The Ravens cut the deficit to 17-9 on a 6-yard touchdown scramble by Jackson with 16 seconds left in the half. Loop missed the extra point and the Steelers led by eight at halftime.
Rodgers opened the second half with another big play on first down. This one wasn’t planned, as the offensive line gave Rodgers several seconds to scan the field and hit Metcalf for a 42-yard gain. The play set up a 28-yard Boswell field goal, and a 20-9 Steelers lead with 10:57 left in the third quarter.
The Ravens rallied with a touchdown on their first possession of the second half. A 52-yard run by Keaton Mitchell on third-and-1 set up Jackson’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Likely on a third-and-goal play. The score cut the Steelers’ lead to 20-16 with 7:35 left in the third.
A 38-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to Warren was the Steelers’ answer. A third-and-5 go ball to Calvin Austin for 31 yards — with Dylan Cook taking his first NFL snap in place of injured left tackle Andrus Peat — set up the score. On third-and-4, Rodgers beat a Ravens blitz by flipping a short pass to Warren in the right flat. Warren galloped untouched down the sideline for the score to re-set the Steelers’ 11-point lead at 27-16 with 3:30 left in the third.
The ping-ponging on the scoreboard continued into the fourth quarter as the Ravens drove for a 28-yard field goal. Loop’s kick cut the Steelers’ lead to 27-19 with 13:43 left in the game.
Loop kicked a 36-yard field goal to cut the lead to 27-22 with 7:10 remaining. Highsmith, Nick Herbig, and Cam Heyward pressured Jackson into an incompletion on third-and-8 to hold the Ravens to the field goal, which turned out to be the game’s final points.
The Ravens appeared to take the late lead on the pass to Likely. The play was originally called a touchdown, but was reversed after Porter broke up the pass before Likely could make a move. The Ravens still had their chances following the reversal, but on third-and-2 from the Pittsburgh 5, Highsmith tackled Henry for a loss, and on fourth-and-5, Jackson’s pass to tight end Mark Andrews, with Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen in tight coverage, fell incomplete.
The Steelers took possession at their 8 with 2:22 remaining, but couldn’t get a first down and punted. The Ravens took over at their own 26 with 1:56 to play, and drove to the Pittsburgh 30 before Highsmith’s sack with Heyward also in on the pressure.
At 7-6, the Steelers lead the Ravens (6-7) by a game and the Cincinnati Bengals (4-9) and Cleveland Browns (3-10) in the AFC North.
The Steelers gained only 34 yards rushing, but Rodgers compensated by throwing for 284 yards with a passer rating of 103.1. Metcalf was his primary receiver with 7 catches for 148 yards.
“He just brought that approach all week,” Tomlin said of Rodgers. “I think oftentimes game day is indicative of what transpires during the week. I just thought he had can-do attitude, man. He was wired all week. Texted me after hours, etc. But I just appreciate his mindset and what he brought into the building today.”