APUntil that turnaround sequence, the Steelers’ offensive malaise carried over from a dreary 15-6 loss in Philadelphia in which Roethlisberger was sacked eight times, threw an interception, lost a fumble and was dropped for a safety.
On Baltimore’s next play after the kickoff, Flacco — who had impeccably managed the game until then in only his third career start — fumbled while being sacked by James Harrison, Woodley scooped up the ball and scored from the 7, after initially attempting to fall on the ball.
“Then I remembered it wasn’t college and I could run, and I don’t have a lot of speed but I got in there,” Woodley said.
Flacco finished 16-of-31 for 192 yards.
“I’m proud of the way we came back and tied the game up,” he said. “I thought we did a good job of weathering what they threw at us. But I’ve got to take care of the ball.”
The Steelers drove for Reed’s 49-yard field goal on their opening possession, then could barely gain a yard until late in the third. Baltimore, beaten 38-7 in Pittsburgh last season, answered with field goals by Matt Stover of 33 and 20 yards before making it 13-3 on Flacco’s first career TD pass, a 4-yarder to Daniel Wilcox with 17 seconds left before halftime.
Flacco, outplaying Roethlisberger for much of the game, set up the score with completions of 13 yards to Mason and 25 to McClain, who was in the game because starter Willis McGahee hurt his chest earlier in the 56-yard drive.
“He didn’t get rattled,” Mason said. “He showed poise out there and that’s all you can ask your young quarterback to do. That second half, they were throwing a lot of stuff at him, through it all he showed the poise of a veteran. But we’ve got to help him out.”
Pittsburgh won its 14th consecutive Monday night home game, a streak that dates to a 1991 loss to the New York Giants at Three Rivers Stadium.
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