Big D wins division titles for Steelers, Panthers
Monday, December 15, 2008 10:16 AM PST
PITTSBURGH (AP)— The Pittsburgh Steelers asserted themselves as the NFL’s top defense to win the AFC North. The Carolina Panthers took their division title with another outburst of offense.
In a meeting of the league’s top two defenses, Pittsburgh got a late touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to grit out a 13-9 win Sunday — the Steelers’ first in Baltimore since 2002.
‘‘They got a big sack when they had to at the end of the game ... then took the ball down the field and scored,’’ Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. ‘‘That’s the way they’ve won games.’’
It was by the slimmest of margins. Holmes’ catch was reviewed because it appeared that while Holmes’ feet were in the end zone, the ball was not.
The Panthers got another standout performance from running back DeAngelo Williams, whose cutback 56-yard run helped them to a 30-10 win over Denver. Steve Smith had nine catches for 165 yards and a TD.
In Sunday’s other NFL games, it was: Dallas 20, the New York Giants 8; Indianapolis 31, Detroit 21; Houston 13, Tennessee 12 Minnesota 35, Arizona 14; Miami 14, San Francisco 9; the New York Jets 31, Buffalo 27; New England 49, Oakland 26; Atlanta 13, Tampa Bay 10, overtime; Cincinnati 20, Washington 13; San Diego 22, Kansas City 21; Jacksonville 20, Green Bay 16; and Seattle 23, St. Louis 20.
The Steelers were down 9-6 before moving 92 yards in 13 plays. Roethlisberger went 7-for-11 for 89 yards on the drive, sealing Pittsburgh’s fourth comeback in the fourth quarter this season, including last week against Dallas, when the Steelers scored 17 points in the final 8 minutes of a 20-13 win.
‘‘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.’’
