"In a game of diminishing returns, the Ravens took their offensive gains where they could find them Sunday night.

Facing the Pittsburgh Steelers without fullback Le'Ron McClain ( sprained ankle), the Ravens lost tight end Todd Heap on their first offensive play to a hamstring injury.

Improvising as best he could, quarterback Joe Flacco hit wide receiver Anquan Boldin for a 61-yard pass in the first quarter and Donte' Stallworth for a 67-yard completion in the second. The first big play set up a 14-yard touchdown throw to Boldin and 7-0 lead, a lead that somehow held up for a 10-6 victory at M&T Bank Stadium.

Both long passes got the Ravens off their goal line and turned field position dramatically in the first half. Boldin's catch came on a third-and-15 play from the Baltimore 3. A false start against left tackle Michael Oher backed the Ravens into that precarious situation.

Boldin beat Pittsburgh safety Ryan Clark over the middle deep.

Three minutes later, Flacco, on third-and-10 at the Pittsburgh 25, completed an 11-yard toss to rookie tight end Ed Dickson, who beat linebacker Lawrence Timmons for the first-down play.

Two plays later, the Ravens found the end zone when Flacco was chased out of the pocket toward their sideline. Looking for Boldin, Flacco found him in the middle of the end zone wide open. Boldin ran right toward the sideline, saw Flacco scrambling and reversed direction to the middle of the field for an uncontested catch.

It was Boldin's seventh touchdown catch of the season, but first since Nov. 11 at Atlanta. He had a low profile in the passing game the past two weeks with six catches for a modest 56 yards.

Dickson, replacing Heap, had two catches in the first half, his first two-catch game in the NFL."