In a game that came down to the wire, did the Steelers have a bit of divine help in their faceoff against the Ravens?
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
One of the NFL’s fiercest rivalries took the field last night and added another chapter to the history books. The Pittsburgh Steelers faced off against the Baltimore Ravens in a winner-take-all challenge. At stake, the AFC North Championship title and a spot in the playoffs.
JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
Now, we football fans often joke that the NFL is so full of drama that it must be scripted, but what happened on the fourth quarter was stranger than fiction. And to be clear, as someone who lives in Baltimore, I would rather not relive this. With less than a minute remaining and the Steelers down by four, quarterback Aaron Rodgers launched a touchdown pass to take the lead.
KELLY: And my condolences, Juana, because what I have to tell you is that then…
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UNIDENTIFIED COMMENTATOR: The extra point from Boswell. Twisting. No good. No good. He missed the extra points.
KELLY: Yes. Steelers’ kicker Chris Boswell missed the extra point – usually a gimme – putting the Steelers up by only two and putting the Ravens just a field goal away from winning the game, the division title and oh, yeah, a spot in the playoffs.
SUMMERS: And the Ravens marched back down the field with two seconds left. Their rookie kicker Tyler Loop stepped up to the line for a 44-yard attempt.
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UNIDENTIFIED COMMENTATOR: Snap good. The kick is no good. It is wide right. And the Steelers are the champions of the North.
SUMMERS: And with Baltimore’s missed kick, Pittsburgh once again snuck into the playoffs.
KELLY: NBC Sports commentator Mike Tirico was quick to point out something bigger might have been a play.
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MIKE TIRICO: I want to show you what happened pregame at 6:15 local time. This is a priest who was spreading holy water in that end zone.
SUMMERS: Fifty-three years ago, the Steelers were on the receiving end of the immaculate reception. Last night, it looked like they may have received some divine intervention.
KELLY: Yeah. That’s your story in Baltimore, Juana. You can’t make this stuff up.
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