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Ravens snap losing streak, beat Steelers in finale

Dec 31, 2007 - 2:56 AM BALTIMORE (Ticker) -- It took more than two months, but the Baltimore Ravens finally got back into the win column.

Musa Smith rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown as the Ravens snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 27-21 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

The Ravens (5-11) had not won since a 22-3 victory against St. Louis on October 14, setting the record for most consecutive losses since the franchise relocated to Baltimore in 1996.

"No matter what the circumstances are, it's always great to win a game, to finish that way against a division rival," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "It was a great win for those guys in that room."

The Ravens picked up their first division win of the season, helping the team avoid tying their worst record since they moved to Baltimore. The Ravens had finished 4-12 in 1996.

With the loss, the Steelers are set to host the Jacksonville Jaguars (11-5) in the wild card round of the playoffs on Saturday night. It will be a rematch from two weeks ago, when Pittsburgh was defeated by visiting Jacksonville, 29-22.

"We have to be razor sharp," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "We didn't like our performance the last time we played Jacksonville and that's not taking anything away from them. We know what type of team they are and we have work to do."

Pittsburgh (10-6) rested quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and wide receiver Hines Ward for the entire game in its first full contest without starting running back Willie Parker, who broke his leg in last week's win against St. Louis.

Charlie Batch completed 16-of-31 passes for 218 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in his first start of the season, but the Steelers were dominated on the ground.

"We didn't keep our defense off the field enough in the first half," Batch said. "I didn't come up with completions and hit some passes that we need to sustain drives."

Smith and Cory Ross combined for 155 rushing yards for the Ravens, who held Steelers running back Najeh Davenport - who gained 123 yards a week ago - to just 27 yards on 12 carries.

"It felt very good," Smith said. "Everyone came out and laid it on the line and we got the W. I'm just happy to finish the season, finish strongly and get the W."

Davenport felt that Pittsburgh - which had 46 net rushing yards - will need to improve on its performance for next week's playoff game.

"(Jacksonville) has a good defense," Davenport said. "They stopped our running and they made plays when they had to. In order for us to do what we have to do in the playoffs, we have to run the ball efficiently and that starts with the running backs."

Derrick Mason had six catches for 72 yards for the Ravens, setting a personal and Baltimore team record with 103 receptions on the season.

After Pittsburgh fumbled the opening kickoff, Baltimore capitalized and took control early when Smith ran in a 2-yard score, giving the Ravens a 7-0 lead less than five minutes into the contest.

Following Matt Stover's field goal late in the first quarter, Ross scored his first career touchdown on a 32-yard run to give the Ravens a 17-0 advantage with 13:27 left in the second.

Leading, 20-7, at the half, Troy Smith added to Baltimore's lead with a 15-yard TD pass to Devard Darling to give the Ravens a 20-point bulge with 3:41 left in the third quarter. The 20-point advantage was also the largest all season for the Ravens.

"Before we left the huddle, (Smith) told me be smart on the 'four route' and that's what I did," Darling said. "He looked for me and it was wide open. It feels so good just to walk out of this locker room knowing that we won our last game."

Batch threw a pair of touchdowns 3:37 apart - 59 yards to Santonio Holmes and 7 yards to Cedrick Wilson - to close the Steelers within 27-21 with 3:36 to play.

Pittsburgh had one final possession, starting from its own 11-yard line with 1:36 remaining, but Batch threw his second interception to Ravens cornerback David Pittman on a bomb down the field with 1:04 left.

Troy Smith - the 2006 Heisman Trophy winner - completed 16-of-27 passes for 171 yards without an interception in his second career start.

"Today, I honestly felt like we would not be denied," he said. "The season has been long and drawn out. Today there was something special about the feel - something special about everything. It was huge for everybody."