NFL - Pittsburgh Steelers get their Second Consecutive AFC North Title
By Cindy Ferguson
The 5-time Super Bowl champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers, defeated the Baltimore Ravens 13-9 in an amazing way to get their second straight AFC North Division title. Their furious defense gave the Steelers a chance to score at the end of the fourth quarter, when things were getting more complicated for both teams. The Steelers struggled in their offense during the game but they managed to find their way with only 43 seconds left in the game when Roethlisberger made a 4-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes for the victory.
The Steelers were down in the game 9-6 prior moving 92 yards in 13 plays. Roethlisberger went 7-for-11 for 89 yards on the take as he converted seven first downs for Pittsburgh. Coach Mike Tomlin expressed that his guys have been a heck of a team as they have performed in great way when things get tough, especially in the last five games on the road. In these five games the Steelers have won by three or fewer points and at the end of the fourth quarter, which has been impressive. With these 5 straight wins the team has become mentally tougher and a more consistent one; the harder gets to win, the better for them.
“We hung together. And, hopefully, that's a signature of Steelers' football for '08. I know we've been in a bunch of these (games), and we've found a way to see our way out of some of them. Today was big for us,” alleged coach Tomlin.
The Steelers currently have the best records in every defense category at the NFL and none of their opponents have got to 300 yards in the season against them. In this game, Ravens were able to get only 202 yards and couldn’t convert a touchdown since all their points came from a field goal, this way we can remarkably put the Steelers’ defense as one of the main reasons of their victory against Baltimore. However, we have to mention that also the decision making of their quarterback the “Big Ben” Roethlisberger at the end of the game was a key for the Steelers to win.
The last play of the game by Roethlisberger became controversial due to the fact that the ball supposedly barely cross the plane of the goal and the referee gave the Steelers the touchdown after watching the video analysis. However, Ravens’ coach John Harbaugh disagreed because he didn’t see the ball passing the goal plane and that could possibly changed the whole story at the end. In any case, the ball did cross the plane and the result was the victory, the division title and the spot on the playoffs for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The next game of the Pittsburgh Steelers will be held at the LP Field on December 21st against the Tennessee Titans, which will be a very interesting game. The Steelers are currently in fourth place of the conference with a record of 11-3 and the Titans are in first place with a record of 12-2. We hope the best for the Steelers, who have become a great football team that is fun to watch especially with their incredible defense and their unity at the end of decisive games.
About the Author
Cindy Ferguson is a high-ranking sports writer, currently writing reviews on NFL Football for the sports betting industry. Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety on your site, make sure to leave all links in place and do not modify any of the content.