"Last year Ben got beat up against them but today we were more physical." "Coach Tomlin said all week the team that was more physical would win," Ward said. Once they got started, the Steelers lived up to coach Mike Tomlin's pregame prediction they would feed off the noise and enthusiasm. "It was a little more satisfying because it was Baltimore and they cut me."įormer coach Bill Cowher got the crowd going by making a previously unannounced on-field appearance shortly before the opening kickoff as a steady rain fell. "To tell you the truth, it seemed like everything was working," Harrison said. Harrison could tell when the game started. "I haven't seen anyone play a game like that since high school - not in college or the NFL," linebacker Larry Foote said. Lambert, coincidentally, was one of the few members of the Steelers' 75th anniversary all-time team who didn't attend. Harrison had two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and interception and 2½ sacks before halftime in a Jack Lambert-like performance. He seemed to torment Ravens quarterback Steve McNair on nearly every down. Harrison, a non-drafted free agent once cut by Baltimore, became a starter this season after former Pro Bowl linebacker Joey Porter was released. "I'm just glad it's a short week and we don't have time to dwell on this." "I wouldn't even know how to begin to characterize this," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. This time he was near perfect, going 13-of-16 for 209 yards with no interceptions. Then, Roethlisberger was sacked 14 times and threw four interceptions. Right about then, it was becoming obvious this wouldn't be a repeat of Baltimore's two routs of the Steelers by scores of 31-7 and 27-0 a season ago. Four plays later, Roethlisberger found Santonio Holmes for 15 yards on the first of their two opening-half touchdown pass plays and a 14-0 Steelers lead. The Steelers forced three fumbles in the first quarter, with James Harrison hitting All-Pro safety Ed Reed so hard on a punt return the ball flew nearly 15 feet before Pittsburgh recovered. "You want to put on a show for those guys." "It was a magical night to have those guys come and show their support," said Hines Ward, himself a member of the Steelers' all-time team that was honored at halftime. Not with all the big names - Mean Joe Greene, Jack Ham, Franco Harris, Terry Bradshaw - who gathered to celebrate the Steelers' 75th season, whooping it up and pounding each others' backs with every big hit and turnover. The Ravens (4-4) had a chance to tie for the AFC North lead by beating the Steelers (6-2) for a fourth straight time dating to 2005. Here are the fewest passing yards by a quarterback in a five-touchdown game since the merger in 1970. Before calling it a night, he had five - with just 209 passing yards. Ben Roethlisberger got off to a hot start against the Ravens, throwing two touchdowns in the first quarter.
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