Baltimore 38-39 Pittsburgh: Steelers win thrilling AFC North clash to keep No 1 seed

The Pittsburgh Steelers clinched top spot in the AFC North with a thrilling 39-38 victory over divisional rivals Baltimore Ravens in a Sunday night shootout.

Chris Boswell kicked a 46-yard go-ahead field goal with 42 seconds left and Pittsburgh’s defense then overcame a sloppy night to stop Baltimore’s last-gasp drive.

The Steelers (11-2) trailed by 11 points going into the fourth quarter but capped an emotionally trying week following linebacker Ryan Shazier’s spinal injury to rally for their eighth-straight victory and third division title in four years.

Ben Roethlisberger threw for 506 yards and two touchdowns, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to top the mark as many as three times.

Antonio Brown caught 11 passes for 213 yards, including big gains in the fourth quarter that helped the Steelers to recover after having blown an early 14-point lead. Running back Le’Veon Bell had 125 yards of total offense and scored three touchdowns.

Two of those Bell TDs helped the Steelers break out into that early two-score lead, though Baltimore fought back before half-time, with Flacco connecting with Chris Moore for a 30-yard TD and Alex Collins running into the endzone from 18 yards out, while Pittsburgh could add only a pair of Boswell field goals before the break.

The Steelers were then held scoreless in the third quarter, while two further Ravens touchdowns and a Justin Tucker 47-yard field goal saw the visitors streak out into the lead.

But, the roles were reversed in the final quarter as the Steelers outscored their opponents 19-7 to clinch a crucial win that keeps them just ahead of the New England Patriots in the race for the No 1 seed in the AFC – the two teams face each other in Week 15.

Baltimore (7-6), meanwhile, suffered a setback in their pursuit of a Wild Card spot in the playoffs.

(c) Sky News 2017: Baltimore 38-39 Pittsburgh: Steelers win thrilling AFC North clash to keep No 1 seed