PITTSBURGH — The Ravens (8-2) moved two games in front of the Steelers (6-4) by shutting down Pittsburgh’s offense, which sputtered without injured quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Byron Leftwich, making his first start in more than three years, completed 18 of 39 passes for 201 yards and an interception. He ran for a score but was also sacked three times.
Baltimore’s Joe Flacco wasn’t much better, completing 20 of 32 passes for 164 yards, but the Ravens didn’t need Flacco to dominate to beat the Steelers for the third straight time at Heinz Field.
The Steelers showed signs of inexperience down the stretch in the final minutes of the game without starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben is sidelined with a rare and potentially severe rib injury, with no ETA on his return. Pittsburgh will be on the road the next two weeks, heading to Cleveland and then Baltimore for a rematch with the arch-rival Ravens.
