Reed’s Kick Is a Winner

Nothing comes easy in the Baltimore Raven-Pittsburgh Steeler rivalry, no matter the records or which team is healthy and which is hurting.

Jeff Reed kicked a 37-yard field goal with 1:36 to play and the Steelers held off the depleted Ravens, 20-19, Monday night to tighten up the AFC North race.

But only with a sigh of relief did Pittsburgh (5-2) end a two-game home losing streak and stay within half a game of division leader Cincinnati.

Baltimore (2-5), already in danger of falling out of the division race, was without the last two NFL defensive players of the year, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, but hung around to the end before losing on the road for the seventh consecutive time.

“But our players know,” Steeler Coach Bill Cowher said. “This is still Baltimore. They still have some good players, and their coach challenged them and they responded.”

The Ravens, two-touchdown underdogs, took a 19-17 lead after a botched play by Pittsburgh’s special teams, a failed punt attempt in which rookie Greg Warren’s snap to Chris Gardocki deflected off upback Sean Morey and resulted in Gardocki’s incomplete pass.

“It’s a first,” Cowher said, saying Warren mistakenly snapped the ball early. “But we were holding them to field goals rather than touchdowns and got a chance to win it in the end.”

Thanks to the mixup, the Ravens got the ball at the Steeler 45 with 5:30 to play and a chance to steal a victory in a stadium where they haven’t won since 2001. Matt Stover followed with his fourth field goal, a 47-yard effort with 3:21 remaining that gave the Ravens their first lead.

But Ben Roethlisberger, who completed 18 of 30 passes for 177 yards, hooked up with Antwaan Randle El for 14 yards and Quincy Morgan for 23 yards, and Jerome Bettis had an 11-yard run on the 60-yard drive that led to Reed’s go-ahead field goal.

“I looked at Ben and said, ‘This is what it’s all about,’ ” Cowher said. “He kind of smiled and has a look of confidence about him.”

Baltimore had one more chance to win it, but Anthony Wright’s fourth-and-six pass from the Raven 47 fell at Chester Taylor’s feet. Wright was 25 for 44 for 252 yards and two interceptions, and Jamal Lewis was held below 100 yards rushing for the seventh consecutive game.

“They were desperate,” Steeler defensive lineman Chris Hoke said. “They knew they could fall out of the race if they didn’t win.”