Boswell kicks 6 field goals and the Steelers bottle up Lamar Jackson in 18-16 win over the Ravens

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers insist they have no secret formula when it comes to stopping Lamar Jackson. That there is nothing mystical about their approach to the otherworldly Baltimore Ravens quarterback.

They study film. Just like everybody else. They read their cues. Just like everybody else. They fight. Just like everybody else.

And they win. Like just about no one else.

“Forget the minutiae of what it is you do," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “You better play hard, fast and together or you have no shot.”

They almost always do when Jackson is on the other side of the line of scrimmage.

The latest proof came in an 18-16 victory over the Ravens on Sunday that included another 60-minute clinic on slowing down perhaps the most dynamic player in the league.

Pittsburgh (8-2) held Jackson and the rest of the NFL's top-ranked offense to season lows in points and yards (329) and season highs in mistakes, some self-inflicted, some not.

Baltimore (7-4) turned it over three times — each leading to one of Chris Boswell's six field goals — and committed 12 penalties while never really establishing the kind of rhythm that comes so easily when they play someone other than the Steelers.

“I can't call it,” Jackson said after falling to 1-4 against Pittsburgh. “I feel like we (were) making strides in the right direction and then something would happen.”

The two-time MVP completed just 16 of 33 for 207 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He hit Zay Flowers for a 16-yard score with 1:06 left to get the Ravens within two but the 2-point conversion attempt was a mess. Jackson rolled to his left, tried to run then pulled up and threw a prayer to no one in particular that fell incomplete.

The Steelers — with backup quarterback Justin Fields subbing in for Russell Wilson on a couple of snaps — picked up a first down on the ensuing drive as Pittsburgh ran out the clock to give the Steelers a 1 1/2-game lead over Baltimore.

“To come away with a win, it took everybody, not one guy," Pittsburgh defensive tackle Cam Heyward said. “And we understand how critical these AFC North games are. We understand we got a bit of a gantlet (coming).”

One the Steelers appear to be well-equipped to handle.

The list of contributors to Pittsburgh's eighth win in its last nine meetings against the Ravens included rookie linebacker Payton Wilson — who literally stole the ball from Baltimore running back Justice Hill for a crucial fourth-quarter pick — and newcomers Patrick Queen and DeShon Elliott, former Ravens who have quickly found their footing on the other side of the rivalry.

Elliott pounced on a Derrick Henry fumble on Baltimore's first possession and Queen — who left Baltimore in free agency after the Ravens opted not to make him an offer — stripped former teammate Isaiah Likely at the end of the first half and scooped up the loose ball that led to a Boswell field goal and a 9-7 halftime lead the Steelers never relinquished.

“One man's trash is another man's treasure,” Tomlin said of Queen. “I'm glad he is on our team.”

Pittsburgh needed every one of Boswell's kicks on a day the offense sputtered while largely avoiding the miscues that cost Baltimore so dearly.

Wilson threw for 205 yards and an ill-advised pick in the end zone midway through the fourth quarter. Najee Harris ran for 63 yards — including a 2-yard churn for the clinching first down — and George Pickens caught eight passes for 89 yards.

Even Fields got in on the act. A month after ceding the starting job back to Wilson after Wilson recovered from a calf injury that forced him to miss six games, Fields was behind center for two of the most important snaps of the game, a 9-yard quarterback run on Pittsburgh's final drive and a handoff to Harris that moved the chains and let the Steelers kill the clock.

“I believe that Justin Fields is a franchise quarterback, a great player, a great teammate, a hard worker,” Wilson said. “We just love doing this thing together.”

The game marked the second time this season Pittsburgh won without reaching the end zone. Boswell also booted six field goals in the opener in Atlanta. He's the second player in NFL history to make six field goals in a game twice in the same season, joining John Carney, who did it for the San Diego Chargers in 1993.

While Tomlin praised Boswell's production, he admitted it also “reminds us of our warts. It reminds us of the work we need to do.”

The Steelers will get a chance to examine those warts while in first place, while the Ravens are left to chase them in the interim while waiting for a rematch the weekend before Christmas. Jackson and company are hoping the missteps that have cropped up in their losses this season will be gone by then.

“We can't keep beating ourselves in these type of games,” Jackson said. “We've got to find a way to fix that. That (stuff) is annoying.”

Ravens: LB Roquan Smith left in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury and did not return.

Steelers: DT Keeanu Benton was shaken up in the fourth quarter.

Ravens: Head west to play the Los Angeles Chargers on Nov. 25.

Steelers: Travel to Cleveland to face the Browns on Thursday night.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson scrambles against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson scrambles against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker reacts after missing a second field goal attempt against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Chris Boswell (9) reacts with teammate Pat Freiermuth (88) after kicking a field goal against the Baltimore Ravens during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) scores a touchdown as Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, top left, and safety DeShon Elliott, top right, try to stop him during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Pittsburgh. Ravens' Patrick Ricard (42) and Ben Cleveland (66) hit the ground on the play. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth, left, and Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey argue as back judge Greg Wilson (119) tries to intervene during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) runs with the ball in front of Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (30) is brought down by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith, left, after making a catch during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Chris Boswell (9) is congratulated by teammates after kicking a field goal against the Baltimore Ravens during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen reacts after recovering a fumble by the Baltimore Ravens during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill (43) runs with the ball as Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen (6) moves in for the tackle during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (89) runs with the ball as Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick tries to stop him during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) avoids a tackle by Baltimore Ravens cornerback Brandon Stephens (21) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) attempts a pass as Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) applies pressure during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range missiles to strike deeper inside Russia, easing limitations on the weapons as Russia deploys thousands of North Korean troops to reinforce its war, according to a U.S. official and three other people familiar with the matter.

The decision allowing Kyiv to use the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMs, for attacks farther inside Russia comes as President Vladimir Putin positions North Korean troops along Ukraine's northern border to try to reclaim hundreds of miles of territory seized by Ukrainian forces.

Biden's move also follows the presidential election victory of Donald Trump, who has said he would bring about a swift end to the war and raised uncertainty about whether his administration would continue the United States' vital military support for Ukraine.

The official and the others knowledgeable about the matter were not authorized to discuss the U.S. decision publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's reaction Sunday was notably restrained.

“Strikes are not made with words," he said during his nightly video address. “Such things are not announced. The missiles will speak for themselves.”

Zelenskyy and many of his Western supporters have been pressing Biden for months to allow Ukraine to strike military targets deeper inside Russia with Western-supplied missiles, saying the U.S. ban had made it impossible for Ukraine to try to stop Russian attacks on its cities and electrical grids.

Zelenskyy's statement came shortly after he posted a message of condolence on Telegram following a Russian attack on a nine-story building that killed at least eight people in the northern city of Sumy, 40 kilometers (24 miles) from the border with Russia.

Russia also launched a massive drone and missile attack, described by officials as the largest in recent months, targeting energy infrastructure and killing civilians. The attack came as fears are mounting about Moscow’s intentions to devastate Ukraine’s power generation capacity before the winter.

“And this is the answer to everyone who tried to achieve something with Putin through talks, phone calls, hugs and appeasement,” Zelenskyy said.

The comment appeared to be a dig at German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who spoke Friday with Putin in the first such call with a sitting head of a major Western power in nearly two years.

Some supporters have argued that the limitation and other U.S. constraints could cost Ukraine the war. The debate has become a source of disagreement among Ukraine’s NATO allies.

Biden had remained opposed, determined to hold the line against any escalation that he felt could draw the U.S. and other NATO members into direct conflict with nuclear-armed Russia.

Putin has warned that Moscow could provide long-range weapons to others to strike Western targets if NATO allies allow Ukraine to use their arms to attack Russian territory.

News of Biden's decision followed meetings over the last two days with the leaders of South Korea, Japan and China. The addition of North Korean troops was central to the talks, which took place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru.

Biden did not mention the decision during a speech at a stop in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil on his way to the Group of 20 summit.

Asked about the decision, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters that the U.N. position is “to avoid a permanent deterioration of the war in Ukraine.”

“We want peace, we want fair peace,” Guterres said Sunday before the summit in Rio de Janeiro. He didn't elaborate.

The longer-range missiles are likely to be used in response to North Korea’s decision to support Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, according to one of the people familiar with the development.

The overall supply of ATACMS missiles is short, so U.S. officials in the past have questioned whether they could give Ukraine enough to make a difference. Some supporters of Ukraine say that even a few long-range strikes deeper inside Russia would force its military to change deployments and expend more of its resources.

North Korea has provided thousands of troops to Russia to help Moscow try to claw back land in the Kursk border region that Ukraine seized this year. The introduction of North Korean troops to the conflict comes as Moscow has seen a favorable shift in momentum. Trump has signaled that he could push Ukraine to agree to give up some land seized by Russia to find an end to the conflict.

As many as 12,000 North Korean troops have been sent to Russia, according to U.S., South Korean and Ukrainian assessments. U.S. and South Korean intelligence officials say North Korea also has provided Russia with significant amounts of munitions to replenish its dwindling weapons stockpiles.

Trump, who takes office in January, spoke for months as a candidate about wanting Russia’s war in Ukraine to be over, but he mostly ducked questions about whether he wanted U.S. ally Ukraine to win.

He also repeatedly slammed the Biden administration for giving Kyiv tens of billions of dollars in aid. His victory has Ukraine’s international backers worrying that any rushed settlement would mostly benefit Putin.

America is Ukraine’s most valuable ally in the war, providing more than $56.2 billion in security assistance since Russian forces invaded in February 2022.

Worried about Russia’s response, however, the Biden administration repeatedly has delayed providing some specific advanced weapons sought by Ukraine, agreeing only under pressure from Kyiv, its supporters and in consultation with allies.

That includes initially refusing Zelenskyy’s pleas for advanced tanks, Patriot air defense systems and F-16 fighter jets, among other systems.

The White House agreed in May to allow Ukraine to use U.S.-provided weaponry for limited strikes just across the border with Russia.

Long, Miller, Knickmeyer and Lee reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Will Weissert in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv contributed to this report.

FILE - US President Joe Biden, left, participates in a wreath laying ceremony with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the memorial wall outside of St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral during an unannounced visit, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

FILE - President Joe Biden, right, listens as Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, speaks during their meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

U.S. President Joe Biden arrives on Air Force One at Manaus-Eduardo Gomes International Airport, in Manaus, Brazil, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Edmar Barros)