Steelers play takeaway in 13-10 victory over the Ravens

Reporting from Baltimore — The Pittsburgh Steelers’ locker room was empty but for one last player, safety Troy Polamalu. He walked gingerly from the training room to the showers Sunday night, long after his teammates had dressed and boarded the team bus.

Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin, borderline giddy after the 13-10 victory over the Baltimore Ravens, came looking for him.

“Hey, Troy!” the coach yelled. “You in there washing your hair? I ain’t leaving you, baby! Take your time!”

Holding the bus wasn’t a problem. After all, without Polamalu’s huge defensive play, where would they be?

That play came with 3 minutes 22 seconds left and Baltimore leading, 10-6. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco dropped back on a second-and-five play from his 43-yard line, and Polamalu came unblocked off the left side and raked the ball from Flacco’s grasp.

Pittsburgh’s LaMarr Woodley scooped up the fumble and returned it 19 yards to the Baltimore nine. Three plays later, on third and goal, Ben Roethlisberger dumped off a short pass over the middle to running back Isaac Redman, who broke a tackle and spun into the end zone with 2:51 left.

That proved to be the decisive score in a bitter rivalry that’s routinely as rough as any other in the league. The Steelers (9-3) moved a game ahead of the Ravens (8-4) in the AFC North and, with four games lift in the regular season, have the inside track on a first-round bye in the playoffs.

Just before walking into the locker room, Roethlisberger crossed paths with Tomlin.

“Got to make it fun, right?” the quarterback said with a weary smile.

“I don’t like that kind of fun,” the coach shot back.

As big as the win was, the Steelers didn’t come away unscathed. Tight end Heath Miller absorbed a violent hit that snapped his head back and left him with a concussion. Right tackle Flozell Adams sustained a high ankle sprain. Punter Daniel Sepulveda sustained a knee injury but stayed in the game to hold on kicks. (Tomlin said after the game that Sepulveda tore a ligament and is probably out for the rest of the season).

And Roethlisberger wound up with a broken nose from a hit by defensive tackle Haloti Ngata.

“I have no idea who did it or on what play it happened,” the quarterback said. “I didn’t even realize it was that bad until I went over to the sidelines and guys were looking at me funny.”

In winning, the Steelers snapped Baltimore’s home winning streak at eight games. It was the fifth time in six meetings that the margin of victory was three points.

“We’re going to move on, because if we let this get to us, not only can we lose the division, but we can slip farther down the line and not make the playoffs at all,” said Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs, who had a phenomenal game pressuring Roethlisberger and stuffing the run.

Said Roethlisberger of Suggs: “He’s a heck of a player. We kept trying to change our blocking schemes on him, and he got through. One time after a play, I looked at him and he was bleeding from the mouth. I was bleeding from the nose. That says it all about a Ravens-Steelers football game.”

The Ravens had a chance to force overtime after the Steelers’ touchdown, and moved deep into Pittsburgh territory within the final minute. Not deep enough, however. They went for it on fourth and two from the 31, rather than having Billy Cundiff attempt a long field goal into the wind. The fourth-down pass was low and incomplete with 37 seconds remaining.

Ravens Coach John Harbaugh bristled when a reporter asked him about the decision not to attempt the field goal, which would have been at least a 48-yarder.

“Were you down on the field?” Harbaugh said. “Did you see the wind down there? Did you see the way the ball was tracking with the field goals in pregame? It was a tough kick.

“I’m pretty good at that. I’ve been doing that for a long time, and I understand what those guys can do and what they can’t do. It was a very low-percentage kick.”

sam.farmer@latimes.com