BALTIMORE — In a reversal of fortune Sunday — and thanks to a few reversed calls — the Pittsburgh Steelers secured a rare victory after holding a halftime lead.

Albeit barely.

The Steelers survived a second-half rally by the Baltimore Ravens and a few controversial instant replay rulings to defeat the Baltimore Ravens, 27-22, at M&T Bank Stadium in a showdown for first place in the AFC North.

The Steelers led 17-3 in the first half, by eight points at the break and twice by 11 points in the third quarter. They withstood scores on four consecutive drives by the Ravens and improved to 7-6 with four games remaining. The Ravens dropped to 6-7 by losing their second in a row.

“We needed it,” said cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who played a pivotal role in the outcome. “It wasn’t perfect, but we got the job done.”

The Steelers had lost five of their previous seven games, including two in a row in which they held a halftime lead. They had lost four times overall when they led at intermission. And, of course, they lost twice to the Ravens in Baltimore last year, their season ending with a 28-14 defeat in the AFC wild-card round.

“I don’t think last year really matters to us,” said linebacker Patrick Queen, who spent his first four seasons with the Ravens. “It was more of us coming out and fighting for what was at stake.”

After blowing halftime leads against Chicago and Buffalo — a pattern that also could be found in losses to Seattle and Green Bay — the Steelers were in danger of enduring another heartbreaking finish. But the Ravens had a potential go-ahead touchdown taken away in the fourth quarter when Lamar Jackson’s pass to tight end Isaiah Likely was reversed by instant replay. The Steelers got a fourth-down stop to end that series, and the game ended with Alex Highsmith sacking Jackson after the Ravens had reached the Steelers 30 in the waning seconds.

Switching to a soft cast on his fractured left wrist a day earlier, Aaron Rodgers unleashed the deep passing game on the Ravens. He completed 23 of 34 passes for a season-high 284 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for a 1-yard score.

Rodgers had four completions of at least 30 yards and nine that gained 12 or more yards. DK Metcalf caught seven passes for 148 yards — both season highs — and running back Jaylen Warren had a 38-yard touchdown catch on a screen pass.

“I just think we were in an aggressive posture all day,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “That’s how we got out of bed this morning. That’s what is required when you play these guys in their venue.”

Rodgers did what Russell Wilson failed to accomplish in two attempts last season: beat the Ravens on the road.

“We knew what was on the line today,” Tomlin said. “That’s why you go do business with a guy like Aaron — for thick days like today. He’s a been-there, done-that guy. Beyond that experience component, he relishes it. You can tell.”

The Steelers won despite rushing for just 34 yards. The Ravens, meantime, piled up 217 yards rushing and 420 overall, outgaining the Steelers by 102. It was the third time this season the Steelers allowed more than 400 in a game, but their first victory in such performances.

“Was it pretty? No,” defensive tackle Cameron Heyward said, “but when it came to making plays, we made them.”

The Ravens scored touchdowns on two of their six trips inside the red zone. After the Steelers went ahead 27-16 in the third quarter on Rodgers’ 38-yard screen pass to Warren, the Ravens managed just a pair of short field goals in the fourth.

The Steelers defense was on the field for 40 of 49 plays in the final quarter and 21 of the last 24. The Ravens, though, came away empty on their final two possessions, with the Steelers getting some instant replay help along the way.

Two plays after Tyler Loop’s 36-yard field goal pulled the Ravens within five points, Rodgers had a pass batted at the line of scrimmage. The ball deflected back to Rodgers, who found himself trying to wrestle the ball away from linebacker Teddye Buchanan. Rodgers lost the encounter, but replay officials ruled that his knees had hit the ground before Buchanan seized control of the ball.

Then, Jackson appeared to find Likely for a 13-yard score with 2 minutes, 43 seconds remaining. Likely bobbled the ball after getting hit from behind by Porter, and replay officials in New York overturned the touchdown call on the field.

“Joey didn’t give up on the play,” Metcalf said. “We knew the defense was going to get a stop.”

That happened when tight end Mark Andrews couldn’t haul in Jackson’s fourth-down throw into the end zone. Queen was on Andrews’ heels on the play.

“We know what kind of team they are in those situations,” Queen said. “Everybody did their job. We were able to get off.”

The Ravens got the ball back with 1:56 remaining following a third consecutive three-and-out by the Steelers. A 19-yard completion got the Ravens into Steelers territory with 17 seconds to play. Highsmith then came off the edge and dropped Jackson, allowing the clock to expire.

“Can’t say it’s not a huge win. It really is,” outside linebacker T.J. Watt said. “Vibes are up.”

Music blared from the Steelers locker room in the aftermath. The celebration capped a week in which fans chanted for Tomlin’s firing in the second half of the loss to Buffalo and national media pundits wondered whether it was time for the 19-year head coach to leave the organization.

The Steelers, though, responded with their best week of practice all season, according to Rodgers and Metcalf, who were at the epicenter of the offensive passing game eruption that fueled the win.

“It was a perfect storm for everything to come together,” Metcalf said, “and play a good game like this.”

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