BALTIMORE (Ticker) -- Packing and moving in the middle of the night might not be such a bad idea.
The Baltimore Ravens, mired in the worst offensive malaise of their five-year existence, have now gone 20 quarters without a touchdown and today allowed the Pittsburgh Steelers to gain sole possession of second place in the AFC Central, 9-6.
Baltimore (5-4) has scored just 15 points in its last three games and has been kept out of the end zone since Obafemi Ayanbadejo's one-yard touchdown run 8:21 into the fourth quarter of a September 24 contest against Cincinnati.
"It's a very difficult time, but obviously our job is to work through it," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "The answers that I have for you (the media) at this time aren't going to be very adequate. The perspective here has to change. There are no easy answers for this."
Trent Dilfer received his first start in a Ravens uniform in place of the ineffective Tony Banks and did not accomplish very much, completing just 11-of-24 attempts for 152 yards with one interception.
"It's definitely disappointing," Dilfer said. "It's one we thought we had to have. At the same time though, we're not all going to go out and slit our wrists."
The Ravens have not scored in 58 possessions but remains over .500 because the defense has allowed only four touchdowns in the last six games. They are 1-8 all-time in October home games, with the lone win coming against the St. Louis Rams in 1996.
Considering the offensive struggles, Baltimore had the best opponent possible in the Steelers (5-3), who despite extending their winning streak to five games -- the longest since 1997 -- had Kordell Stewart making his first start of the year behind center.
So it was that Dilfer and the Ravens had a chance to tie in the final minutes if they could put together a long drive.
After a punt forced them to start from their own 10-yard line, Dilfer hit Qadry Ismail for a 19-yard gain to the 29. But four straight incompletions followed, including one on second down when Dilfer could not connect with a wide open Ismail over the middle.
"This is a big win for us," said Steelers coach Bill Cowher. "This is everything we have been fighting for, to get back to this position. We've been fighting ourselves back to respectability and that's all we've asked to do."
Stewart was only 9-of-18 for 133 yards for Pittsburgh, but made the one throw that counted, a 45-yard scoring strike down the right side to Hines Ward that forced a 6-6 tie just over five minutes into the third quarter.
"Hines did a good job of beating them. We did a play-action," said Stewart. "I stepped it up and threw it up to let (Ward) make a play. Thank goodness he caught the ball."
"Well, the wind kind of caught it," Hines said. "We thought (Duane) Starks was going to bite on the comeback route, and when I ran it I ran up the field but the ball hung up in the air and I had to go back and make the play."
Kris Brown pushed the extra point wide right, but would atone for his mistake four minutes later.
First, his kickoff sailed to the Baltimore 10, where it was fielded by Corey Harris, whose return covered 17 yards before a hit by Jason Simmons knocked the ball loose. Scott Shields recovered at the 27.
Stewart's 12-yard completion to Bobby Shaw on the first play of the resulting possession set up Brown's 24-yard field goal with 9:07 gone in the period.
"This was an extremely well-played football game today. The success that we've had speaks for itself," said Stewart. "The key was the defense kept us in this game."
Baltimore's only points once again came from Matt Stover, who booted field goals of 51 and 49 yards 9 1/2 minutes apart in the second quarter. The Ravens outgained the Steelers, 274-231, but were just 3-of-11 on third down.
Stover has accounted for the Ravens' last 46 points and is 23-of-25 on field goals this season.
Rookie Jamal Lewis had a strong game for Baltimore, rushing 19 times for 93 yards and totaling 53 yards on three receptions.
"These guys have been through a lot and they will fight through it," Billick added. "It's pretty huge right now. Working and practicing is the only way to get through this."
Ward had two catches for 55 yards and Jerome Bettis had 65 yards on 18 carries for the Steelers, who now hold the tiebreaker edge over Baltimore and trail the division-leading Tennessee Titans by 1 1/2 games.
"You have to give credit to both defenses. That's why you didn't see a lot of scoring today," said Cowher. "We are playing solid right now and that will help going into next week (Tennessee)."
Pittsburgh's defense has not allowed a TD in 16 quarters.
