Steelers-Ravens notebook \ More from Heinz Field

Rewind: For one quarter of one game, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense looked like it was 2008 all over again. The Steelers’ defense has taken a significant step back this season from the unit that led the NFL last season, and the lack of turnovers forced was a big reason why. On Sunday, that trend was reversed as the Ravens lost two fumbles and threw an interception during Pittsburgh’s season-saving 23-20 victory. “[Turnovers] were things that were missing,” safety Ryan Clark said. “It just shows that if you get those, games are different. If you think about the plays that we made, it kind of changed the tide and the momentum. So for us today to come back and make some plays is big.”

Milestones: Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger and Rashard Mendenhall each achieved a statistical milestone. Roethlisberger became the first Steelers quarterback to pass for more than 4,000 yards in a season by throwing for 259, giving him 4,108. Mendenhall had 17 carries for 36 yards to give him 1,014 for the season, becoming the seventh Pittsburgh player to surpass 1,000 yards rushing in a season. The others were John Henry Johnson, Franco Harris, Rocky Bleier, Barry Foster, Jerome Bettis and Willie Parker. “It means nothing. We won the game,” Roethlisberger said. “It’s an honor, but it’s never about that, the individual honors, the accolades. It’s about this team winning football games.” Roethlisberger missed the Nov. 29 game in Baltimore due to a concussion and Mendenhall was benched on offense by Tomlin for the Sept. 27 game at Cincinnati. In another sign of the shift of philosophy in the Steelers’ offense to a more pass-first attack, this season marks the first in club history three different players had at least 70 receptions. Hines Ward has 87, Santonio Holmes 78 and Heath Miller 71, a club record for a tight end.

Associated Press