Pittsburgh 34, Baltimore 31

PITTSBURGH, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Pittsburgh's Dewayne Washington intercepted a pass by Jeff Blake in the end zone with 27 seconds remaining Sunday, preserving a 34-31 victory for the Steelers that eliminated the slim playoff hopes of the Baltimore Ravens.

Baltimore (7-9) needed a victory and have six other teams lose in the season's final weekend in order to earn a playoff berth.

The Ravens let an 11-point lead get away in the fourth period, but still were in position for a game-tying field goal when Blake was intercepted by Washington. Baltimore had a first and goal at the Pittsburgh 10 after Blake was roughed by linebacker Joey Porter.

"I know at the end we could have possibly gone for a field goal," Baltimore Coach Brian Billick said. "But in this league, it's important to take your chances and you go for wins."

Pittsburgh (10-5-1), which clinched the AFC North last week with a win at Tampa Bay, did not get the help it needed to earn a first-round bye as AFC South champion Tennessee defeated Houston, 13-3. The Steelers will host a wild card game next week against the Cleveland Browns.

Pittsburgh beat the Browns twice during the regular season, both times by three points.

"It's kind of hard to play a game and still be looking up for the score of the Tennessee game," said Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, who caught five passes for 46 yards and finished the season with 112 receptions.

"We know we're in the playoffs. We just want to make it to the Super Bowl. We have momentum."

The Steelers scored the winning touchdown Sunday with 2:29 left in the fourth quarter as quarterback Tommy Maddox wiggled his foot out of the grasp of Ravens linebacker Peter Boulware and found rookie Antwaan Randle El on an eight-yard pass.

Maddox then threw a successful conversion pass to Plaxico Burress.

"One of the offensive lineman knocked the guy off me," Maddox said. "That gave me a chance to get outside, stay alive and make the play."

Pittsburgh's winning nine-play drive was set up when Chester Taylor fumbled a kickoff at the Baltimore 31.

"Coach (Bill) Cowher teaches us to get down and try to make a play," said Pittsburgh linebacker Larry Foote, who recovered the fumble. "The guys who are playing special teams are trying to make big plays. When the ball came loose, I was just looking to fall on the ball and keep it."

Taylor had put the Ravens up 31-20 when he caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Blake.

Baltimore took its first lead with 7:58 left in the third quarter when tight end Todd Heap made a diving catch in the end zone despite heavy contact with Washington. Heap caught seven passes for 146 yards and finished the season with 68 catches for 836 yards and six touchdowns.

"We've got some pretty big receivers," Blake said. "With Todd Heap out there, I'm going to throw it up and give him opportunities to catch it. I've seen him make plays."

Blake passed for his highest yardage total of the season with 336 while completing 19 of 26 passes. Maddox completed 20 of 30 for 194 yards. Both quarterbacks had two touchdown passes and each threw two interceptions.

The Steelers won their seventh division title in Cowher's 11 years at the helm last week. Pittsburgh won the crown on the strength of its play within the division, posting a 6-0 record against its chief rivals.

"It is great to finish the season on a positive note," Cowher said. "We had an opportunity to sweep our division and now we have to get ready for the playoffs. We didn't play our 'A' game on defense, but we were able to come back in the fourth quarter."

Pittsburgh snapped a three-game home losing streak against Baltimore and swept the season series with the Ravens for the first time since 1998, when the Steelers were in the midst of a five-game winning streak in the series.

Six of the teams' last eight meetings have been decided by a touchdown or less.