Photo by Associated Press Ravens defensive end Paul Kruger (99) celebrates with fans after the Ravens defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-17 in overtime on Sunday.

"It was just his time," Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis said. "Sometimes when it's your time, you will find yourself in the right place and the ball will find you. I've been praising Paul Kruger for a long time."

A second-round draft pick out of Utah in last spring's draft, the 6-4, 250 pound linebacker-defensive end was inactive for seven of the first eight Ravens' games. He didn't see his first extensive action of the year until the Cleveland game, the ninth of the season.

He only saw extensive action Sunday because starter Terrell Suggs is out with a knee injury. With about 10 minutes left in overtime and the Steelers facing a third and five at midfield, he intercepted a pass from Pittsburgh quarterback Dennis Dixon at the Baltimore 46 and ran it to the Pittsburgh 28. The Ravens took it down to the 11 and Billy Cundiff kicked a 29-yard field goal to win the game.

For much of the season, Kruger had to be wondering if he would get his shot. He continually found himself on the sidelines watching. He and Baltimore coach John Harbaugh has several conversations, including one last week, about what he needed to do to see more action.

"It's been hard all season," Kruger said. "I'm a competitive guy. I want to be on the field. I've been frustrated not being out there. Every player that is not on the field is going to feel that way."

"It doesn't get any better than that, you have a young man who is patiently waiting his turn," Lewis said.

Kruger said in his conversations with Harbaugh, the Baltimore coach told him just to keep fighting, to keep going hard in practice.

"He said when I'm in there in a game, make the best of every opportunity I can," Kruger said.

He certainly did that Sunday night.

"I've always loved that kid," Harbaugh said. "Things came together tonight. I don't know, the Lord works in mysterious ways, and he earned it. That was a great football play and it won us the football game."

"We knew he could do that," defensive tackle Haloti Ngata said. "He did it all throughout college. It was great man, I mean, it's just so awesome."

Kruger said it was a designed blitz and he just happened to be in the right place at the right time. After catching the ball and running for a few yards, he looked like he might go out of bounds, but instead turned up field and got a few more yards before being tackled.

"I saw the quarterback come, so I wanted to get him going one way and then come back the other," Kruger said. "Unfortunately, one of their big old linemen made his way over to me."

Does he think he will now see more action?

"I hope so," he said. "I want to be out there. I hope it's a starting point."

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SUNDAY'S WIN KEPT THE Ravens in the hunt for a playoff spot. A loss would have all but ended their season. Baltimore is now 6-5 and plays at Green Bay next week. The Ravens are now seventh in the six-team AFC playoff picture. Four wild-card contenders lost Sunday: Pittsburgh, Miami, Houston and Jacksonville.

"It sets up a five-game season right now," running back Ray Rice said.

The season might be over if Harbaugh had not gone for it with 3:31 left in regulation with Baltimore facing a fourth and five at the Baltimore 46, and the Steelers leading 17-14 at the time. Harbaugh initially sent out the punting unit, then called a timeout and decided to go for the first.

Quarterback Joe Flacco hit Ray Rice with a short pass over the middle. The running back then eluded several tacklers and raced down to the Pittsburgh 10. It set up a Cundiff 24 yard field goal that tied the game with 1:56 left in the game.

"Once we called the time-out, we were going for it," Harbaugh said. "That was a great play by Joe, that's a great play by Ray Rice. It wasn't the decision to go for it that made that play. It was the way those players executed it."

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NOTES--Flacco, who had not thrown a touchdown pass in the past three games, threw a 10 yarder to Derrick Mason in the second quarter on Sunday. Despite an ankle injury that is limiting his mobility, Flacco had his best game in weeks completing 23 of 35 passes for 289 yards. He had a 100.8 rating, his best rating since the Denver game in week 7.

Flacco said he re-rolled the ankle at the start of the second half, but it was taped and he was fine. But there was one play where he was hit so hard he didn't look very steady when he got up. But he stayed in the game.

Dixon, who subbed for the injured Ben Roethlisberger, completed 12 of 26 passes for 145 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes. He also ran 24 yards for a touchdown. Maybe the most impressive thing about him was that, until the interception, he did not have any turnovers.

"He did the best he could do, as far as I'm concerned, he played his tail off," Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward said.

Rice had another outstanding game with 88 yards on the ground on 19 carries and five catches for 67 yards.

"Ray is a quick guy, is shifty and he has good hands," Flacco said. "Anytime you can give him the ball and space, it's going to be a benefit to your offense."

"I've never seen anybody that can do things like that with the football," Lewis said of Rice.

n Receiver Mark Clayton had his best day of the season with seven catches for 129 yards. His 54-yard catch set up Ravens second touchdown, the 10-yard pass from Flacco to Mason.

n The Ravens' 393 total yards and 132 yards rushing was the most Pittsburgh has given up this season. Pittsburgh entered the game as No. 1 in the NFL in total defense and rushing defense.