The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens delivered a Sunday night thriller for the ages at Acrisure Stadium, capping off the 2025 NFL regular season with a heart-stopping AFC North championship clash. In a game that swung wildly from one side to the other and featured a cascade of dramatic moments, it was the Steelers who ultimately emerged victorious, 26-24, thanks to a missed 44-yard field goal by Ravens rookie kicker Tyler Loop with just 14 seconds left on the clock.
This was no ordinary division decider. The stakes were sky-high: the winner would claim the AFC North crown and punch their ticket to the playoffs, while the loser would see their season end in bitter disappointment. The atmosphere in Pittsburgh was electric, with fans waving Terrible Towels and the scent of postseason hope thick in the air.
The game began with the Ravens showing early dominance, jumping out to a 10-3 halftime lead. Baltimore’s advantage was built on the back of running back Derrick Henry, who churned out 79 yards in the first quarter alone, and a defense that stymied Pittsburgh’s offense at critical moments. The Steelers, meanwhile, failed to reach the end zone on a crucial goal-line stand as the first half expired, leaving the home crowd anxious.
But if there’s one thing this Steelers team has shown under coach Mike Tomlin, it’s resilience. "We haven't made it easy on ourselves, really all season, I guess," quarterback Aaron Rodgers said with a chuckle after the game, cigar smoke trailing him into the press room. "But I'm proud of our guys. I'm proud of the way that we responded multiple times after they took a lead. It just takes a little belief at this point in the season."
That belief was on full display in the third quarter, as the Steelers adjusted their run defense and strung together 10 unanswered points to seize a 13-10 lead. The momentum, however, was anything but stable. What followed in the fourth quarter was a scoring frenzy, with the two teams trading four go-ahead touchdowns in the final 10 minutes—a feat that, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, tied the most in any NFL game this season.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson showcased his own brand of magic, first connecting with Zay Flowers for a 50-yard touchdown that put Baltimore back on top. The Steelers countered with a 31-yard strike from Rodgers to tight end Pat Freiermuth, setting up a Kenneth Gainwell rushing touchdown. Not to be outdone, Jackson found Flowers again for a 63-yard score, swinging the lead back in Baltimore’s favor and sending the visiting sideline into a frenzy.
With under a minute to play, the Steelers’ season hung in the balance. Enter Aaron Rodgers, the 42-year-old four-time MVP acquired in the offseason precisely for moments like these. He led a masterful drive, capped by a 26-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Austin III with just 55 seconds remaining. Rodgers finished the night with 31 completions on 47 attempts for 294 yards and a touchdown, including a blistering 11-of-14 for 133 yards in the fourth quarter alone. "This was the vision in the spring when we pursued him," Tomlin said. "That's why you do business with a 42-year-old guy, been-there, done-that guy with a résumé like his. He's not only capable; he thrives in it. I think he put that on display tonight."
Yet, the drama was far from over. Steelers kicker Chris Boswell, typically automatic, missed the ensuing extra point—his first miss in over two seasons. Suddenly, the door was open for the Ravens to snatch victory with a field goal. Jackson, undeterred, orchestrated a frantic final drive, highlighted by a miraculous 4th-and-7 conversion to Isaiah Likely for 26 yards, putting Baltimore in position for the win.
All eyes turned to Tyler Loop, the rookie kicker, who lined up for a 44-yard attempt that would send the Ravens to the playoffs. The snap and hold were good, but the kick sailed wide right. The stadium erupted. Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen admitted, "I heard the stadium go crazy. I was just shocked. I was just shocked. I didn't look back. I didn't look at the scoreboard. I just literally just stood there." Defensive captain Cameron Heyward, on the field for the block unit, said, "I got my head around. And I was like, 'Damn, he missed it.' We haven't had a lot of misses here. I remember early on in our career, [former Ravens kicker Justin] Tucker had one to win the game, and that kind of ended our season. So, we were due to give them one back."
For the Ravens, the pain was palpable. Jackson told reporters, “I thought we had it in the bag. I don’t know what else we could do.” Loop himself admitted, per Jeff Zrebiec, that he knew it was a miss the second it left his foot. Long snapper Nick Moore reflected, saying the team needed to execute and has "nothing but faith" in Loop, despite the heartbreaking outcome.
In the Steelers’ jubilant locker room, the celebration was both raucous and reflective. Bass thumped through the walls, players passed out division champion shirts and hats, and the franchise toasted its 25th division title—its first since 2020. The night before, Heyward had delivered a passionate speech, urging his teammates to use the memory of last year’s playoff loss to Baltimore as fuel. "This is what we've all been waiting for," Heyward told his teammates. "Last year, the playoffs, going to Baltimore, we were really hurt by that. I remember me and T.J. just sitting in the training room, just kind of scratching our heads. To get out here this year and play the same team -- had some success in different ways -- but it was a team performance. There's not a guy in that locker room that didn't step up in a different way, and we needed everybody today."
Coach Tomlin’s leadership was a recurring theme in postgame comments. Tight end Pat Freiermuth said, "Coach T is the best coach I ever played for. And I think a lot of people in this locker room feel the same way. And he's one of one. We wouldn't be here without him. He instills belief. He instills confidence in us. And I'm just super grateful to be here with him." Despite entering the season as underdogs to win the division, the Steelers’ faith in their coach and quarterback paid off in the most dramatic fashion possible.
With the win, the Steelers improved to 10-7 and secured the No. 4 seed in the AFC playoffs. They’ll host the fifth-seeded Houston Texans next Monday night on ESPN, while the Ravens, finishing 8-9, are left to ponder what might have been after a season that ended one kick short of glory.
As the confetti settled and the echoes of celebration faded, one thing was clear: the Steelers are AFC North champions once again, and the road to the Super Bowl runs through Pittsburgh—at least for one more week.
