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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
|  | | Steelers linebacker Joey Porter sacked Ravens quarterback Trent Dilfer for a 9-yard loss, summing up Baltimore's offensive woes. |
BALTIMORE (AP) -- It's becoming the standard formula for success
against the Baltimore Ravens: Score one touchdown and let the
defense do the rest.
The Pittsburgh Steelers offense struggled under Kordell Stewart,
but Baltimore went a fifth straight game without a touchdown Sunday
and lost its third in a row, 9-6.
Pittsburgh stretched its winning streak to five despite getting
just one touchdown and a gift-wrapped field goal. Stewart, starting
ahead of an ineffective Kent Graham, completed 9 of 18 passes for
133 yards and a score.
"It wasn't the prettiest of them all," Stewart said. "But to
come in here to Baltimore, considering what's gone on with us, I'll
take this win and run to Mexico and back three or four times."
Pittsburgh (5-3) vaulted past Baltimore (5-4) and into second
place in the AFC Central.
Baltimore won twice without benefit of a touchdown this month
before falling to Washington (10-3) and Tennessee (14-6). In both
games, the Baltimore defense allowed only one touchdown.
The same thing happened Sunday.
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TOM DONAHOE'S BREAKDOWN |
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Both teams changed quarterbacks in this game to try to get a spark, but
neither team could get it going on offense.
Instead, this game was a defensive struggle. The Steelers continue to play
outstanding defense. They have not given up a touchdown in 16 straight
quarters. Conversely, the Ravens have not scored a touchdown in five
complete games.
Early in the game, the Ravens drove the ball to the Steelers' 10-yard line.
But then Trent Dilfer fumbled
the snap from center and the Ravens lost the ball. Later Dilfer threw an
interception in the end zone.
So the offensive struggles continue for Baltimore. The Ravens' defense is
playoff-caliber, bur their offense definitely needs to solve the problem of
not scoring touchdowns.
The Steelers have now jumped ahead of the Ravens to second place in the AFC
Central, setting up a key matchup next week when they travel to Tennessee to
play the first-place Titans.
One offensive bright spot for Baltimore was the performance of rookie
running back Jamal Lewis, who
had 93 yards on 19 carries against the tough Pittsburgh defense.
Still, based on the way the Ravens are playing, it looks like there's no
easy answer to their offensive woes.
Tom Donahoe, ESPN.com's NFL analyst, was formerly the Steelers' director
of football operations.
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"When the offense is not scoring, we can't give up any
touchdowns," Ravens safety Rod Woodson said. "Each week we've
given up one. If we want to be great we can't give up any."
Ravens quarterback Trent Dilfer, starting in place of the
slumping Tony Banks, went 11-for-24 for 152 yards. But he couldn't
take Baltimore into the end zone, fumbling inside the Pittsburgh 10
on the opening drive and throwing an interception that resulted in
a Steelers touchback.
"It's definitely disappointing," Dilfer said. "But we're not
all going to slit our wrists. We've just got to go back to work to
fix this thing."
Baltimore went the entire month of October without a touchdown,
losing three of five during that span. The Ravens' touchdown
drought is 306 minutes, 39 seconds, dating back to the fourth
quarter of their Sept. 24 game against Cincinnati and covering 58
possessions.
Pittsburgh, coming off two straight shutouts, allowed a pair of
first-half field goals by Matt Stover, who has scored the Ravens'
last 46 points. But the Steelers have not yielded a touchdown in 16
successive quarters.
"Our defense is awesome. They kept us in the game today,"
Stewart said.
The Steelers forged a 6-6 tie on their second offensive play of
the third quarter when Hines Ward outleaped Duane Starks for a long
pass at the 5 and strolled into the end zone to complete a 45-yard
play.
The conversion kick by Kris Brown went wide, but Corey Harris
fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Pittsburgh recovered at the
Baltimore 27. Six plays later, Brown kicked a 24-yard field goal to
put the Steelers up 9-6.
Baltimore got to the Pittsburgh 33 with 7:40 left before
punting. The Ravens got the ball back on their 10 with 2:54
remaining, but Dilfer's fourth-down pass from the Baltimore 29 fell
incomplete and the Steelers ran out the clock.
Pittsburgh could muster only 84 yards in offense and trailed 6-0
at halftime.
The Ravens appeared poised to finally reach the end zone on
their initial possession, but Dilfer fumbled a snap on the
Pittsburgh 9 and the Steelers' Lee Flowers recovered at the 13.
"I guess I didn't hold onto it tight enough, then I couldn't
pick it up after I dropped it," Dilfer said.
Baltimore moved 30 yards to the Pittsburgh 38 on its next drive
before Dilfer was sacked on a third-down play, forcing a punt.
The Ravens then turned a 40-yard screen pass to Jamal Lewis into
a 51-yard field goal by Stover in the second quarter. Their next
drive covered 49 yards and resulted in a 49-yard field goal.
That was the extent of the Ravens' attack, leaving coach Brian
Billick to defend his stature as an offensive wizard.
"If anyone wants to intimate that all of a sudden I don't know
what I'm doing, and that my 25 years is a sham, and I faked my way
to this point, they can have at it," a terse Billick said.
Game notes
Ravens rookie WR Travis Taylor broke his collarbone in the
fourth quarter and will be lost for 4-6 weeks. ... Stewart's TD
pass was only the Steelers' third this season, the second by
Stewart. It was his longest completion since a 53-yarder against
Green Bay in November 1998. ... Billick challenged two straight
calls in the third quarter, losing on Harris' fumbled kickoff
before winning on a disputed catch by Pittsburgh's Bobby Shaw.
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ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
Pittsburgh Clubhouse
Baltimore Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Bill Cowher says the Steelers are gaining respectability.
wav: 177 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Brian Billick says the Ravens' ailing offense will work through its troubles.
wav: 175 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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