The cut on the bridge of Todd Heap's nose was symbolic of the pain he inflicted on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The rugged tight end caught seven passes for 58 yards and scored the Ravens' first touchdown to help propel the AFC North leaders to a 27-0 shutout victory over the visiting Steelers.
Heap, who is the team's leading receiver with 51 catches for 535 yards, is tied with running back Jamal Lewis with six touchdowns apiece. Much of that can be traced to his developing chemistry with quarterback Steve McNair.
"We're improving; we're getting better every week," Heap said of his on-field connection with McNair. "It's something that I think all of us - the tight ends and wide receivers - have room for improvement as far as our chemistry together. ... Having Steve out there, he makes things happen. He makes plays with his eyes and his feet."
Heap's success isn't exactly new, since the sixth-year veteran led the Ravens in receptions in 2002 and 2003, which earned him Pro Bowl honors in both years.
This season, he is second among NFL tight ends in receptions (only the Cleveland Browns' Kellen Winslow has more with 66), and his touchdown catch yesterday showcased his abilities in the passing game.
With the Ravens positioned at Pittsburgh's 20-yard line on second-and-six on the offense's first series of the game, McNair took the snap and pumped his right arm. Using a stutter step, Heap faked cornerback Deshea Townsend into jumping an out route, then turned upfield.
Heap was wide-open and simply pulled in McNair's pass for the score and a 7-0 lead.
"Good play call, good throw by Steve," Heap said. "Everything fell into place on that one."
Heap's touchdown was the first time the Ravens had taken the game's first lead in three weeks and helped set the tempo for the Ravens' defense, according to linebacker Ray Lewis.
"We came out and put seven points on the board and then put up 14 points," he said. "Any time we do that, you know what time it is for us. We get to pin our ears back and we get to have fun. All around, collectively, I think we had a great showing."
edward.lee@baltsun.com
'LAYUP' BY SCOTT
Ravens linebacker Bart Scott called his sack of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the second quarter a "LeBron James." Why?
