The air at Acrisure Stadium was freezing, roughly -4°C, but the atmosphere was absolute electric. We just witnessed one of those classic AFC North slugfests that reminds you why this is the best rivalry in football. Honestly, if you just looked at the final Ravens vs Steelers box score and saw 26-24, you’d think it was a standard close game. You’d be wrong. It was a chaotic, legacy-defining mess of a night that ended with the Pittsburgh Steelers clinching the division title and sending the Baltimore Ravens home for the winter.
It’s wild how one kick can change an entire city's mood.
When Tyler Loop stepped up for that 44-yard field goal as time expired, the stadium went silent. Then, the ball pushed wide right. Absolute bedlam. The Ravens finish the year at 8-9, missing the dance for the first time since 2021. Meanwhile, the 10-7 Steelers are moving on to host the Texans.
Breaking Down the Ravens vs Steelers Box Score
If you’re a stat nerd, the numbers here are kinda confusing. Usually, if Lamar Jackson throws three touchdowns and Derrick Henry rumbles for over 120 yards, the Ravens win. Not this time. Pittsburgh dominated the clock, holding the ball for over 34 minutes compared to Baltimore’s 25. That was the secret sauce. Aaron Rodgers, at 42 years old, didn't need to be flashy—he just needed to be efficient, and he was, dinking and dunking his way to nearly 300 yards.
The Passing Game
Lamar Jackson was basically playing backyard football out there. He only completed 11 passes the entire night, but man, did they count. He finished 11-of-18 for 238 yards, three scores, and one costly interception to T.J. Watt. It felt like every time the Ravens needed a play, Lamar was escaping three guys and chucking it deep.
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On the other side, Aaron Rodgers was the definition of "death by a thousand cuts." He went 31-of-47 for 294 yards and one touchdown. He didn't turn the ball over once. While Lamar was going for the home run, Rodgers was hitting the singles and doubles that kept the chains moving.
Rushing and Receiving Leaders
Derrick Henry is still a freight train. He hit the 13,000 career rushing yards milestone during this game, finishing with 126 yards on 20 carries. He was dominant in the first half, but Pittsburgh’s front seven really tightened up when it mattered.
Zay Flowers was the clear MVP for Baltimore’s offense. Four catches, 138 yards, and two touchdowns. Those two scores in the fourth quarter were insane—one for 50 yards and another for 64. For a few minutes there, it looked like he’d single-handedly won the AFC North for the Ravens.
Pittsburgh spread the love a lot more. Kenneth Gainwell was a workhorse in the short game, catching 8 passes for 64 yards and adding a rushing touchdown. Jaylen Warren chipped in 66 yards on the ground. It wasn't pretty, but it was effective.
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The Drama: A Fourth Quarter for the History Books
The score was 13-10 Steelers entering the final frame. Then things got weird.
Baltimore scored to take a 17-13 lead. Pittsburgh answered back with a Gainwell run to make it 20-17. Then Lamar found Flowers again for that 64-yard bomb. 24-20 Ravens. The stadium felt like it was sinking.
But with 55 seconds left, Rodgers found Calvin Austin III on a stutter-and-go route for a 26-yard touchdown. The extra point from Chris Boswell was actually blocked, which felt like a massive omen. That block meant a field goal would win it for Baltimore.
Lamar got them down there. He hit Isaiah Likely for 26 yards to get into range. They took a knee to center the ball for Tyler Loop. 44 yards. A kick he's made a thousand times in practice.
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Wide right.
Defensive Impact and Grit
You can't talk about this game without mentioning T.J. Watt. That interception he snagged off a deflected pass was the turning point that allowed the Steelers to climb back from a 10-0 deficit. Pittsburgh finished with 3 sacks, with Alex Highsmith and Tavante Robinson getting home.
Baltimore’s defense played well for stretches, but they looked gassed by the end. Giving up 24 first downs is a lot. They were also flagged 9 times for 78 yards, including some brutal holding calls that wiped out big gains. Discipline killed them.
Key Takeaways from the Matchup
- Time of Possession is King: Pittsburgh ran 73 plays to Baltimore’s 48. You can’t win many games when the other team has the ball for almost 10 minutes longer than you.
- The Rodgers Factor: Having a veteran who doesn't panic in the two-minute drill is why Pittsburgh won. He was 31-of-47. That’s a lot of completions for a guy his age in the cold.
- Ravens' Missed Opportunities: Between the missed field goal, a kickoff out of bounds, and the blocked extra point that they couldn't capitalize on, the Ravens left too many points on the field.
Looking ahead, the Steelers have a date with the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round. They’ve lost six straight playoff games, a streak going back to 2016, so the pressure is on Mike Tomlin to finally get over the hump. For the Ravens, it's an offseason of "what ifs." They have the talent, but the consistency just wasn't there when the division was on the line.
Actionable Next Steps:
Keep an eye on the injury report for the Steelers heading into the Wild Card round, especially regarding the offensive line's health after a high-volume game. If you're a Ravens fan, the focus shifts immediately to the draft—specifically looking for secondary depth, as the stutter-and-go that beat them in the final minute exposed some serious speed concerns on the outside.