National Football League
Pittsburgh 27, Atlanta 20
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 14, 2014
Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Temperature: Dome
Head Official: Clete Blakeman
Attendance: 71161

Steelers 27, Falcons 20: Ben Roethlisberger threw for 360 yards and Le'Veon Bell scored two touchdowns as visiting Pittsburgh kept pace in the AFC North.

Roethlisberger completed 27-of-35 passes in a turnover-free effort for the Steelers (9-5), who remained one-half game behind first-place Cincinnati in the division and at the forefront of a crowded wild-card race. Antonio Brown increased his NFL lead with 10 receptions for 123 yards as Pittsburgh won for the sixth time in eight games overall.

Matt Ryan was 26-of-37 for 310 yards with two TDs and one interception to lead Atlanta (5-9), which entered the day tied for first in the woeful NFC South. Harry Douglas had season highs of 10 catches and 131 yards while both Devin Hester and Roddy White caught TD passes as the Falcons played without star wide receiver Julio Jones, who was out with a hip injury.

Matt Bryant was good from 28 and 22 yards to get the Falcons within 20-13 entering the fourth, and Ryan answered Bell's second score with a 4-yard TD pass to White with 10:21 remaining to make it 27-20. After an exchange of punts, Roethlisberger converted two third downs to help the Steelers burn off the rest of the clock.

Shaun Suisham made a pair of 38-yard, first-quarter field goals and Ryan's first pass of the second was picked off by William Gay, who made a nifty move to take it 52 yards to the end zone and give Pittsburgh a 13-0 lead. Ryan capped an 85-yard drive with a 17-yard scoring strike to Hester later in the quarter before the Steelers put together a 12-play drive capped by Bell's 1-yard plunge for a 20-7 halftime lead.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Jones injured his hip at Green Bay on Monday while setting a franchise record with 259 receiving yards, temporarily pulling ahead of Brown for the league lead in that category. ... Brown extended his NFL record streak of consecutive games with at least five catches and 50 yards to 30 games. ... Bell finished with 47 rushing yards while RB Steven Jackson gained 46 to lead Atlanta.
Top Game Performances
Rushing
Pittsburgh   Atlanta
Le'Veon Bell Player Steven Jackson
20 Attempts 11
47 Yards 46
2.4 Avg Yards 4.2
2 Touchdowns 0
13 Long 12
Receiving
Pittsburgh   Atlanta
Antonio Brown Player Harry Douglas
10 Receptions 10
123 Yards 131
12.3 Avg Yards 13.1
0 Touchdowns 0
28 Long 41
Team Stats Summary
 
  Yards Scoring Defense
Team Tot Rus Pas TD FG INT Sck FF
Pittsburgh 398 45 353 3 2 1 0.0 1
Atlanta 407 97 310 2 2 0 1.0 0
Upcoming Games
  • Atlanta will play their next game on the road against New Orleans. The Falcons have a W/L % of .333 after a win and .375 after a loss.
  • Pittsburgh will play their next game at home against Kansas City. The Steelers have a W/L % of .375 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.