EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey — Ben Roethlisberger threw for a career-best 316 yards and hit four straight passes to set up the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter, leading the Steelers to a 33-30 win over the New York Giants yesterday.
Pittsburgh has won a team-record 12 straight since Roethlisberger became the starter.
The 11th overall pick in the draft hit five passes of 34 or more yards in a much-hyped matchup with fellow rookie quarterback Eli Manning.
The first pick in the draft bounced back from two straight horrible performances for the Giants to throw two touchdowns and lead four scoring drives against the league’s top-ranked defense.
He was 16-of-23 for 182 yards and two touchdown passes. It wasn’t enough to prevent the Giants (5-9) from losing their seventh in a row and allowing the Steelers (13-1) to inch closer to gaining home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs.
Antwaan Randle El, who had five catches for 149 yards, caught a 35-yard touchdown pass and threw his first career touchdown with a 10-yard shovel pass to Verron Haynes.
Jerome Bettis ran for 140 yards and his 1-yard touchdown run with 4:57 left put the Steelers ahead for good.€
Redskins 26 49ers 16
In San Francisco, Patrick Ramsey passed for 214 yards and a touchdown and linebacker Antonio Pierce returned one of Washington’s four interceptions 78 yards for a score.
Clinton Portis rushed for 110 yards, Rod Gardner caught six passes for 111 yards and newcomer Jeff Chandler kicked four field goals _ and still, the Redskins (5-9) made many of the same mistakes that have plagued them in the first season of coach Joe Gibbs’ comeback.
The offense scored its only touchdown on its opening drive, and Washington committed 11 penalties for 93 yards to stay on pace to break the franchise record.
Ken Dorsey, making his fifth start for San Francisco in place of injured Tim Rattay, doubled his interception total for the season, including three in the first half. He finished 20-of-38 for 206 yards, but the 49ers (2-12) remained on track for the top pick in the NFL draft of college players.€
Falcons 34 Panthers 31, OT
In Atlanta, Michael Vick scored the tying touchdown on a 12-yard run with less than two minutes to go in regulation, then Jay Feely kicked a 38-yard field goal in overtime, helping Atlanta snap Carolina’s five-game winning streak.
The Panthers (6-8) were as resilient as ever, recovering from a pair of double-digit deficits.
Carolina went ahead for the first time with a 21-point fourth quarter, only to have the Falcons (11-3) show they know a thing or two about bouncing back.
Dez White got the Falcons in position for the tying score with a dazzling 54-yard reception. The Falcons got down to their final play _ fourth-and-goal from the Carolina 12.
Vick spotted an opening up the middle and took off for the end zone, diving across with 1:37 remaining. The officials reviewed the play to see if Vick went down before he crossed the goal line, but replays showed that he somehow kept his left knee suspended about an inch above the turf as he stretched out for the end zone. Carolina won the coin toss in overtime, only to have Jake Delhomme overthrow Ricky Proehl down the middle. Aaron Beasley made the interception and returned it 30 yards to the Carolina 23.
A couple of safe runs into the middle of the line set up Feely, who connected on third down to put the Falcons on the brink of clinching the No. 2 seed in the NFC.
