• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Roethlisberger, Ward help Steelers edge Jaguars

Oct 6, 2008 - 6:39 AM JACKSONVILLE, Florida (Ticker) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers needed Ben Roethlisberger to shoulder the load, and he came through big time.

Roethlisberger hit Hines Ward for a go-ahead touchdown with 1:53 left in the fourth quarter to help the Steelers to a 26-21 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

Pittsburgh (4-1) entered the game minus its top two running backs but got a huge game from Roethlisberger, who completed 26-of-41 passes for 309 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. It was his first 300-yard game since November 6, 2006 vs. Denver.

"We had a statement: 'The more you can do,' and we called on a lot of people to do that," Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said. "Guys stepped outside their lines if you will and delivered, delivered big."

Roethlisberger, who has been bothered by a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder, was up to Tomlin's challenge and put forth a gritty performance in helping the shorthanded Steelers snap a four-game losing streak to their former AFC Central Division rival.

"There's a lot of banged up guys out here, it was a heavyweight fight," said Roethlisberger, who shook off an poor start in which he threw an interception that was returned 72 yards for a TD by Rashean Mathis. "I'm sore but no more sore than anyone else I'm sure."

Third-string running back Mewelde Moore ran for 99 yards on 17 carries and broke off a key 27-yard run on the game-winning drive. Moore was forced to start due to injuries to Willie Parker (knee) and rookie Rashard Mendenhall (fractured shoulder). Mendenhall is out for the season.

Pittsburgh will get a chance to rest some of its walking wounded, as it has a bye next week.

"This is a great team win, glad to get out of here," Tomlin said. "(We) sustained some bumps and bruises along the way but thankfully we get a week off. It's much needed."

"I have not met a bye that I didn't like," Roethlisberger said. "This appears to be appropriate right now so we'll take it. "It's gonna feel real good to get some time off. A lot of guys got beat up and we knew it was gonna be a physical fight."

The Steelers head into their bye week on high note thanks to Roethlisberger, who was under pressure all night and appeared to aggravate his shoulder injury on the final drive.

He made his biggest play with tacklers draped all over him during the decisive 11-play, 75-yard drive. On 3rd-and-8, he stepped up in the pocket, avoided a sack and completed a pass to Ward for 18 yards to the 31-yard line with 2:57 left.

Writhing in pain, Roethlisberger stayed in the game and finished what he started. Three plays later, he hit Ward on a fade for a 8-yard score with 1:53 left.

"That's Ben," Tomlin said. "Sometimes he holds the ball to long and the offensive line catches a bad rap for it. You take the good with the bad, he can step up and deliver the way he delivered tonight. The guy is very good at what he does."

"That was really the difference," Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said. "If we don't give up that play, it's probably a little bit different feeling right now."

Roethlisberger impressed his fellow quarterback with the highlight reel throw.

"I've never seen something like that before in that situation, with the game on the line, guys pulling him to the ground and he throws it 20 yards down the field, on the money," said Jaguars quarterback David Garrard, who completed 18-of-32 passes for 200 yards and a score. "He joked to me after the game, 'I was really throwing it away.' That was a great throw away."

The two-point conversion was unsuccessful, but it did not matter because Jacksonville could not move past its own 33-yard line on the ensuing possession.

Despite being statistically dominated, the Jaguars took a 21-20 lead when Garrard hit Marcedes Lewis for a 24-yard TD with 14:05 left in the fourth.

In reality, Jacksonville (2-3) had no business even being in the game late. The Steelers moved the ball at will in the first half behind Roethlisberger and outgained the Jaguars, 300-49. Roethlisberger threw for 239 yards in the half - the most he's compiled in two quarters.

He hit Nate Washington for a 48-yard TD that put Pittsburgh up, 17-14, with 9:20 left in the second. Jeff Reed, who kicked a 38-yard field goal earlier in the quarter, drilled a 23-yarder to give Pittsburgh a 20-14 lead at the half.

Maurice Jones-Drew had a TD run for Jacksonville, which converted just 3-of-13 third downs and was limited to 38 yards rushing. Jones-Drew sprained his ankle in the third but returned and finished the game.