Atlanta ? Ben Roethlisberger stood on the Pittsburgh sideline with a white towel hanging around his neck. All he could do was watch as Michael Vick and the Falcons finished off the Steelers in a game that was just too good to be settled in 60 minutes.

Remember this one. It could be a defining game for both teams this season.

Vick threw a career-high four touchdown passes and hit another long play in overtime Sunday, setting up Morten Andersen to kick a 32-yard field goal that gave Atlanta a thrilling 41-38 victory that featured enough twists and turns to last an entire season.

Where to begin? Vick responded to his critics in what had been a dismal season throwing the ball. Roethlisberger was unstoppable until he got knocked out with a scary blow to the head. Hines Ward had a remarkable homecoming.

There’s more. The Falcons (4-2) though they had won in regulation on a 56-yard field goal by their No. 2 kicker, but it didn’t count. The Super Bowl champion Steelers squandered a 17-7 lead, fumbling three times and getting surprised by an onside kick in the first half.

The Falcons struck for touchdowns after every Pittsburgh miscue, hanging around in a game that could have been a blowout. Finally, after six lead changes and both teams missing chances to break a 38-38 tie in the final minute, the second-oldest player in NFL history won it for Atlanta.

Whew.

“We learned something about ourselves today,” Falcons coach Jim Mora said. “We can hang with the heavyweight champs.”

The Steelers (2-4) tied it at 38 with 3:19 remaining when fill-in quarterback Charlie Batch threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Ward, who grew up in the Atlanta area and longed to play for the Falcons.

On this day, he burned the Falcons badly, catching eight passes for 171 yards and a career-best three TDs, including a 70-yarder in which he literally ran out of his right shoe.

Even that wasn’t enough. Atlanta won the coin toss for overtime and never let the Steelers have the ball. Vick converted on third-and-nine by scrambling away from Troy Polamalu and flipping a 26-yard pass to Alge Crumpler. Five plays later, the 46-year-old Andersen came on to make the winning kick, atoning for a 52-yarder that fell just short in the final minute of regulation.

Atlanta's Chris Crocker, right, and Jason Webster battle for the ball after Pittsburgh's Hines Ward, center, fumbled. The Steelers recovered the fumble, but Atlanta won, 41-38 in overtime, on Sunday in Atlanta.

“Moments like this are the main reason I’m a Mike Vick fan,” Mora said. “For all the talk about what Vick can’t do, I like to talk about what he can do. And he does things that no other player in the history of the game at that position has the ability to do.”

Coming off a near-perfect first half the previous week against Kansas City, Roethlisberger was brilliant again before halftime, going 15-of-20 for 235 yards and three touchdowns. But Big Ben was knocked unconscious early in the third quarter on a helmet-to-helmet hit by Chauncey Davis after letting go of a pass.

Roethlisberger remained on the turf for at least five minutes before finally wobbling to the sideline, then got wheeled to the locker room on the back of a cart. After changing out of his uniform, he could only watch from the sideline.

Coach Bill Cowher said he wouldn’t know for a few days if Roethlisberger would be able to play next Sunday at Oakland.

It was another blow to the Steelers quarterback, his year already marred by a serious motorcycle accident and an appendectomy, and a discouraging loss for a team that seemed to get its season back on track with a 45-7 rout of Kansas City the previous week.

“We left everything on the football field and I couldn’t be more proud of the group of guys,” Cowher said. “We’ve dug a hole for ourselves, no question. But I know the character of this football team and we’ll be back.”

Batch did a good job in relief, throwing for 195 yards and two TDs. But he never got a chance in overtime.

Atlanta thought it won in regulation when Michael Koenen, who lost the kicking job after two games but still handles the punting and long field goals, booted through a 56-yarder with 35 seconds remaining. Cowher managed to call timeout just before the snap, however, and the officials waved off the play.

Koenen tried again and missed, but Polamalu was called for running into the kicker. The Falcons then sent on Andersen, whose try was straight down the middle but fell on the end line.

Buccaneers 23, Eagles 21

Tampa, Fla. – Matt Bryant nailed a 62-yard field goal – the third-longest in NFL history – to give Tampa Bay an improbable last-second victory. The kick ruined a gallant comeback engineered by Donovan McNabb after the Bucs built a 17-0 lead, mostly on the strength of two interceptions that Ronde Barber returned for touchdowns.

Tom Dempsey and Jason Elam share the league record for the longest field goal – 63 yards. The only other kickers who have been successful from beyond 59 yards are Steve Cox and Morten Andersen, who both booted 60-yarders.

McNabb rallied the Eagles (4-3), throwing one of his three late TD passes after Philadelphia was forced to take out a time out when the quarterback started throwing up between plays.

Texans 27, Jaguars 7

Houston – Houston’s beleaguered defense dominated, and rookie running back Wali Lundy discovered the Texans’ lost running game. Lundy, who hadn’t played in the last three games, had 93 yards rushing and a touchdown early in the fourth quarter that extended the lead to 17-7. No Houston running back had gained 60 yards rushing before Sunday, and the Texans managed just 34 yards rushing last week. Houston’s defense, which entered the day allowing a league-worst 418 yards a game, forced two turnovers – both of which led to touchdowns – and held the Jaguars to 220 yards.

Packers 34, Dolphins 24

Miami – Ranked last in the NFL in pass defense, Green Bay intercepted Joey Harrington three times to beat Miami. Brett Favre threw two touchdown passes, including the clincher to David Martin with six minutes left, and Ahman Green scored on a 70-yard run. But it was big plays by Green Bay’s beleaguered defense that made the difference. The Packers doubled their season interception total, and the takeaways led to 13 points.

Charles Woodson made his first interception with Green Bay and returned it 23 yards for a score. Interceptions by linebackers Brady Poppinga and Nick Barnett set up a pair of field goals.

Green Bay (2-4) beat the Dolphins in Miami for the first time in seven tries. The last time Green Bay won in South Florida was in Vince Lombardi’s final game as Packers coach in the 1968 Super Bowl against Oakland.

Bengals 17, Panthers 14

Cincinnati – With the minutes ticking away, Carson Palmer found his touch and got the Bengals into the end zone. Given a chance to match him, Jake Delhomme came up one throw short. Palmer finally mastered the wind and led a fourth-quarter drive that culminated in his one-yard throw to T.J. Houshmandzadeh that lifted Cincinnati. The Bengals (4-2) overcame three lackluster quarters to get their first victory in three weeks. The Panthers (4-3) had won four close games in a row, three of them by a field goal or less.

Jets 31, Lions 24

East Rutherford, N.J. – Leon Washington rushed for 129 yards on 20 carries and scored the first two touchdowns of his career, and the Jets held on to defeat Detroit. The Lions put a scare into the Jets, who led the entire game, by getting within a touchdown with 2:22 left when an outstretched Mike Furrey caught the ball in the back right-corner of the end zone.

New York (4-3) got the ball back on the ensuing kickoff and ran out the clock to escape with a victory. Chad Pennington finished 16-of-22 for 189 yards with a touchdown and an interception in helping the Jets win consecutive home games for the first time since 2004.

Patriots 28, Bills 6

Orchard Park, N.Y. – Corey Dillon’s two touchdowns rushing in the first half gave the Patriots an early lead, and New England went on to rout Buffalo. It didn’t matter that Dillon, who enjoyed his 17th career multiple TD game, finished with only 47 yards rushing, and the Patriots generated a mere 265 yards of offense. Recharged after their bye week, the Patriots controlled the game from the start, getting contributions from their defense and special teams to seal the team’s fifth straight road victory. Asante Samuel had an interception and Mike Vrabel forced a fumble, ending two Bills drives in New England territory in the first half.

Broncos 17, Browns 7

Cleveland – The NFL’s stingiest defense held its fifth straight opponent to single digits, and Jake Plummer did enough to keep Denver’s offense moving. The Broncos (5-1) were less than 12 minutes from their first road shutout in 14 years when Plummer’s interception led to a short Cleveland touchdown pass – only the second TD allowed by Denver this season. The Broncos have allowed a league-low 44 points and haven’t given up more than 10 since Week 1.

Colts 36, Redskins 22

Indianapolis – Washington knocked Peyton Manning around for a half. Then Manning knocked out the Redskins. After being bent over awkwardly twice in the first half and once appearing hurt, the two-time MVP responded with three third-quarter touchdown passes to lead Indianapolis to victory.

Indy remained the AFC’s only unbeaten team and became the ninth team in league history to start 6-0 in back-to-back seasons. Washington (2-5) lost its third straight and saw its playoff hopes take a big hit. Colts defensive tackle Montae Reagor was involved in an automobile accident en route to the game, leaving him hospitalized with a head wound.

Vikings 31, Seahawks 13

Seattle – Chester Taylor ran for a career-high 169 yards on 26 carries – including a pivotal, 95-yard touchdown, the longest run in team history – as Minnesota stunned Seattle and ended the Seahawks franchise-record 12-game home winning streak. Already without league MVP Shaun Alexander, Seattle lost Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck because of a right knee strain on the third play of the second half.

Raiders 22, Cardinals 9

Oakland, Calif. – Andrew Walter threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Randy Moss, ReShard Lee ran for a one-yard score in the first quarter, and the Raiders overcame five turnovers for their first win of the season. Despite getting plenty of help from Oakland (1-5) with the two interceptions and three fumbles, the Cardinals (1-6) lost their sixth straight game. Moss had his biggest game of the year even though he had a few drops, catching seven balls for 129 yards to help Oakland end an 11-game losing streak.