Steelers slip past Ravens again to claim AFC North

Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAY Published 12:03 a.m. ET Dec. 11, 2017 | Updated 1:43 a.m. ET Dec. 11, 2017

Check out the top moments that helped define the outcomes of Sunday's NFL matchups. USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH – They needed a play, so they looked to the man who has made them all season long.

Facing a two-point deficit in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter of Sunday night’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, the Pittsburgh Steelers again fed receiver Antonio Brown. His 34-yard catch against single coverage put Pittsburgh in field goal position.

Kicker Chris Boswell drained the 36-yard, game-winning attempt that set up the 39-38 victory. A strip sack by linebacker T.J. Watt on the game’s final play sealed it.

With it, the Steelers (11-2) clinched the AFC North and maintained their spot as the conference’s top seed, but their focus must now shift elsewhere, and quickly.

Awaiting them next is the nemesis New England Patriots (10-2), who play the Miami Dolphins on the road Monday night. The battle could determine home-field advantage throughout the postseason and be a preview of the AFC Championship Game.

The victory, though, wasn’t without blemish. Pittsburgh’s defense allowed Baltimore to eat up chunks of yardage with several explosive plays.

After falling behind on a pair of Le'Veon Bell touchdowns, Baltimore started its surge. The Ravens, not counting a kickoff return that ended the first half, scored on their following five possessions in a row.

Spanning from the 9:07 mark in the second quarter through the 12:16 mark in the fourth, Baltimore outscored Pittsburgh 31-6.

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After scoring on their first four possessions, the Steelers ran only 11 plays on their next three drives, gaining just 21 yards and punting every time.

The problems also began mounting on defense: poor tackling, a front seven that yielded 5.8 yards per carry (152 total) and a pass rush that didn’t sack Flacco until the last play of the game.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed 44 of 66 passes – setting single-game career highs for both marks – for 506 yards and two touchdowns.

Bell scored three total touchdowns and gained 155 yards from scrimmage. Brown caught 11 passes for 213 yards.

The celebration for the division title, however, will be short-lived.

Including the playoffs, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is 10-2 against Pittsburgh. Most recent are a pair of defeats last season: one in Week 9 and the other in the AFC title game.

The next is for supremacy in the AFC.

Follow Lorenzo Reyes on Twitter @LorenzoGReyes.

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell (26) runs through a tackle attempt by Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker C.J. Mosley (57) and free safety Eric Weddle (32) to score a touchdown during the first quarter at Heinz Field. Charles LeClaire, USA TODAY Sports

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