PITTSBURGH -- Antonio Brown's 632nd career catch might just be his masterpiece.

The snapshot of Brown stretching over the goal line with two Baltimore Ravens draped over him could inspire museum photos and "I was there that day" stories to kids 20 years from now. This was a 5-foot-10 man refusing to be outmuscled, and refusing to let Baltimore win a fifth straight game over the Pittsburgh Steelers, who will celebrate this play for years.

The five seconds it took from Ben Roethlisberger snapping the ball at the 4-yard line to a contorted Brown securing the score deserves about 30 replays to truly appreciate.

The message was clear in the Steelers' locker room the day after a 31-27 victory over the Ravens to secure the AFC North: Their smallest man might be their toughest.

"I feel like we have the best player in the league and he’s under 6 feet," teammate Eli Rogers said.

With the help of snapshots, dozens of replays of the sequence and locker-room perspective, this is how Brown created one of this season's finest football moments.

THE MOVE

Brown shedding two tacklers at the goal line was the decisive move, but the receiver made the play happen early in the set. First, at the top of this snapshot, he had a man to beat, cornerback Jerraud Powers. Powers was in zone coverage and quickly deciphered the play: Brown was running a quick slant over the middle, and a well-covered Rogers was headed to the corner of the end zone.

But Brown, in a moment of nuanced route-running, gave himself just enough space to cut in front of Powers, who appeared to take a wide angle.

"Two-man combination," Roethlisberger said. "A.B. popped open so I wanted to get him the ball -- quick."

Brown said after the game he was "running to the ball" instead of toward the goal line. He figured he would secure the catch, then make something happen.

Which he did.

THE WILL

The snapshot of Brown getting tackled by safety Eric Weddle and linebacker C.J. Mosley says "Goodnight, Steelers." Brown's knees were close to the ground, his back is bent at a near-90-degree angle and the Ravens were eager to drag him down.

But Brown starts to pop up just as Mosley is connecting, and the Ravens linebacker appears to slip on his tackle. And though Weddle has a firm grip on Brown, he's hanging on from the back side. Brown liked his chances in that matchup, tweeting a few hours after the game: "Every extra set ! Every extra rep ! It's for the extra inch !!"

After the fact, no Steelers player said he was worried about resetting for a new play, which would have been difficult at the 9-second mark. They were putting all their trust in Brown to win it.

"I know I’m going to take some contact, and I knew after that I was going to be able to get the ball in," Brown said in the locker room.

THE PULL

Officials easily could have called a face-mask penalty on Weddle. They didn't have to make that call because of the score. But had Brown failed to cross the plane, it's unknown whether the refs actually caught the foul amid all the traffic.

And there was traffic. Linebacker Zachary Orr was closing in. Powers was still in the haze of his missed opportunity but near the play. Guard Ramon Foster was bolting into the play to try to push Brown through, just as he did with Le'Veon Bell on an earlier fourth-quarter touchdown.

Brown didn't need the help. Those who work out with Brown know he has sneaky strength despite his 181-pound frame. Brown is known for his midnight leg lifts on cold Pittsburgh nights at a local gym.

"He works his tail off," said Cobi Hamilton, who was the receiver on the other side of the formation. "It shows why [he's] on top of his game."

THE STRETCH

Brown's arms measured at 31 inches long at the 2010 NFL scouting combine. The picture of Brown's extension of all 31 as he crossed the goal line capture the essence of the moment. But this initial stretch by Brown, as shown here, is significant because of Brown's ballhandling skills.

Just as he's starting his stretch, he's holding the ball by the nose, almost as in a pinch. Many skill players choose to grip the ball around its center for traction. Brown had to think quickly while being tackled, and the fact he was able to secure the ball's tip highlights his craftiness. So much can go wrong there as he's trying to gather the ball.

The picture also shows Brown didn't need a full stretch to cross the goal. The initial lunge was enough.

"He had the presence of mind to kind of reach the ball out over the goal line and still had the presence of mind to hold the ball," Bell said. "It looks easy when he does it. That's really a difficult play."

After the play, Brown gave the ball to Foster to spike, then hugged it out with Big Ben on the sideline and, with one pinkie to the sky, gestured a phone call to God.

On a night like this, Brown had a direct line.