
The Oakland Raiders, two touchdown underdogs, came back three times in the fourth quarter to score touchdowns, the final one an 11-yard pass from Pittsburgh native Bruce Gradkowski to Louis Murphy with nine seconds to go to stun the Steelers, 27-24, at Heinz Field today.
The Raiders, who had scored only 10 touchdowns all season, scored three in the fourth quarter alone after they entered the final period trailing 27-24.
The loss, the fourth straight for the Steelers, dropped them to 6-6 and may have killed their playoff hopes. The Raiders improved to 4-8.
Ben Roethlisberger threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward with 1:56 left in the game to lift the Steelers to a 24-20 lead.
This is how the fourth quarter unfolded before the final touchdown:
The Raiders drove 57 yards to take the lead, 13-10, when Bruce Gradkowski threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Chaz Schilens with 8:21 left in the game.
The Steelers responded with their second two-play touchdown drive to reclaim the lead at 17-13. Ben Roethlisberger completed a 57-yard pass to Santonio Holmes, who caught it at the 38 and ran 35 yards to the Oakland three. Rashard Mendenhall then broke a couple of tackles as he raced around left end for the touchdown with 7:13 to go.
And then it was the Raiders turn to strike back and it took them all of three plays to do so, starting from their 16. They had a third-and-one at the 25. Gradkowski faked a handoff and threw deep to Louis Murphy. He caught it at the 35 and beat Ike Taylor to the pylon for a touchdown that put Oakland back on top, 20-17, as the fans booed in Heinz Field.
They were on their feet cheering moments later as Roethlisberger completed a 27-yard pass to Heath Miller on the first play and, later a 20-yard pass to Holmes.
With two minutes to go in the game, the Steelers had a first down at the Oakland 11, trying to score a touchdown in the red zone for the first time this afternoon.
The Steelers had maintained their halftime 10-6 lead into the fourth quarter.
Ben Roethlisberger threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes early in the second quarter. Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 43-yard field goal for Oakland in the period.
Roethlisberger was intercepted in the end zone with 59 seconds to go on first down at the 16, the third time the Steelers failed to score a touchdown in the first half inside the 20.
The Steelers and Oakland Raiders had entered the second quarter tied 3-3.
The teams traded field goals on the first two drives of the game. Jeff Reed's 33-yarder came after an unusual sight, a long Stefan Logan kickoff return. He took it back 83 yards to the Raiders' 19 and then came a familiar sight, a failure by the Steelers' offense in the red zone. They made it all the way to the 14 before losing a yard.
Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 48-yard field goal for Oakland after Gary Russell -- remember him? -- returned a short kickoff 34 yards to the Steelers' 42.
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