DONE DEAL: Pittsburgh Steelers has finally won the race after waiting for………

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) runs with the ball against the Baltimore Ravens during the second half of an NFL football game, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 in Baltimore.

BALTIMORE — Cameron Heyward figures the Pittsburgh Steelers can make some noise in the playoffs.

They still need a little help to get in, but they’ve certainly done their part down the stretch.

“Let us be dangerous,” said Heyward, the Pittsburgh defensive tackle. “We have a formula that’s working right now. Hopefully we can get some guys back in the fold. We’re not going to discount ourselves. We know we’ve got work to do, and looking forward to it.”

Mason Rudolph threw a 71-yard touchdown pass to Diontae Johnson on the first play of the fourth quarter, and the Steelers took a step toward the postseason with a 17-10 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday.

Rudolph led Pittsburgh (10-7) to three consecutive wins to close the season, and now the Steelers wait. They would make the playoffs if Buffalo loses to Miami, or Jacksonville loses to Tennessee.

There was some bad news for the Steelers amid all that hope. T.J. Watt — who had two sacks to take sole possession of the NFL lead with 19 — left in the third quarter with a knee injury. Coach Mike Tomlin didn’t have an update on Watt’s status after the game.

The Ravens (13-4) already had the top seed in the AFC locked up, and they held MVP favorite Lamar Jackson out of this game, along with a handful of other key players. Tyler Huntley started at quarterback, and both teams had a hard time moving the ball on a rainy, windy day.

“We had a chance to send them home, now they have a chance to go to the playoffs,” Baltimore linebacker Patrick Queen said. “It stings a little bit … but we have a lot of pages in our book that set us up pretty good. Nobody’s hanging their head or anything. If we see those guys again, we’ll be ready.”

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Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens
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With the score tied at 7, Rudolph found Johnson over the middle for the one big play Pittsburgh needed. After Baltimore’s Gus Edwards lost a fumble, the Steelers kicked a field goal with 3:13 remaining. The Ravens hadn’t trailed by more than seven points all season until then.

Justin Tucker kicked a field goal with 16 seconds left, but Baltimore couldn’t come up with the ensuing onside kick. The Ravens had a six-game winning streak snapped.

Rudolph was 18 of 20 for 152 yards.

“It was probably the most challenging weather I’ve had to deal with in my career,” Rudolph said.

Each team lost two fumbles.

Pittsburgh opened the scoring on a 6-yard touchdown run by Najee Harris in the first quarter. The Ravens didn’t manage a first down until the second, but they eventually tied it on a 27-yard scoring pass from Huntley to Isaiah Likely.

The Steelers have won seven of the last eight meetings with Baltimore, all of which were decided by seven points or fewer. Pittsburgh’s four consecutive wins at M&T Bank Stadium are the most by a visiting team since the Steelers themselves won five in a row from 1998-2002.

SCOREBOARD WATCHING

Tomlin said he wasn’t sure what his plans were for today, as far as tuning in to other games.

“I hadn’t thought about it,” he said. “We were more concerned about the variables that we had control over. Those other ones are less important. We did what we needed to do this weekend.”

MILESTONE

Harris rushed for 112 yards to finish the season with 1,035. He’s the first player in Steelers history to reach 1,000 yards rushing in each of his first three NFL seasons.

photo Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) runs for a long touchdown after making a catch in front of Baltimore Ravens cornerback Rock Ya-Sin (23) during the second half of an NFL football game, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

photo A spectator reacts during the second half of an NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

photo Officials try to break separate Baltimore Ravens cornerback Rock Ya-Sin (23) and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) during the second half of an NFL football game, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

photo Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely dives in for the touchdown after catching a pass from quarterback Tyler Huntley during the first half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

photo Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph jogs off the field following an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 in Baltimore. The Steelers won 17-10. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

photo Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, left, talks with Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin following an NFL football game, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 in Baltimore. The Steelers won 17-10. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

photo Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley (2) runs with the ball as Pittsburgh Steelers safety Miles Killebrew (28), defensive tackle linebacker Nick Herbig (51) and safety Eric Rowe (25) try to stop him during the second half of an NFL football game, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 in Baltimore.

photo Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt walks with medical staff to the lockers during the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 in Baltimore.

photo Baltimore Ravens running back Gus Edwards, center, is tackled by Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith (56), linebacker T.J. Watt (90) and linebacker Mykal Walker (38) during the second half of an NFL football game, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 in Baltimore.