The Pittsburgh Steelers asserted themselves as the National Football
League's top defense to win the American Football Conference 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 on 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.
Later, referee Walt Coleman said, "He had two feet down. When he gained
control of the ball, the ball was breaking the plane."
The Panthers got another standout performance from running back DeAngelo
Williams, whose cutback 56-yard run helped them to a 30-10 win over the Denver
Broncos. Steve Smith had nine catches for 165 yards and a TD.
In Sunday's other NFL games, it was: Cowboys 20, Giants 8; Colts 31, Lions
21; Texans 13, Titans 12; Vikings 35, Cardinals 14; Heat 14, 49ers 9; Jets 31,
Bills 27; Patriots 49, Raiders 26; Falcons 13, Buccaneers 10 (in overtime);
Bengals 20, Redskins 13; Chargers 22, Chiefs 21; Jaguars 20, Packers 16; and
Seahawks 23, Rams 20.
Pittsburgh (11-3) won its second division title in a row by limiting the
Ravens (9-5) to a season-low 202 yards. The Steelers have gone 14 straight games
without yielding 300 yards, tying the 1973 Los Angeles Rams for the longest
streak to start a season since the NFL merger in 1970.