Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh
Tucker/Ravens Capitalize on Chaotic Conclusion to Notch First Win of 2015.
Kickers may not be the most respected position on the football field, but they made all the difference on Thursday. Josh Scobee hooked a pair of fourth quarter field goals left while Justin Tucker split the uprights in crunch time as the Ravens picked up win No. 1 of 2015, 23-20 in overtime.
Baltimore’s special teams savior connected on a 42-yard try with seconds remaining in regulation and then again on a 52-yarder in overtime to seal the deal.
“Definitely,” kicker Justin Tucker immediately replied when questioned if he knew the game-winning field goal try was good once it left his foot. “It’s a tough stadium to kick in. It’s a tough place to play in. So, to be able to come in and win in such a dramatic fashion with just a consummate team effort, it’s really special. It’ll be one heck of a plane ride back to Baltimore.”
The game-winning opportunity in OT came thanks to a pair of defensive stops. Elvis Dumervil stuffed Steelers quarterback Michael Vick on a 4th-and-1 rollout and Jimmy Smith defended a 4th-and-2 throw to Antonio Brown to force a turnover on downs.
“Words can’t describe,” head coach John Harbaugh told reporters following the victory. “I think we all find in life that every adversity you walk through is the toughest one in your life when you’re in it. Ours is just beginning.”
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Baltimore failed to convert on a pair of 4th down gambles itself in regulation. A fake field goal attempt was blown up in the backfield by Pittsburgh’s Sean Spence and a quarterback sneak by Flacco was stopped before the line to gain.
Running back Justin Forsett rushed for 150 yards and Flacco threw for 189 yards passing and a touchdown in an uneven performance as the Ravens avoided their first 0-4 start in franchise history. Flacco was also sacked five times and committed two turnovers, an interception and a fumble recovery by Ross Cockrell.
In his first starter in a Steelers uniform, Michael Vick completed 19-of-26 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown to Darrius Heyward-Bey. Le’Veon Bell ran for 129 yards and put Pittsburgh in position to extend its fourth quarter lead before Scobee’s pair of missed field goals.
“I feel like I let the team down and it’s not something that I ever want to remember doing,” Pittsburgh kicker Josh Scobee told the media. “It’s a bad feeling.”
GAME RECAP
After a pair of three-and-outs to open the ballgame, the Steelers put up points on their second possession behind Josh Scobee’s 45-yard field goal to make it 3-0 with 7:46 left in the first quarter.
The Ravens responded with a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown march capped by Michael Campanaro running right end for a 9-yard score to put Baltimore ahead 7-3 with 32 seconds in the first.
After a three-and-out, the Ravens again travelled deep into Steelers’ territory. However, Ross Cockrell intercepted a Joe Flacco pass intended for Steve Smith Sr. and returned it to the Ravens’ 36. Daryl Smith would sack Michael Vick to knock the Steelers out of field goal range though, forcing a punt.
Baltimore would go three-and-out themselves on the next possession though and Le’Veon Bell traversed the width of the field, sideline-to-sideline on an impressive 11-yard rushing touchdown. The extra point gave Pittsburgh the edge again 10-7 with 1:48 in the half.
Scobee would tack on another three points before the half as the Ravens took only 56 seconds off the clock on their drive and an unnecessary roughness penalty on Kyle Juszczyk set the Steelers up with strong field position to make it 13-7.
The third quarter opened with an impressive play on defense by Pittsburgh’s Ross Cockrell. As Flacco rolled to his left to avoid pressure Cameron Heyward punched the football free and Cockrell went horizontal, just getting his toes inbounds to secure the fumble.
The Steelers made quick work on a short field, as Vick capped a 26-yard drive with a touchdown toss to Darrius Heyward-Bey to up their margin to 20-7 early in the third.
Justin Forsett helped to jumpstart the Ravens next possession, as a 33-yard scamper led to Flacco finding Kamar Aiken for a 15-yard touchdown pass, cutting their deficit back to six, 20-14.
Baltimore would begin with its next drive with its best starting field position, the Steelers’ 28, but a gamble on a fake field goal failed to pay off. Holder Sam Koch flipped the football to Nick Boyle, but Sean Spence dragged him down behind the line of scrimmage for a turnover on downs.
The play-calling stayed conservative on the Ravens next drive as they followed up a defensive stop with a successful 40-yard field goal by Justin Tucker.
Baltimore would get it back with a chance to tie following another brief Steelers drive, but a quarterback sneak by Flacco on 4th-and-1 was stopped short of the marker.
Scobee was unable to extend the Steelers’ advantage as his 49-yard field goal attempt hooked left with 2:29 remaining in regulation.
He’d get another chance after three Flacco incompletions and a James Harrison sack on 4th down turned the ball back over, but Scobee again shanked a field goal try left with 1:06 left.
That’d be enough time for Flacco, who connected with Darren Waller for 17 yards and Aiken for 20, to put Tucker in position to tie. The 42-yard successful attempt forced overtime with the score knotted at 20-20.
Defense came up big for the Ravens twice in the extra session, stopping a pair of 4th-and-short conversion attempts by Vick. Tucker put the ballgame away with a 52-yard field goal to provide the 23-20 final score in Baltimore’s favor.
UP NEXT
Baltimore (1-3) returns home to M&T Bank Stadium for the first of two meetings this season against Cleveland (1-3). Despite a 356 passing yard, two touchdown performance from Josh McCown, the Browns let one slip away in San Diego. An offsides call on a missed field gave Josh Lambo a second chance that he’d convert on take two, as the Chargers walked off with a 30-27 victory.
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