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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Ten years of frustration in Pittsburgh for Art
Modell's team ended with 10 terrific minutes by Qadry Ismail.
Tony Banks shook off an awful first half to hit Ismail on three
touchdown passes of 54 yards or longer in the third quarter and the
Baltimore Ravens finally won at Three Rivers Stadium, 31-24 Sunday.
|  | | Ravens wide receiver Qadry Ismail hauls in one of his six receptions for 258 yards and three touchdowns. |
"He had a monster third quarter," said Banks, who threw for
268 yards despite going 3-of-17 in the first half and 8-of-26
overall. "We were communicating real well and I knew exactly what
he was doing."
Mostly, that was beating cornerback DeWayne Washington and
rookie safety Scott Shields on scoring passes of 54, 59 and 76
yards.
"I knew it was going to be a tough game for me," said Ismail,
the only fast healthy receiver, with Jermaine Lewis and Patrick
Johnson injured. "I knew there was more of a sense of urgency and
I would have to be into the flow of the game sooner rather than
later."
Even if Baltimore (6-7) won in Pittsburgh later than sooner. The
Ravens were 0-3 in Three Rivers Stadium and a Modell-owned team had
not won there since a 51-0 victory by Cleveland in 1989.
Modell moved the Browns to Baltimore in 1996, and this is the
first time since they've had a chance in December for a winning
record.
"It's been a long time for me since I won here," defensive end
Rob Burnett said. "Actually, it's been never. For 10 years, I've
come into this locker room and walked out mad. Right now, I'm happy
as I can be."
The Steelers (5-8) have lost five in a row -- their second such
streak in two seasons -- and are a franchise-worst 1-5 at Three
Rivers, including losses to division rivals Baltimore, Cleveland,
Cincinnati and Jacksonville. They beat all but Jacksonville on the
road.
"It's the most disappointing defensive effort since I've been
here," said coach Bill Cowher, whose team has lost 13 of 18.
"I'll make changes if I have to make them. Something is going to
have to give."
This time, it was his secondary.
Ismail had two touchdown catches in 12 games before topping that
in a single quarter in which he made four catches for 210 yards. He
finished with six receptions for 258 yards, or all but 10 of Banks'
yards passing.
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GAME NOTES |
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A Baltimore team hadn't won in Pittsburgh since the Colts
won 41-7 in 1968.
Jerome Bettis threw a touchdown pass, a
21-yarder to Hines Ward on an option play, but was held to 39 yards on 13 carries.
The Steelers last were 5-8 in 1991, Chuck Noll's final season.
Qadry Ismail has a career-high 51 catches.
The attendance of 46,715 was the Steelers' lowest at home under Bill Cowher.
The NFL record for touchdown catches in a quarter is four, last acomplished by Don Hutson in
1945.
Pittsburgh has allowed 891 yards rushing in its past
six games.
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It was a remarkable turnaround for Banks, who threw four TD
passes in last week's 41-14 victory against Tennessee but had only
43 yards in the first half as Priest Holmes rushed for 90 yards,
including a 64-yard touchdown run on the Ravens' third play from
scrimmage.
"The first half was about as ugly as I've played in my
career," said Banks, who has seven TD passes in two games. "Any
time you can win a game with your quarterback playing like I did
for a half, it shows something."
Ismail, playing for his fourth team in seven seasons, put the
Ravens ahead 17-10 with a 54-yard touchdown catch on third-and-12
early in the third quarter. He outraced Washington to make the
catch at the 20, took a shot from Shields and, clutching at his
abdomen, covered the remaining distance in pain before collapsing
in the end zone.
"It was like a lung injury, an intestinal injury and a kidney
injury," Ismail said. "I thought, 'Do I go down now?' I said,
'No,' and I continued on. That was a hit."
It initially looked as if Ismail might not return. But, two
plays after Mike Tomczak's 6-yard TD pass to Troy Edwards tied it,
Ismail found an open lane on third-and-9 for a 59-yard touchdown.
Cowher then gathered his defense and screamed for several
minutes, but it didn't help. Asked later if his frustrated players
are tuning him out, he said, "I don't think so."
On the Ravens' next possession, Ismail again got behind
Washington, and Banks hit him in stride on a 76-yard score that
increased the lead to 31-17.
"The way I played, there's no excuse for it," Washington said.
"Put everything on me. If you want to blame anybody, blame me.
That might be the worst game I've ever played."
Tomczak, 22-of-41 for 249 yards and two touchdowns despite being
sacked five times, connected with Kordell Stewart on an 11-yard
touchdown pass with 2:45 to play, Stewart's first score since
returning to receiver. It was his first in the NFL since 1996.
But the Steelers never got the ball back as Holmes gained 28
yards to the 10 on third-and-7 with 1:53 left, allowing the Ravens
to run out the clock.
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