Mattie T’s in-game blog: (AFC Championship Game: Ravens vs. Steelers)

It’s time to see who will play Arizona in Super Bowl XLIII on February 1st!

Hard to believe that this will be Ben Roethlisberger’s 3rd AFC Championship Game appearance in only his 5th NFL season, but that is the case today!

1st quarter:

Ravens win the coin toss, but will defer.

Gary Russell with a decent kickoff return to start the game, as Pittsburgh will start from their own 34-yard line.

Roethlisberger’s 1st pass of the game almost turns into a Nate Washington completion, but Ed Reed provides safety help to knock the ball away.

Huge 3rd down play, as Roethlisberger hits Hines Ward, who makes extra yardage after the catch for a big 45-yard gain down to Baltimore’s 23-yard line.

Roethlisberger then hits Santonio Holmes on a wide receiver screen pass, good for 5 yards.

Big 3rd & 3 for the Steelers, as Roethlisberg’s pass is incomplete to Heath Miller.

Jeff Reed comes out for a 34-yard field goal try, which is good.

Pittsburgh leads 3-0 with 11:26 left in the 1st quarter.

Joe Flacco is able to buy some time on 1st down, but hits Willis McGahee for a short 2-yard gain.

Derrick Mason almost hauled in a catch near the sidelines on 2nd down, but is unable to hold on.

Mark Clayton almost made a GREAT 3rd down grab inbetween Troy Polamalu & Ike Taylor, but is unable to hold onto the football.

Baltimore is starting to tighten up their run defense, as Willie Parker runs for just 2 yards on the same amount of carries during Pittsburgh’s 2nd offensive series of the game.

Ravens bring a 3rd down blitz, as Roethlisberger is sacked by Haolti Ngata.

Jim Leonhard muffs the punt, but is able to fall on it as the Ravens dodge a huge bullet early.

Great offensive line protection for Flacco, but his pass to Le’Ron McClain is dropped for an incompletion.

Flacco throws his 1st postseason interception, as DeShea Townsend picks it off to give Pittsburgh great field position inside Baltimore territory.

Roethlisberger almost completes a nice downfield pass to Willie Parker, but the ball hits Parker’s shoulderpad for an incompletion.

Roethlisberger then pump-fakes & misfires to Nate Washington, who tipped the ball with his right hand.

Big 3rd down catch by Hines Ward, which is good for 11 yards & a Pittsburgh 1st down, but Ward is injured on the play.

Roethlisberger reads Baltimore’s blitz perfectly, as he fires downfield to Santonio Holmes for a 23-yard catch, which sets up 1st & Goal at the Ravens’ 1-yard line.

Mike Tomlin was about to challenge that Holmes’ catch should’ve been ruled a touchdown, but John Harbaugh is a step quicker & challenges whether or not Holmes actually made the catch! That’s how big this current drive is for Baltimore, as they cannot afford to face an early big deficit against the NFL’s top-ranked defense.

The officials rule it incomplete, so Harbaugh wins a huge challenge. The rookie head coach is now 2 for 2 on challenges so far in the playoffs, as he won one last weekend which resulted in a missed field goal for Tennessee which played a big outcome in the game’s final score.

2nd & 10 now for Pittsburgh from Baltimore’s 25-yard line, as Roethlisberger’s pass is incomplete for Holmes. Holmes wanted pass interference called on Frank Walker, who is replacing an injured Samari Rolle in Baltimore’s secondary today.

Roethlisberger escapes a 3rd down safety blitz, rolls to his left & throws it over the end zone for an incompletion. Baltimore avoids another huge bullet, as Jeff Reed is now coming on for a 42-yard field goal attempt.

Reed’s kick is good, as Pittsburgh now leads 6-0 with 6:11 remaning in the 1st quarter.

Nice play action-fake by Flacco as he actually hid the ball, but ends up throwing it out of bounds.

Flacco scrambles to his right, but overthrows Derrick Mason as William Gay was in coverage.

Steelers are called for holding on the punt return, so Pittsburgh will start their next drive inside of their own 10-yard line.

Nice diving grab on 3rd down by Heath Miller, which goes for 18 yards & a Steeler first down.

Roethlisberger then rolls to his right & finds Nate Washington for a 8-yard catch.

Baltimore forces a turnover, as Ray Lewis strips the ball from Willie Parker & recovered by Jim Leonhard.

Nice 1st down run for Willis McGahee, as he cuts left & stiff-arms his way for a 7-yard gain.

McGahee again, who is just short of a 1st down. Big 3rd & 1 coming up from Pittsburgh’s 34-yard line.

Flacco is lined up to try a quarterback sneak, but calls for timeout.

More injury concerns for the Steelers, as Ben Roethlisberger is dealing with a lower back problem. Byron Leftwich is on the sidelines warming up to enter the game.

Willis McGahee is stopped short as Lamar Woodley made a great play to deny McGahee of the first down.

Ravens are going for it on 4th & 1, as Flacco’s quarterback sneak is denied! Steelers will now take over on downs.

Willie Parker’s 2-yard run on 1st down ends the 1st quarter, with Pittsburgh leading 6-0.

2nd quarter:

Hines Ward is back in the game & takes a wide receiver screen from Ben Roethlisberger, but Ward loses 1 yard on the play.

What a throw by Roethlisberger!!!!! He avoided a Ravens blitz, scrambled to his left & made an off-balanced throw to Santonio Holmes, who got some great downfield blocks & raced it in for a 65-yard touchdown catch.

Jeff Reed’s extra point is good, which gives Pittsburgh a 13-0 lead with 13:58 left until halftime.

Great special-teams coverage by the Steelers, as they pin Baltimore at their own 12-yard line.

Ravens call a draw play for Willis McGahee on 3rd down, which is good for 5 yards & a first down.

Joe Flacco is hit by Lamar Woodley on his 1st & 15 throw, which is incomplete.

Nice play by Ray Rice, as he takes a screen pass from Flacco & takes it 22 yards for a Baltimore 1st down.

On 3rd & 10, Flacco hits Mark Clayton who makes the 15-yard catch & holds on despite a nice hit from Ryan Clark.

Huge defensive injury for the Steelers, as James Harrison is hurt & is on the sidelines.

Down goes Flacco! Aaron Smith is able to get the rookie for a 7-yard loss.

Mewelde Moore doesn’t call for a fair catch, so Pittsburgh will start their next drive inside of their own 10-yard line.

Good game so far by Roethlisberger, as he is 7 of 14 for 151 yards & 1 touchdown for a 112.5 against the NFL’s 2nd ranked defense.

Steelers pick up the 3rd down blitz, as Roethlisberger connects to Nate Washington for a 8-yard catch & a Pittsburgh first down.

John Harbaugh will challenge on whether or not Washington made the catch.

The football came really close to hitting the ground, but it appears to be good enough for a catch. Ravens lose the challenge & now only have 1 remaining timeout for the first half.

Huge penalty on the Steelers, as Chris Kemoeatu is called for hands to the face of Marques Douglas.

Jim Leonhard gets a big 45-yard punt return all the way down to Pittsburgh’s 17-yard line.

After an incomplete pass by Flacco & a stuffed run by McGahee, Ravens are now facing a big 3rd & 10.

Flacco reads the blitz & is unable to hit Derrick Mason for a touchdown, but Pittsburgh is called for pass interference. This now sets up 1st & Goal at the Steelers’ 3-yard line.

Frank Walker is headed to the locker room with an injury, so Baltimore is starting to get very thin at cornerback with Samari Rolle already inactive for tonight’s game.

Willis McGahee rumbles in for a 3-yard touchdown, which immediately puts the Ravens back in this game.

Matt Stover’s extra point is good, so Pittsburgh now leads 13-7 with 2:40 left before halftime.

Ravens send a 1st down blitz to Roethlisberger, who overthrows Mewelde Moore in the flat.

Corey Ivy is able to bat down Roethlisberger’s 3rd down pass, so Baltimore will now get a chance to inch closer as we have hit the 2-minute warning.

Flacco’s pass is tipped & nearly intercepted by William Gay, as the Ravens avoid a bullet.

Steelers send a 3rd down blitz to Flacco, who gets the throw off but overthrows Derrick Mason.

Santonio Holmes gets a nice punt return as he takes it 25 yards to the 50-yard line.

Roethlisberger almost hits rookie Limus Sweed for a touchdown, but Sweed drops it!!! That’s definitely 6 points if Sweed holds onto the football.

Sweed is hurt on the play & is down in the end zone. Steelers are now suddenly getting thin at wide receiver, as Hines Ward is already sidelined with a knee injury.

Roethlisberger with a dangerous flip pass on 2nd down that ends up incomplete before misconnecting with Santonio Holmes on 3rd down.

Big special teams penalty by Baltimore, as Edgar Jones is called for roughing the kicker. Pittsburgh gets the ball back at the Ravens’ 35-yard line with 34 seconds remaining before halftime.

What a block by Sweed on Corey Ivy during Heath Miller’s 14-yard catch!!!! Yet another member of Baltimore’s secondary hurt, which is really starting to become a huge concern.

2nd & 10 for Pittsburgh, as Roethlisberger connects with Nate Washington for a 10-yard gain, BUT Washington doesn’t get out of bounds as the Steelers are out of timeouts. Roethlisberger is unable to get his offense together in hopes of spiking the ball, which ends the 1st half.

Even though Joe Flacco is just 3 for 14 so far for 39 yards, 1 interception and a brutal 9.8 quarterback rating, his team is still in this game thanks to the Baltimore defense.

3rd quarter:

Baltimore will receive to begin the 3rd quarter.

Ravens call timeout right before the play clock hits 00, so a false start penalty is avoided.

Flacco with just his 4th completion of the game as he hits Derrick Mason for a 16-yard gain.

On the very next play, Flacco tries to scramble but Troy Polamalu read it perfectly, which causes an 18-yard loss.

Flacco then sets up a screen pass to Ray Rice for 7 yards, which sets up 3rd & 11.

Polamalu tips Flacco’s 3rd down pass, which hits Mason’s helmet for an incompletion.

Nate Washington makes a short catch for Pittsburgh, but coughs it up. Luckily for Washington, the Steelers are able to recover his fumble.

Roethlisberger gets sacked on 3rd down, as Baltimore is starting to do a better job on 3rd down conversions defensively.

Flacco overthrows Mark Clayton on 1st down, as the Ravens have not stopped taking their downfield shots on Pittsburgh’s top-ranked defense.

Bryant McFadden ALMOST ends up with a turnover, as the intended pass for Todd Heap is tipped.

Mewelde Moore again doesn’t call a fair catch, as he is stopped for a short loss.

BAM!!!!! What a hit by Bart Scott on Willie Parker’s screen catch, which is a 2-yard loss.

3rd & 11 for Pittsburgh on their own 19-yard line, but Trevor Pryce jumps offsides for a 5-yard defensive penalty.

Ben Roethlisberger connects with Carey Davis on a 20-yard catch to Pittsburgh’s own 44-yard line.

On the next play, Terrell Suggs gets Roethlisberger for a 14-yard sack.

Roethlisberger is able to hit Heath Miller for a 30-yard catch, which makes up for Big Ben’s sack & gives Pittsburgh a 1st down.

Willie Parker breaks off a couple of good runs which now puts the Steelers inside of Baltimore’s 30-yard line.

Roethlisberger is pressured on 2nd & 9 and throws it out of bounds. Big 3rd down coming up for the Steelers.

Roethlisberger pump fakes & almost throws an interception in the end zone to Frank Walker, but Limus Sweed is able to break it up.

Jeff Reed is on for a 46-yard field goal try, which is good. Pittsburgh now leads 16-7 with 3:38 left in the 3rd quarter.

Big 1st down run by Willis McGahee, which goes for 14 yards & now gives Baltimore a 1st down at midfield.

Flacco is sacked, as Lamar Woodley is able to bring him down.

Todd Heap’s 3rd down catch goes for a short gain, which will force the Ravens to punt.

56 seconds left in the 3rd quarter, as time is starting to work against Baltimore.

Steelers try to run an end-around with Nate Washington, but it’s read well & stopped for a short loss.

That play will end the 3rd quarter, as Pittsburgh leads 16-7 and could be just 15 minutes away from reaching Super Bowl XLIII!

4th quarter:

Nice 3rd down grab by Limus Sweed, which is good for 14 yards &  a Steeler first down.

Ray Lewis just misses an interception on 3rd down, as Pittsburgh decides to go with the pass on 3rd & 1.

Ugly punt by Mitch Berger, as he shanks it off his right foot for just 21 yards. Ravens will begin their drive from the 42-yard line, as they will need two scores to keep their Super Bowl hopes alive.

Baltimore pulls out some trickery, as Mark Clayton takes the double-reverse for 16 yards into Pittsburgh territory.

Flacco’s pass to Clayton is incomplete, as Clayton dove for it as the ball was hitting the ground.

Good blitz packup by Baltimore, as Flacco slings it 14 yards to Mason to set up 3rd & 3.

Flacco then connects with Mason for 11 yards, which now gives the rookie 4 straight completions.

Pittsburgh blitzes again as Flacco tries to hit Marcus Smith downfield, but a flag is thrown on Ike Taylor for defensive pass interference. This now sets up 1st & Goal at the Steelers’ 1-yard line.

McGahee cuts to his right to avoid a Larry Foote tackle  & walks in for a 1-yard touchdown. This game is looking like it be go down to the wire, as Stover’s extra point is good.

Pittsburgh now leads 16-14 with 9:29 remaining in the game.

Gary Russell gets a decent kickoff return to the Steelers’ own 40-yard line.

Nice shoestring tackle by Ray Lewis, as he brings down Willie Parker for no gain.

Roethlisberger is sacked by Terrell Suggs on 3rd down, as we are approaching the 7 minute mark. Ravens are starting to gain momentum & confidence, as their defense is giving him a chance to win.

Jim Leonhard once again gives Baltimore great starting field position from their own 40-yard line.

Very stupid personal foul on the Ravens, as they will now start from their own 14-yard line.

Willis McGahee is down after losing 2 yards on a 1st run. This will force Baltimore to go with Le’Ron McClain, who just has 1 carry for 3 yards so far in the game.

Big 2nd down catch by Todd Heap, which goes for 20 yards & a Ravens 1st down.

Flacco uses another timeout, so Baltimore has just 1 remaining for the game. They were in this same situation last week against Tennessee, but were able to record a late defensive stop to hold on for the win.

Lamar Woodley with yet another sack of Flacco on 2nd down. With the game on the line, Pittsburgh is now relying on their top-ranked defense to punch in their ticket to Tampa.

On 3rd & 14, Flacco is intercepted by Troy Polamalu, who returns it 29 yards for a Pittsburgh touchdown.

Interesting how #43 might have just clinched the Steelers’ ticket to Super Bowl 43!

Jeff Reed’s extra point now gives Pittsburgh a 23-14 lead with 4:24 left.

Ravens almost have to go into the no-huddle offense as they are down 2 scores with under 4 minutes left.

Wow!!!! What a hit by Ryan Clark on Willis McGahee, who coughs up the ball after taking a helmet-to-helmet blow. McGahee lost a fumble on the play, which is recovered by Pittsburgh. This is pretty scary though, as both Clark & McGahee are still down on the field.

Clark is now up & being escorted to Pittsburgh’s sideline, but McGahee is still down & being looked at. McGahee is moving his legs, so that is definitely a good sign.

Mcgahee is now being taken off on a stretcher, as he does have movement in his arms & legs.

Willie Parker gets a short 2-yard gain on 1st down as we are approaching under 3 minutes to go in the AFC Championship Game.

Good stop by Justin Bannan, who stops a spinning Parker for a 3-yard loss on 2nd down.

Steelers call a timeout right before the two-minute warning, as Roethlisberger throws it away on 3rd down. That will bring us to the 2-minute warning, as Baltimore will need a miraculous finish to prevent the Steelers from celebrating their AFC Championship Game win at home.

1:48 left, as Joe Flacco will try to engineer two scores with just 1 timeout left.

Nice hit by McFadden, who forces Mark Clayton out of bounds for an incomplete pass.

It will be reviewed from upstairs to see whether Clayton was inbounds.

Just seconds later, officials rule it incomplete. Quickest upstairs booth review i’ve ever seen!!!

Flacco with his 3rd turnover of the game to Tyrone Carter, as the Steelers will simpy kneel down & wrap up their AFC Championship Game win.

Mike Tomlin now becomes the youngest head coach at 36 years old to take a team to the Super Bowl, as Pittsburgh will make their 2nd SB apperance in the last 4 years.

Game ball goes to Troy Polamalu, who sealed the deal with his 40-yard interception return for a touchdown in the 4th quarter.

This will conclude my in-game blogging for the playoffs! I hope that everyone enjoyed it, as i am open to doing this for every single Bears game next season.

Be on the lookout for a Super Bowl podcast, and complete preview of Super Bowl XLIII which will be up on Saturday, January 30th!