PITTSBURGH—If the end is near for Ben Roethlisberger, he’s not telling. Not publicly anyway. The longtime Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback insists he won’t make a final decision about his future until January at the earliest.
Until then, he is intent on savoring each moment as it comes. Moments like the giddy postgame locker room on Sunday night inside Heinz Field, when a surprised Roethlisberger received the game ball following the 39th fourth-quarter comeback of his career, a 20–19 victory over Baltimore that will be remembered for Roethlisberger’s vintage second-half play and a gutsy—if ultimately fruitless—decision by Ravens coach John Harbaugh to go for the win in regulation.
“You should always try to savor moments like this,” Roethlisberger said after throwing for 236 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns to Diontae Johnson. “I try and reiterate that to guys. Whether you’re in your first year or your fifth year, your 20th year, you should always appreciate this moment.”
One the Steelers (6–5–1) desperately needed in order to be any sort of factor down the stretch. Pittsburgh ended a three-game winless skid behind a flash of brilliance from Roethlisberger and Johnson and the long arms of linebacker T.J. Watt.
Watt finished with a career-high 3 1/2 sacks despite missing practice all week after being placed on the COVID-19 list, and his presence forced Lamar Jackson’s 2-point conversion throw to tight end Mark Andrews to fall harmlessly to the turf after a 6-yard touchdown catch by Sammy Watkins drew the Ravens (8–4) within a point with 12 seconds to go.
Rather than turn to the NFL’s best kicker to force overtime by going for an extra point, Harbaugh told Justin Tucker to remain on the sideline and asked Jackson to win it in regulation. Jackson took the snap and looked his right, but in an effort to keep the ball out of Watt’s reach, he ended up leading Andrews too far. The pass smacked off Andrews’ outstretched hands and the Steelers escaped.
“I was cool with (the decision),” Jackson said. “I want to win.”
Harbaugh pointed to the play of his injury-depleted secondary—a list that now includes star Marlon Humphrey, who left in the second half with an issue Harbaugh did not disclose—as the main reason to avoid overtime.
The Ravens certainly looked a step slow over the final 15 minutes as Roethlisberger hit a wide-open Johnson for scores of 29 and 5 yards, the last a flip that gave the Steelers a 20–13 lead with 1:48 to go.
