Chris Boswell Plays Hero in Steelers Win Over Ravens

The Steelers' veteran placekicker was perfect in the Steelers' first divisional game of the season.

Nov 17, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers place kicker Chris Boswell (9) celebrates with holder Corliss Waitman (8) after kicking a field goal against the Baltimore Ravens during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers outlasted the Baltimore Ravens 18-16 in a battle for the AFC North crown. The Steelers had yet to play a divisional opponent until the Ravens. But when they finally did, the Steelers played one of their best defensive games.

Quarterback Russell Wilson passed for 205 yards on 63.9% completions and an interception. Steelers placekicker Chris Boswell scored all 18 points with a longest of 57 yards. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson passed for 207 yards on 48.5% completions, a touchdown and an interception. Jackson also ran for 46 yards.

Steelers wide receiver George Pickens caught eight passes for 89 yards. Running back Najee Harris rushed for 63 yards on 18 carries and Jaylen Warren ran for 41 yards on nine carries.

The Steelers established dominance early. On Baltimore's second snap of the game, Nick Herbig came around the backside and punched the ball out from Derrick Henry's arms -- Henry's first fumble in 538 touches.

Starting their drive at Baltimore's 42-yard line, the Steelers didn't need much to get into Chris Boswell's field goal range. Harris ran as usual, carrying multiple Ravens defenders for extra yards. Pickens caught a pair of passes from Wilson to keep the offense on schedule. At the Ravens' 14-yard line, Wilson threw two incompletions, and Boswell made the chip-in field goal. 3-0 Steelers with 10:40 in the first quarter.

A holding penalty set the Ravens' answering drive back. On third-and-10, Jackson targeted former Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson. Who was the Steeler defending Johnson? The man he was traded for, Donte Jackson forced an incompletion and a Ravens punt.

That holding call was a big break for the Steelers. On the ensuing drive, the Ravens trespassed the neutral zone, giving the Steelers five yards for free. On third-and-one, Wilson targeted wide receiver Calvin Austin III. The pass hit Austin's inside shoulder and both hands, but Ravens cornerback Brandon Stephens broke up the completion.

In a rivalry game like this, the Ravens were bound to break through. Jackson found tight end Isaiah Likely for a 42-yard completion. But an ineffective run from Henry and another incomplete pass to Johnson and wide receiver Zay Flowers meant placekicker Justin Tucker had a chance to answer. Tucker, who is in the middle of the worst year of his career, kicked the 47-yard attempt wide left.

After that break, the Steelers gave running back Jaylen Warren two touches to get to three-and-one. Wilson tried a QB sneak to get one yard, but the Steelers' offensive line was shredded and Wilson was tackled short. In recent weeks the Steelers have taken more gambles then usual. On their 46-yard line, the Steelers attempted a fourth-and-one Harris run, but Harris was tackled short.

Already on the Steelers side of the field, the Ravens were almost in field goal range. Jackson ran for 15 yards before the offense stalled. After missing his last attempt from 47 yards, Tucker was looking at a 50-yarder. Tucker pushed this one wide left, too.

With another big break, the Steelers couldn't even get a first down. Wilson took a -10-yard sack on second down and sack for no loss on third-and-20, forcing the Steelers to punt. On the answering drive, Jackson found Flowers for an explosive gain, setting the tone for what could be the Ravens first positive drive. But two incompletions and an illegal shift penalty stopped the Ravens' march, and they had to punt.

The Steelers were pinned at their 16-yard line after the punt. Wilson threw a screen pass to Harris, who got a great block from rookie center Zach Frazier, that went 20 yards. Pickens and tight end Pat Freiurmuth caught passes for positive gains and Harris rushed for another first down, but Wilson got sacked on third-and-four, killing any hope at the Steelers' first touchdown. Boswell made his 52-yard field goal attempt extending the Steelers' lead 6-0.

A false start and offensive holding penalty put the Ravens' next drive behind schedule. Jackson badly overthrew Flowers wide-open, and they had to punt again.

Wilson was sacked on the first play of the Steelers' next series, and the offense couldn't overcome the setback. Again, the Steelers punted without recording a first down.

With the half winding down, the Ravens needed to put points on the board. Like Wilson, Jackson was sacked on the first play of the series, but former Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen was flagged for holding, negating the big play. That was enough the set the Ravens loose, as Jackson completed passes of 19 and 18 yards and Henry broke free for a 31 yard run. Henry likely would have scored if not for a shoe-string tackle by safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. At the goal line, Henry pushed into the end zone anyway. 7-0 Ravens with 1:16 left in the half.

With three timeouts and little time on the clock, the Steelers had to put together a long drive, fast. Pickens caught a quick pass from Wilson for six yards and then a quick pass for the first down. But Pickens didn't get both feet down, and the Steelers never got the first down. Steelers punter Corliss Waitman pinned the Ravens at their nine-yard line with 46 seconds.

On the Ravens' first play of the series trying to at least get into field goal range, Jackson tossed a screen pass to Likely. But then Queen wrapped up Likely and stripped the football free. After many words exchanged, the Steelers had the ball already in the red zone. A false start penalty set a third-and-five attempt back to third-and-10. Wilson targeted Pickens on a corner route, but the pass was broken up. Boswell knocked in the 32-yard field goal attempt to re-take the lead.

The Steelers lead 9-7 at the half.

Out of the half, the Steelers made small gains to march past mid-field. On second-and-11 at Baltimore's 49-yard line, the Steelers put backup quarterback Justin Fields in to run a designed run -- the first look at a "Fields package" that the Steelers' coaching staff has discussed since giving the starting job back to Wilson. The run picked up eight yards. Getting to Baltimore's 39-yard line, Boswell nailed a 57-yard field goal extending the Steelers lead to 12-7.

The Ravens hadn't converted on third down all game but converted two in a row on the ensuing drive. But the drive died the same way several Ravens drives had already -- with a Jackson incompletion on second and third down. Tucker knocked in a 54-yard field goal cutting the Ravens' deficit to 12-10.

The Steelers just could not crack the endzone. But the Wilson-to-Pickens connection overcame two painful holding penalties on Steelers tackle Broderick Jones. Wilson found Pickens for a 17-yard completion on second-and-16. And at mid-field on second-and-15, Wilson saw Pickens one-on-one and completed a 37-yard moonball to the star wide receiver. But again in the red-zone, the Steelers had to settle for a 27-yard field goal. Steelers led 15-10 with 56 seconds left in the third quarter.

The Steelers defense was incredible all game -- especially the defensive line and linebackers. The Steelers stifled two Henry rushes. Then, on third-and-11 at Baltimore's 13-yard line, Jackson was forced out of bounds by T.J. Watt, forcing a punt.

The Steelers had avoided disaster all game. Wilson marched the offense back to the goal line with a 25-yard pass to tight end Darnell Washington over the middle of the field. The Steelers couldn't get any yards on first, second or third down only five yards from their first touchdown. Wilson avoided a multiple rushers, spun around twice, and tossed a jump ball to Washington. But either the throw was very inaccurate, or the 6-foot-7 Washington never jumped, and Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey caught an interception in the endzone. A disaster for the Steelers.

At least Renegade played for the fourth-quarter defensive stand. Except Jackson scrambled for 25 yards and Henry caught a checkdown for 15-yards right after the pick. The Ravens were marching.

Second-year star cornerback Joey Porter Jr. was hurt earlier in the game. Although he returned shortly after, Porter Jr. couldn't stay on the field. On the Ravens' next snap, Jackson targeted running back Justice Hill streaking downfield. But rookie Steelers linebacker Payton Wilson, instead of Porter Jr., was all over it, and ripped the ball out of Hill's hands, picking off Jackson. Renegade magic.

That pick gave momentum back to the Steelers. On third-and-seven, Wilson found Washington 17 yards over the middle of the field again for a first down. On third-and-10, Wilson took an endzone shot to Pickens. The pass was almost picked off, but Pickens put his best effort into playing defense and the ball hit the ground. Boswell kicked another field goal, his sixth of the day, from 50 yards extending the Steelers lead 18-10.

Down one score, Jackson and the Ravens needed to march. On first-and-10, defensive tackle Cam Heyward batted down a pass. On the next play, Jackson scrambled for well over 10 seconds, found Flowers wide open, but Flowers fully dropped the pass. It was dire for the Ravens, but Jackson found wide receiver Rashod Bateman for the first down on third down.

On third-and-nine with the game in the balance, Jackson found Hill open on the other side of the field for 22 yards. Then, Flowers was wide open in the endzone. 18-16 Steelers.

The Ravens had to go for two. Jackson scrambled, got surrounded by Steelers and couldn't find an open lane or receiver. Porter Jr., back in the game, wrapped up Jackson and kept a two point lead.

The Ravens did a normal kickoff instead of announcing an onside kick. With the Ravens holding all three timeouts, the Steelers needed first down. The Steelers subbed Fields back in to make the clutch play. On second-and-10, Fields rushed for the game-winning first down. But Fields started his slide over a yard short of the sticks, meaning the Steelers still needed a yard. Fields stayed in, handed the ball to Harris, and Harris got the game-winning yard.

Jackson's record against the Steelers moves to 1-4. The Steelers move to 8-2 and the Ravens move to 7-4 -- giving the black and gold a cushion in their first-place seat of the AFC North.

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