BALTIMORE – Kenny Pickett threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Najee Harris with 56 seconds remaining, giving the Pittsburgh Steelers a 16-13 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night and improbably keeping their playoff hopes alive for another week.
It was the first touchdown allowed by Baltimore at home in four games, and the Steelers (8-8) needed it to avoid elimination. Just like they needed Miami to lose to New England earlier in the day, which also happened.
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Pittsburgh can now make the playoffs by beating Cleveland next weekend — if Miami and New England both lose. A lot still has to go right, but a lot went right Sunday.
Down 13-9, Pickett drove the Steelers 80 yards in 3:20 against their rivals with the season on the line. On third-and-8 from the 10, the rookie scrambled away from pressure and threw a perfect pass to Harris, who had slipped behind linebacker Roquan Smith along the left sideline.
The playoff-bound Ravens (10-6) now need Buffalo to beat Cincinnati on Monday to keep their hopes of winning the AFC North alive.
Tyler Huntley threw a touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely late in the first half for the game's only other touchdown.
The Steelers need help to make the playoffs, but they have full control of another streak. They haven't had a losing record since 2003 — and they never have under coach Mike Tomlin, now in his 16th season.
A penalty on Pittsburgh's Cam Heyward led to the game's first touchdown. With the score tied at 3 late in the second quarter, the Steelers stopped Baltimore on third down, but Heyward was called for unnecessary roughness while on top of the pile. Instead of settling for a field goal, the Ravens had a new set of downs at the Pittsburgh 7 with 11 seconds left.
On the next play, Huntley threw to his left to Likely at the goal line to put Baltimore up by seven.
The Ravens are 2-2 without quarterback Lamar Jackson, who was sidelined again with a knee injury. The passing game looked sharper Sunday than in some of Huntley's previous action, but he was intercepted at the end of the game after the Steelers took the lead.
Harris ran for 111 yards for Pittsburgh. J.K. Dobbins ran for 93 yards for Baltimore.
INJURIES
Steelers LB Myles Jack left with a groin injury. ... Pittsburgh CB James Pierre, who is a cousin of Jackson's, sustained a concussion. ... Baltimore WR Andy Isabella injured his thigh and T Morgan Moses injured his biceps.
UP NEXT
Steelers: Host Cleveland next Sunday.
Ravens: At Cincinnati next Sunday.
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Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL