PITTSBURGH — — The Ravens' promising Super Bowl journey ended in an all-too-familiar way — a punch in the gut from their fiercest rival.
Pittsburgh running back Rashard Mendenhall scored on a 2-yard touchdown with 1:33 remaining as the fifth-seeded Ravens collapsed to the No. 2 Pittsburgh Steelers, 31-24, in a painful American Football Conference divisional playoff game at Heinz Field.
The Steelers advance to the AFC championship against the winner of Sunday's game between New England and the New York Jets. The Ravens can only think what might have been after failing to hold a 14-point halftime lead and turning the ball over three times in the third quarter.
"All you can do in life is to take a shot at being great," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "That's all you can do. Our guys did that. We just weren't great enough today. We'll be back."
Once again, the Ravens' playoff run ended at Heinz Field. The Steelers ended the Ravens' defense as Super Bowl champions in January 2002 and beat the Ravens in the AFC championship game in January 2009.
Once again, the Ravens' hopes were dashed by the Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger. The burly quarterback continued his mastery over the Ravens, converting a key third-and-19 in the fourth quarter to beat the Ravens for the seventh straight time.
Once again, the city of Baltimore felt the sting of a postseason loss at the hands of Pittsburgh. Baltimore has lost six times in the playoffs to the Steel City (the Ravens and Colts have each lost twice, and the Orioles lost twice to the Pirates in the World Series).
"They get to go on and play the AFC championship and contend for a Super Bowl," Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs said, "and we go to the couch."
It appeared that the Ravens were on their way to exorcising some of their football demons when they took a 21-7 lead into halftime, especially after defensive end Cory Redding picked up a ball that was laying on the ground for five seconds and returned the fumble 13 yards uncontested for a touchdown.
But three Ravens turnovers in the third quarter — running back Ray Rice fumbled in addition to quarterback Joe Flacco throwing an interception and fumbling a snap from center — led to 17 points for the Steelers.
Pittsburgh's game-winning drive was set up by Roethlisberger completing a 58-yard pass on third-and-19. Five plays later, Mendenhall's touchdown put the Steelers ahead for good.
Back in Maryland the mood was glum.
At American Legion Post 223, in Sykesville, about 50 veterans and their families gathered to party on chicken wings and shrimp, rail at the Ravens' attack and wonder how so many calls by the officials didn't go their way.
"The offense was terrible, just terrible. Joe Flacco chokes in every big game," said Harry Osullivan, 67, of Eldersburg. "[Offensive coordinator] Cam Cameron should be fired. Plus, the refs took the game away from us. I've been a high school baseball umpire for 35 years, and I'll tell you this: the officiating tonight was really subjective."
On Osullivan's table sat a two-foot doll, dressed in Ravens' garb, that his wife had given him for Christmas. During the game, other fans — some inebriated, most not — walked over to address the doll, rub its head and implore the Ravens to win.
Superstitious to a fault, Andrea Castillo, 50, of Eldersburg, wore the same outfit and drove the same car to the legion post as last week, when the Ravens won. Afterward she left, morose.
Will Castillo's world come to an end?
"Just for a couple of days," she said.
John Jones, the post commander, sat closest to one of the five flat-screen TVs and shouted throughout, as if leading the Ravens into battle. His pleas fell on deaf ears.
"I will survive," Jones said.
His right arm in a sling, Harry Schafer, 63, of Sykesville, left the building, shoulders slumped. Surgery on his fractured elbow Friday didn't keep the Vietnam veteran from watching the game with his buddies.
"I feel sorrow. We had our shot," Schafer said. "Now it's next year, I guess."
His elbow throbbed when the game started.
"Now I hurt more on the inside," he said.
It was a disappointing finish to the most successful season under coach Harbaugh. The Ravens' season began ominously when their best cornerback, Domonique Foxworth, and their top draft pick, linebacker Sergio Kindle, were lost for the season before training camp officially started. But the Ravens persevered through close games to record 12 wins in the regular season, their most in their three years under Harbaugh.
Now, the Ravens face an offseason filled with uncertainty. Nearly half of the Ravens' starters are potential free agents, including eight starters (cornerback Chris Carr, guard Chris Chester, safety Dawan Landry, linebacker Jameel McClain, fullback Le'Ron McClain, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, cornerback Josh Wilson, offensive tackle Marshal Yanda) and two specialists (kicker Billy Cundiff and punter Sam Koch).
"We've got a lot of work to do," Harbaugh said. "We'll have to build our team the best way we can to be able to be great enough to win these kind of games."
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An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified the American Legion post commander. He is John Jones. The Baltimore Sun regrets the error.
