Steelers Sunday night win captivates crowd
Before the Pittsburgh Steelers sent Acrisure Stadium into pandemonium with a division-clinching victory against the Baltimore Ravens, Cabot native Marianne Cornetti set the tone early.
Cornetti, an opera singer who’s traveled the world performing, brought the house down Sunday night, Jan. 4, with a captivating national anthem performance leading into the game that fired up the roughly 68,000 in attendance, including those from Butler County who made the trek.
Cornetti’s anthem performance was part of a loud, overwhelming wave of energy that swooped through Western Pennsylvania Sunday night.
“I’ve had wonderful experiences singing the national anthem at games. But this one had no comparison,” Cornetti said. “I’ve never experienced that in my entire career.”
The Steelers defeated the Baltimore Ravens 26-24 to clinch the AFC North division title and secure a spot in the playoffs in the latest chapter of the storied rivalry. The last game of the regular season, the win also eliminated the Ravens from playoff contention.
From the beginning, the scene was electric, with Cornetti singing in frequent high notes while fireworks were set off during the anthem.
The game, played in below-freezing temperatures, was low-scoring until roughly eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, when the Ravens and the Steelers began trading the lead with a pair of touchdowns each. An Aaron Rodgers pass to wide receiver Calvin Austin gave the Steelers a two-point lead with 55 seconds left, but kicker Chris Boswell missed the extra point.
A fourth down completion by Ravens QB Lamar Jackson put them in field goal position with seconds left in the game for a chance to win it. But Ravens kicker Tyler Loop missed a 44-yard kick as time expired, sending the stadium into chaos.
In every direction, fans, players and coaches were energized throughout the game.
“The reaction of the crowd was unbelievable and it was thrilling,” Cornetti said. “I walked off to the sideline and Danny Smith, the assistant coach, was there chewing his gum, he told me, ‘Oh my god, that was amazing.’ Joey Porter Jr. gave me a fist bump. Every body was fist-bumping everybody. It was incredible.”
Mikayla Torrence, a Cranberry Township resident, was among those from Butler County who made the drive to Acrisure Stadium Sunday. Sitting in Section 109, she could clearly see the moments that led to victory.
“The whole stadium the entire night was up and down. It starts off and it get’s crazy in there. Every time the Ravens go up, it’s dead silent. We do something, and the energy is back,” Torrence said.
When Loop missed the field goal, it took a second for much of the stadium to realize what had happened. Eventually, the crowd went ballistic.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever heard the stadium go so quiet for a second. People were holding their breath,” Torrence said. “And then a mix. Everybody realized what happened and there was a mix of both confusion, wondering ‘did they actually just miss that?,’ followed by cheering and screaming and jumping up and down.”
With Sunday’s win, the Steelers finish the season 10-7 and will now have a home playoff game. They will take on the Houston Texans at 8:20 p.m. Monday.
It will be the Steelers first home playoff game since January of 2021, adding a level of excitement.
“I knew that going into this one, it would all come down to this game,” Torrence said. “With the season on the line, the crowd was an extra level.”
