Steelers take title

BALTIMORE – The Pittsburgh Steelers are AFC North champions, and earning the crown at the expense of the Baltimore Ravens added an extra measure of joy to the accomplishment.

Santonio Holmes caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger with 43 seconds left, and the Steelers clinched their second straight division title and earned a first-round bye by beating Baltimore 13-9 on Sunday.

In a duel between the top two defenses in the NFL, Pittsburgh did not permit a touchdown in earning its first win in Baltimore since 2002.

As the Steelers filed into the locker room, a voice rose from the crowd of players: “We’re still the No. 1 defense! We showed you boys how to play defense!”

Pittsburgh (11-3) limited the Ravens (9-5) to a season-low 202 yards. The Steelers have gone 14 straight games without yielding 300 yards, tying the 1973 Los Angeles Rams for the longest streak to start a season since the NFL merger in 1970.

Many of the players wore hats that proclaimed Pittsburgh as AFC North champions.

Running back Willie Parker said: “This is like our biggest win. I know we won the Super Bowl, but you just can’t understand the feeling of the players in this locker room right now.”

Pittsburgh trailed 9-6 before moving 92 yards in 13 plays to score the game’s lone touchdown and take the lead for the first time.

Roethlisberger went 7-for-11 for 89 yards on the drive.

“All game they didn’t make plays,” Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis said. “One drive they did.”

Pittsburgh has come from behind in the fourth quarter four times this season, including last week against Dallas, when the Steelers scored 17 points in the final eight minutes of a 20-13 win over Dallas.

“We make the plays when they count,” Holmes said. “It doesn’t matter how the game goes through the course of three quarters. It always comes down to playing four quarters of football.”

Matt Stover kicked three field goals for the Ravens, who remain in the wild-card hunt despite being eliminated from the division race.

“We’ll be fine,” said Ravens rookie quarterback Joe Flacco, who went 11-for-28 for 115 yards and two interceptions.