Steelers Earn No. 5 Seed in AFC Playoffs
By: Sara Eckert
Updated: January 2, 2012
(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) -- With both the Steelers and the Ravens winning on Sunday, Baltimore has clinched the AFC North title, the No. 2 seed and a bye while the Steelers are the No. 5 seed and will play in Denver AT 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time next Sunday.
Pittsburgh beat Cleveland, 13-9, but it was not enough with the Ravens beating Cincinnati. The Steelers finished tied with Baltimore for first place in the AFC North but lost the tiebreaker because the Ravens beat them twice this season.
It was a game of field goals besides Isaac Redman's 7-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Redman replaced an injured Rashard Mendenhall who went down at the end of the first quarter. He is expected to undergo an MRI on his right knee on Monday. The Steelers fear Mendenhall tore his ACL and his season will be over.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger played despite a severely sprained ankle and finished 23 of 40 with 221 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions.
Hines Ward had five catches to reach 1,000. He became only the eighth receiver in NFL history to do so. His 1,000th career reception came on a shovel pass early in the fourth quarter.
Pittsburgh beat Cleveland, 13-9, but it was not enough with the Ravens beating Cincinnati. The Steelers finished tied with Baltimore for first place in the AFC North but lost the tiebreaker because the Ravens beat them twice this season.
It was a game of field goals besides Isaac Redman's 7-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Redman replaced an injured Rashard Mendenhall who went down at the end of the first quarter. He is expected to undergo an MRI on his right knee on Monday. The Steelers fear Mendenhall tore his ACL and his season will be over.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger played despite a severely sprained ankle and finished 23 of 40 with 221 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions.
Hines Ward had five catches to reach 1,000. He became only the eighth receiver in NFL history to do so. His 1,000th career reception came on a shovel pass early in the fourth quarter.
