in 2017 and $24.75m in 2018.By extending Flacco, the Ravens

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers put themselves back in the playoff conversation by stringing together four convincing victories in which they never trailed. They put themselves on the cusp of the AFC North title by showing the kind of resilience theyve lacked this year when things get tight.Down two touchdowns on the road, the Steelers didnt panic. They didnt press either. They simply kept chipping away at the seemingly emotionally fragile Bengals until Cincinnati lost its composure and, eventually, whatever resolved remained in an otherwise lost season.The result -- a 24-20 victory that set up a de facto AFC North title game next Sunday against Baltimore -- was Pittsburghs first win in a game decided by less than seven points this season and first when trailing at the half since Week 15 of last year.It just shows what were capable of, safety Sean Davis said Monday. Were a team that fights. Weve been through so many things throughout that game and it does nothing but make us more confident and lets us know when we play like that the whole game were a tough team to beat.A team that evolved from one heavy on flash to something more substantive over the last month. Six Chris Boswell field goals, one well-timed Boswell trip of Cincinnati returner Alex Erickson that prevented a touchdown and an exclamation point game-ending drive gave the Steelers (9-5) their longest winning streak since 2009.Leading by four with 5:53 remaining, Pittsburgh took over at its own 16 and the Bengals never got the ball back. Four first downs -- the last coming on Cincinnatis eighth penalty of the day -- allowed Ben Roethlisberger to kneel down four times and give the Steelers their 15th win in 18 trips to Paul Brown Stadium.Its huge, guard David DeCastro said. Having those team wins, especially late in the season. Thats got to be the way to do it.Maybe thats why occasionally nitpicky head coach Mike Tomlin opted not to be so nitpicky after his team improved to 11-1 in its last 12 December games. While allowing most of his teams issues early on Sunday were of the self-inflicted variety, from the face mask by defensive end Stephon Tuitt that extended Cincinnatis opening drive to the pass interference call in the end zone on rookie cornerback Artie Burns that set up a Bengals touchdown.Its not the first time this season the Steelers have struggled on the road. It is the first time theyve managed to overcome it.We have played that team five times in the past twelve months, its not a lot of secrets, Tomlin said. Its just technical expertise and a lot of butt kicking. And smiling in the face of adversity.Something Pittsburgh is becoming more comfortable at as the long slog of the regular season morphs into a sprint. The most basic math is very simple: knock off the Ravens (who have won four straight in one of the AFCs most heated rivalries) and the Steelers have a third straight playoff berth for the first time in Tomlins 10-year tenure.Its a position Pittsburgh envisioned all along, it not the winding path it took to get here. The four-game nap the Steelers took in the middle of the season appears to be a distant memory.Were going to fight for the whole 60 minutes, Davis said.If the can do it for 60 more, theyll be division champions.Game notes Tuitt underwent an MRI on his right knee on Monday. He injured the knee on the same play he was flagged for grabbing Andy Daltons facemask and did not return. ... WR Darrius Heyward-Bey ran in cleats on Monday as he tries to recover from a foot injury thats kept him out since Week 7.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Diamondbacks Jerseys 2019 .S. -- Nikolaj Ehlers registered a hat trick for the third straight game and Jonathan Drouin had a goal and five assists as the Halifax Mooseheads hammered the host Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 10-1 on Tuesday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Diamondbacks Jerseys China . The Hall of Fame defenceman told Landsberg that he believes fighting still has a place in todays game, but thinks staged fighting needs be outlawed. https://www.cheapdiamondbacksjerseys.us/ . Q: Team Canada announces their Olympic roster three weeks from today. Who is general manager Steve Yzerman watching? LeBrun: Over the last 48 hours, hes taken in the home-and-home between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche with Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene being the obvious targets. Arizona Diamondbacks Gear . But the quarterback hopes to stay involved in football after officially calling it quits Tuesday. "Id love to look at those opportunities as they arise," Pierce said in an interview from his Winnipeg eatery. Cheap Diamondbacks Jerseys . Halifax beat the Saint John Sea Dogs 7-5 on the strength of two goals apiece from Nikolaj Ehlers, Matt Murphy and Brent Andrews. Jonathan Drouin also scored and had three assists while Zachary Fucale made 17 saves for the Mooseheads (16-8-0), who led 6-1 after two periods.The Baltimore Ravens have agreed a three-year contract extension with quarterback Joe Flacco. Flacco was in the fourth year of a $120.6m six-year contract signed in 2013, but his 2016 cap number of $28.55m was the third-highest figure in the NFL. Under the terms of his previous deal, the 31-year-old had cap numbers $31.15m in 2017 and $24.75m in 2018.By extending Flacco, the Ravens can lower those cap numbers over the next three seasons and give the team more money to work with.According to ESPN, Baltimore had just $2,867,494 in cap space as of Wednesday, which is the second lowest figure in the NFL. Joee Flacco tore his ACL in Week 11 of the 2015 season The team placed their franchise tag on kicker Justin Tucker earlier this week at a cost of $4.dddddddddddd5m.The Ravens have talented offensive guard/tackle Kelechi Osemele scheduled to hit free agency later this month and extending Flacco put them in a position to put forward a competitive offer to keep him in Baltimore.Flacco had his season cut short in 2015, suffering a torn ACL in a Week 11 win against the Rams. He had surgery in December and is expected to be ready for the start of the 2016 season. 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