loss to Baltimore’s Gus Edwards, the Steelers kicked a field goal with 3:13 remaining. The Ravens had never trailed by more than seven points all season until then.
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Justin Tucker kicked a field goal with 16 seconds remaining, but Baltimore could not come forward with the ensuing onside kick. The Ravens’ six-game winning streak was snapped.
Rudolph was 18 of 20 for 152 yards.
Each team lost two fumbles.
Pittsburgh opened the scoring in the first quarter on a 6-yard touchdown run by Najee Harris. The Ravens were unable to trail from first to second, but eventually tied the score on a 27-yard scoring pass from Huntley to Isaiah Likely.
The Steelers have won seven of the last eight meetings with Baltimore, all of which were decided by seven points or fewer. Pittsburgh’s four consecutive wins at M&T Bank Stadium are the most by any visiting team, as the Steelers had won five consecutive from 1998–2002.
Baltimore S Geno Stone has a knee injury and LB Dell’Shawn Phillips has a shoulder injury. DL Brent Urban was evaluated for an injury.
Steelers: Their postseason fate is now in the hands of other teams, but they did everything they could to save a spot.
Ravens: Baltimore will get a first-round bye before hosting its postseason opener.
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