The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens delivered another unforgettable chapter in their storied rivalry on Sunday night, battling down to the wire at Acrisure Stadium with the AFC North division title on the line. In a game that swung wildly in the fourth quarter, it was the Steelers who emerged victorious, 26-24, after rookie Ravens kicker Tyler Loop missed a 44-yard field goal as time expired. The result clinched the division for Pittsburgh, sending them to a 10-7 finish and a home playoff date with the Houston Texans, while Baltimore’s season came to a heartbreaking halt at 8-9.
From the opening whistle, both teams played with the urgency befitting a winner-takes-all clash. The Ravens wasted no time, striking first on their inaugural drive. Quarterback Lamar Jackson found Devontez Walker for a 38-yard touchdown, capping a possession that showcased Baltimore’s offensive firepower and putting them up 7-0 just four minutes into the game. The Ravens extended their advantage early in the second quarter when Loop, who had been reliable all season, nailed a 40-yard field goal to make it 10-0.
But the Steelers, led by veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers, refused to go quietly. Chris Boswell responded with a booming 57-yard field goal, cutting the deficit to 10-3. As halftime approached, the Ravens’ defense made a critical stand, stuffing the Steelers at the one-yard line to preserve their seven-point lead going into the locker room. It was a defensive statement, but the second half would tell a different story.
Pittsburgh opened the third quarter with a methodical drive, capped by a one-yard rushing touchdown from Connor Heyward to tie the game at 10. The Steelers’ defense then took center stage, as T.J. Watt, making his return from injury, intercepted Jackson on Baltimore’s next possession. The turnover set up another Boswell field goal, giving Pittsburgh its first lead of the night at 13-10 with 4:31 left in the third quarter.
The Ravens, however, were far from finished. Early in the fourth quarter, Jackson showed off his trademark escapability, buying time before unleashing a 50-yard touchdown pass to Zay Flowers. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Jackson’s time to throw on the play was a season-long 5.37 seconds, as he eluded Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith before finding Flowers deep. That score put Baltimore back on top, 17-13, and gave Flowers his first go-ahead touchdown since Week 14 of the previous season—a remarkable resurgence after a lengthy scoring drought.
The back-and-forth drama only intensified in the final minutes. Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell, who was voted team MVP just days earlier, powered in from two yards out with 3:49 remaining, giving Pittsburgh a 20-17 edge. The play came after a chaotic sequence in which Rodgers had to switch helmets due to a communication malfunction, burning the team’s final timeout. Gainwell, who led the Steelers in both targets and receptions, continued to prove his worth as a dual-threat weapon, a role he embraced after signing a one-year free agent deal in the offseason.
Baltimore answered right back. Jackson, under heavy pressure, launched a 64-yard bomb to Flowers, who slipped behind the Steelers’ secondary for his second long touchdown of the quarter. The Ravens reclaimed the lead, 24-20, with just over two minutes to play, setting the stage for a frantic finish.
Rodgers, seeking redemption after a rough outing the previous week, engineered a clutch drive. He completed 31-of-47 passes for 294 yards on the night, and with less than a minute left, found Calvin Austin III for a 26-yard touchdown. Boswell, typically automatic, missed the ensuing extra point—his first such miss in over two seasons—leaving the door open for Baltimore at 26-24.
With the season on the line, Jackson and the Ravens mounted one final push. Derrick Henry, who had rushed for 112 yards in the first half—his second consecutive game with over 100 first-half yards—helped move Baltimore into Steelers territory. Facing fourth-and-seven, Jackson connected with tight end Isaiah Likely on a gutsy throw, converting and setting up Loop for a potential game-winner with 14 seconds left. The rookie, who had converted 90% of his field goals all season, lined up for the 44-yarder as time expired. The kick sailed wide right, and the Steelers’ sideline erupted in celebration.
"We did all that to come up short. [It's] devastating. [I am] furious. [I am feeling] all types of [emotions]. I don't know, I'm everywhere with it right now," Jackson said in the locker room, as reported by ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. The loss not only ended Baltimore’s playoff hopes but also raised questions about the futures of head coach John Harbaugh and Jackson himself. Harbaugh’s job security has come under scrutiny after the Ravens, once considered preseason Super Bowl favorites, missed the postseason for the first time since 2021. It marked just the third losing season in Harbaugh’s 18-year tenure, while Jackson’s contract situation looms large with a $74.5 million salary cap hit on the horizon.
On the Pittsburgh side, the mood was one of relief and gratitude. Defensive captain Cameron Heyward summed up the razor-thin margin between victory and defeat: "I'm not going to ask questions. The good Lord made a good decision tonight. I'm thankful and we keep moving on," Heyward told reporters. Gainwell, reflecting on his breakout campaign, expressed a desire to return: "This experience has been amazing to me. It's definitely something that I would love to experience again, but obviously the free agency thing, it's different, but this is actually something that I would love to come back to and be a part of."
For the Ravens, the offseason will be filled with tough decisions and soul-searching. Their campaign, which began with high expectations and flashes of brilliance—like Henry’s historic first-half rushing performances and Flowers’ late-season surge—ultimately ended with a gut-wrenching loss. The Steelers, meanwhile, move on to host the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round on Monday, January 12, a matchup that will be broadcast on ESPN and ABC. Rodgers’ future in Pittsburgh remains uncertain, but for now, the focus is on the postseason and the chance to build on an improbable division title run.
As the dust settles on a classic Ravens-Steelers showdown, one thing is clear: this rivalry, and the drama it delivers, remains one of the NFL’s best. Pittsburgh marches on, while Baltimore is left to ponder what might have been.
