Steelers edge Ravens to stay perfect, best start since ’78

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates throwing a fourth quarter touchdown pass while walking off the field with teammates Maurkice Pounce #53 and tight end Eric Ebron #85 against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on November 01, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. Todd Olszewski/Getty Images/AFP

Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger threw for 182 yards and two touchdowns and the Steelers remained the NFL’s only undefeated club by edging the host Baltimore Ravens 28-24 on Sunday.

Pittsburgh’s Robert Spillane returned an interception 33 yards for a touchdown only 54 seconds into the game as the Steelers improved to 7-0 on the NFL season, their best start since 1978.

Lamar Jackson threw for 208 yards and two Baltimore touchdowns and ran 16 times for 65 yards, but the Ravens fell to 5-2 and two games adrift of the Steelers in the AFC North division.

Baltimore seized a 17-7 half-time lead on Jackson’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Miles Boykin, a Gus Edwards 1-yard touchdown run and a 51-yard Justin Tucker field goal.

But Roethlisberger, who completed 21 of 32 passes, found Eric Ebron on an 18-yard touchdown pass and James Conner added a 1-yard touchdown run to lift the Steelers ahead 21-17 entering the fourth quarter.

The Ravens answered on Jackson’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Marquise Brown but “Big Ben” struck again midway into the final period on an 8-yard touchdown toss to Chase Claypool and a Jackson throw into the end zone on the final play fell incomplete to seal Pittsburgh’s triumph.

In other early NFL contests, the Kansas City Chiefs improved to 7-1 by routing the winless New York Jets 35-9 and Buffalo moved to 6-2 by edging New England 24-21, dropping the Patriots to 2-5.

Upset losses saw the Green Bay Packers and Tennessee Titans each fall to 5-2, the Packers falling 28-22 to visiting rival Minnesota while the Titans were downed 31-20 at Cincinnati.