The Pittsburgh Steelers matched the greatest start to a season in franchise history as they edged the Baltimore Ravens 28-24 in a fierce battle to move 7-0 at the top of the AFC North.
Chase Claypool's fourth quarter touchdown proved the decider as the Steelers' formidable defense came up big to foil a late Ravens drive.
Lamar Jackson finished 13 of 29 for 208 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, while rookie running back J.K. Dobbins found plenty of joy on the ground with 15 carries for 113 rushing yards.
Ravens defensive coordinator Wink Martindale had contained Ben Roethlisberger excellently for much of the game, but it was second half adjustments from Steelers offensive coordinator Randy Fitchner that were rewarded with victory.
Roethlisberger went 21 of 32 for 182 yards and two touchdowns, with his efforts complemented by four sacks, nine quarterback hits and two picks from his defense.
- Steelers stats: Ben Roethlisberger, 21/32, 182 yards, 2 TDs
- Rushing leader: James Conner, 15 carries, 47 yards, 1 TD
- Receiving leader: JuJu Smith-Schuster, seven catches, 67 yards
The Steelers took the lead on the third play of the game as Robert Spillane intercepted Jackson on third-and-six before returning it to the house for a 33-yard touchdown.
Jackson recovered emphatically, lofting a beautifully-timed six-yard touchdown pass to Miles Boykin at the back of the end zone after Cam Heyward's unnecessary roughness penalty and Willie Snead's 34-yard catch-and-run had put the Ravens deep in Steelers territory.
Claypool was stripped by Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters on the next drive, before Bud Dupree forced a fumble from Jackson that allowed the Steelers to regain possession at their own four-yard line.
Baltimore went ahead for the first time in the second quarter when Gus Edwards powered over from one yard out to complete a drive that had seen the Ravens run the ball eight times.
There was still time to squeeze in a 51-yard field goal from Justin Tucker with three seconds left in the half to make it a 10-point game.
The Ravens lost rookie guard Tyre Phillips and left tackle Ronnie Stanley to game-ending injuries in the first half, while pass rusher Matthew Judon was ejected after accidentally making contact with an official during a heated altercation between both teams.
- Ravens stats: Lamar Jackson, 13/29, 208 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
- Rushing leader: J.K. Dobbins, 15 carries, 113 yards
- Receiving leader: Willie Snead, five catches, 106 yards
Jackson was intercepted by Alex Highsmith following the restart, resulting in Roethlisberger punishing him with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Eric Ebron.
That threatened to be a momentum-changer after the Ravens' dominance on the ground, with James Conner punching it in from one yard to ice the Steelers' best drive on offense up to that point.
The Ravens claimed the third lead change of the game when Jackson tossed a three-yard touchdown pass to Marquise Brown, who had been ruled out of bounds on a catch attempt in the end zone on the previous play. Jackson had also seen a stunning 20-yard slaloming run to the end zone scratched off for a holding call.
Three lead changes became four when Roethlisberger found rookie Claypool for an eight-yard touchdown with 7.30 to play in the fourth.
With two minutes remaining, the Steelers defense stuffed Jackson on fourth-and-three before recovering the resulting fumble at their own six-yard line to move the team towards victory.
Jackson fired to Snead for a 33-yard gain at the Steelers' 22 with 26 seconds remaining, however the Ravens were unable to string together what would have been a game-winning score.
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