News » he end of the first half in Sundays 24-9 victory over

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers dont think coach Mike Tomlin needs to explain himself whenever his gut tells him to bail on convention. Authentic Custom Cardinals Jersey .If Tomlin wants to go for it -- whether it be a 2-point conversion, an iffy fourth down or a touchdown instead of a chip shot field goal, a choice he made three times at the end of the first half in Sundays 24-9 victory over Cleveland -- thats totally fine by the Steelers. Last they checked, getting into the end zone is what theyre paid to do.It was awesome, man, center Maurkice Pouncey said. I love it. Get some points, man.Something the Steelers did -- eventually -- during an eyebrow-raising sequence that began with the ball at the Cleveland 3 and 5 seconds left in the second quarter. Leading 6-0, a Chris Boswell field goal would have made it a two-score game. Even though Pittsburgh was scheduled to receive the second-half kickoff, Tomlin kept Ben Roethlisberger and the offense on the field.Two incompletions, two Cleveland penalties, a churning 1-yard touchdown run by LeVeon Bell and a 2-point toss to David Johnson later, Pittsburgh led 14-0. It was halfway to ending a four-game losing streak.Just like Tomlin drew it up, right?We need to score points, Pouncey said. (Kicking field goals) never wins. You get a whole bunch of field goals, we been in that situation before.Tomlin insisted there was no ulterior motive for repeatedly trying to get six, and eventually eight, though the timing was auspicious. The Steelers went 0 for 4 in 2-point conversions in a narrow 35-30 loss to Dallas the week before.The message is that we wanted to score, because scoring produces wins, Tomlin said on Monday. And were always generally aggressive in that area of the field.Pittsburgh (5-5) could afford to gamble more than usual against the woeful Browns (0-11) while winning on the road for just the second time this season. A more difficult test awaits on Thanksgiving night in Indianapolis. Drumming the NFLs worst team a short two-hour bus ride from home is one thing. Trying to rein in Andrew Luck and have enough fresh bodies to do it barely 96 hours later is another. The key is trying to maximize every second of down time in between.Honestly I dont like the Thursday games, Pouncey said. Short preparation, the body gets short rest, and as a lineman, we go out there 71 plays (against Cleveland). Every play I touched somebody, trust and believe that.The Steelers havent exactly thrived on short rest recently. Theyve dropped four straight on Thursdays, including a Thanksgiving night loss in Baltimore in 2013 that included Tomlin nearly colliding with Ravens returner Jacoby Jones during a long runback.Pittsburgh went through its usual Monday routine, which includes a series of sprints on the practice field. There will be minimal contact on Tuesday and Wednesday before hopping the plane to Indianapolis. The Steelers hope the sense of urgency and the adrenaline it brings will overcome any lingering aches.Were playing to stay alive, offensive guard Ramon Foster said. Us coming up short on a Thursday? Theres no excuse.The time to get it going is now. Its why Tomlin wasnt particularly surprised when he headed to the team cafeteria for a cup of coffee early Monday and heard music coming from the training room. He popped his head inside and found linebacker James Harrison going through a series of Instragram-worthy workouts just hours removed from becoming the franchises all-time sack leader .On a short week, hes in there doing what he does, Tomlin said. Theres a lot to learn from a guy who approaches his business in the manner he does. And I know our guys recognize that.A little bit of familiarity with the Colts should help. Pittsburgh has thumped Indianapolis each of the last two seasons by a combined score of 96-44, though Luck did not play in last years 45-10 whipping due to injury.Game notes Its unlikely WR Darrius Heyward-Bey (foot) or RB DeAngelo Williams (knee) return this week. ... S Jordan Dangerfield (groin) and TE Xavier Grimble are questionable.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Custom Cardinals Jersey China . -- Matt Ryan needed one of the best games of his career to lead the Falcons and their depleted offence out of their three-game losing streak last week. Ozzie Smith Jersey Large .Y. -- Jayna Hefford scored the winning goal Friday as Canada survived a scare with a 4-3 win over Sweden at the Four Nations womens hockey tournament. http://www.custommlbcardinalsjersey.com/...-large-71q.html . -- Teemu Selanne scored the first goal of his 22nd NHL season, and the Anaheim Ducks extended the best start in franchise history with their fifth straight victory, 3-2 over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Justin Tucker has a knack for putting the exclamation point on drives that come up short of the goal line.Tucker has kicked nine field goals this season for the Baltimore Ravens, who are unbeaten after three games primarily because of his unfailing accuracy -- especially with the outcome hanging in the balance.Since landing a four-year, $6.8 million contract during the offseason, Tucker has scored in a big way for Baltimore. He hasnt missed a kick and accounted for all 12 of the teams fourth-quarter points, including a game-winning, 53-yard field goal last Sunday in a 19-17 win at Jacksonville.The kick -- changed officially from 54 yards by the NFL on Wednesday -- concluded a desperate drive by Joe Flacco that fizzled at the Jaguars 35.When games come down to the final possession, Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs said, you want a quarterback with ice in his veins, and you (darn) sure want a kicker with ice in his veins as well.Although the Ravens have thus far reached the end zone only four times, Tucker has rescued the offense by scoring 31 of the teams 57 points.I dont think of it as any added pressure, Tucker said Wednesday. If the game dictates that we need to kick four field goals, then wed better make four field goals. If the game dictates that I just need to make a few PATs while were beating up somebody, thats exactly what I will do. I just need to make kicks, regardless of the situation.The opposition has taken notice. The Ravens face Oakland (2-1) on Sunday, and Raiders coach Jack Del Rio knows Tucker rarely misfires in the first quarter or the last.Hes been phenomenal, Del Rio said. Tucker is second all-time in terms of field goal kicks, and theyre not all short ones. Hes pretty amazing.Indeed, Tucker ranks second behind Dallas Dan Bailey in career field percentage. Bailey is at 90.4 percent, and Tucker is moving up the chart at 88.5 percent.Tucker made the Pro Bowl in 2013 annd has won 12 games with field goals, most notably three years ago when he beat Detroit with a career-best 61-yarder. Cardinals Jerseys China. Thats why the Ravens slapped the franchise tag on him during the offseason before handing him a $6 million signing bonus in July to go with his four-year deal.Justin has become a cornerstone for our team, general manager Ozzie Newsome said at the time.Instead of pressing to prove his worth, Tucker merely went back to work.My approach to how I kick a ball is unaffected by what happens on the business side of football, he said. If I looked at it any other way, Id be doing a disservice to everybody in here.Tuckers job is made easier by his familiarity with long snapper Morgan Cox and holder Sam Koch. Since 2012, when Tucker arrived as a rookie, the trio has worked to make sure the kick is headed toward the goalposts in 1.3 seconds.Its imperative to have a consistent operation, Tucker said. Its definitely a big part of the reason why Im able to be confident kicking the ball.Koch believes Tuckers success can be attributed to hard work in practice and the ability to stay loose under pressure.As a kicker, you have to be able to get over your last kick -- whether its bad or good -- and be able to move on, Koch said. He has the character that allows him to do that. He has fun at it.While playing high school ball in Texas, Tucker performed on both sides of the ball, kicked field goals and punted. During that time, the 6-foot-1, 180-pounder realized his best hope of becoming a pro was as a placekicker.I looked up to Adam Vinatieri, Matt Stover, Phil Dawson, Robbie Gould, Tucker said. Now that Im playing in the same league as these guys, I still have to pinch myself every day. Its a dream come true.---Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '