Steelers outlast Ravens in thriller to claim AFC North title, postseason berth

A missed field goal from 44 yards by Baltimore rookie Tyler Loop sends Pittsburgh to the postseason after the Steelers outlasted the Ravens in a 26-24 winner-take-all matchup.

Lamar Jackson threw for 238 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, and Pittsburgh's Aaron Rodgers threw for a touchdown and 294 yards.

Derrick Henry rushed for 126 yards, falling short of the yardage needed to claim the NFL's rushing title.

Baltimore's kicker pushed his kick from 44 yards wide right as time expired to secure Pittsburgh a 26-24 win and the AFC North title.

The Ravens will miss the postseason. The Steelers earn the final playoff spot in the AFC.

What a game.

Can the playoffs be this dramatic, please?

A 42-yard kickoff return put Baltimore only a few first downs away from getting into field-goal range for Tyler Loop, but with 21 seconds left, Baltimore faced a fourth-and-7 from midfield, with its playoff hopes riding on a conversion.

Lamar Jackson dropped back and found Isaiah Likely at the 22-yard line for a flat-out incredible catch under duress, with Jalen Ramsey in coverage.

The Ravens are in field-goal range for a game-winning kick.

Pittsburgh watched as Baltimore's Zay Flowers got wide open for a go-ahead touchdown and thought it could do the same. And so, on the very next drive, Pittsburgh's Calvin Austin III takes advantage of a slip by his man in coverage to allow the Steelers to lead, 26-24, with a minute left in regulation.

But! Kicker Thomas Boswell missed the point-after attempt, his first PAT miss since 2023, and it denies Pittsburgh a three-point lead.

It's Ravens 24, Steelers 20 after a back-and-forth slugfest that just saw Zay Flowers get behind the Steelers' defense wide open AGAIN.

A miscommunication with getting a play in to quarterback Aaron Rodgers — perhaps with his in-helmet communication system connected to the sideline — led Rodgers to call Pittsburgh's final timeout with 3:53 to play in the fourth quarter. But on the very next play, on third-and-goal, the Steelers rush in a touchdown with Kenneth Gainwell to lead, 20-17.

Drama in the fourth quarter.

The Steelers had Lamar Jackson in a straitjacket, nearly sacked by not one by two Pittsburgh defenders — but the two-time MVP escaped that rush, found Zay Flowers open downfield and threw an electric touchdown to give Baltimore a 17-13 lead with 8:42 to play.

Incredible.

A Ravens teammate violently ran into their punt returner, but they will take over with 10:52 left in the fourth quarter, trailing Pittsburgh, 13-10. Pittsburgh is now 6-of-13 on third down tonight, while Baltimore is 2-for-9.

Safety Kyle Hamilton (concussion) has been ruled out for the rest of this game after his helmet-to-helmet hit with teammate Alohi Gilman earlier in the third quarter. Hamilton is one of the most instinctual defensive backs in the entire NFL, and losing him is a significant loss for the Ravens.

Baltimore's running back came into this game needing 153 yards to surpass Buffalo's James Cook (1,621 rushing yards) as this season's NFL rushing king.

With two minutes still to play in the third quarter, Henry is up to 123 yards on the ground.

Pittsburgh turns its interception of Lamar Jackson into a quick three points after Thomas Boswell knocks in a 25-yard field goal with 4:28 left in the third quarter.

Pittsburgh 13, Baltimore 10.

Baltimore's attempt to answer Pittsburgh's game-tying touchdown went awry quickly. Lamar Jackson's pass was batted at the line of scrimmage and bounced into the hands of T.J. Watt, and the Steelers take over just 26 yards from the end zone.

With nine minutes to go in the third quarter, Pittsburgh found itself in eerily the same position as it was immediately before halftime — facing fourth down, only a few feet from the end zone, going for it with a run.

This time, with defensive lineman Cam Heyward pushing his brother from behind, the Steelers' shove-sneak worked on the conversion, with tight end Connor Heyward converting for the first down. One play later, Mike Tomlin called the same play and it worked yet again, with the tight end pushing in for a touchdown.

It's a 10-10 tie with the AFC North on the line.

Ninety seconds into the second half, Baltimore defensive backs Alohi Gilman and Kyle Hamilton were diving to defend an Aaron Rodgers pass when they hit, helmet-to-helmet.

Hamilton stayed down on the turf for an extended period, while Gilman was able to walk off.

Baltimore safety Alohi Gilman wasn't fooled by Pittsburgh's final play before halftime. With Pittsburgh's blockers moving to the right, a pitch was flipped to Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell, who was sprinting left, but he never found a lane anywhere near the end zone after two defenders were waiting for him, Gilman included.

Pittsburgh ends the half having run six more plans than Baltimore, yet the Steelers have gained 27 fewer yards. It's a big statement by Baltimore's defense.

A pass interference penalty on third-and-goal by Kyle Hamilton gave the Steelers a first-and-goal with two seconds left in the second quarter, but Kenneth Gainwell was stuffed on a toss, and Pittsburgh failed to convert. That is a game-changing play by the Ravens' defense, keeping the score 10-3 as opposed to 10-10.

It’s been a defensive slugfest.

Baltimore has more than tripled Pittsburgh in rushing yards (122 to 40), while the Steelers have doubled up in passing (98-43).

After being reluctant to run earlier in the half, Aaron Rodgers ran for 20 yards on third down to keep a late Steelers drive alive.

Instead of converting on third-and-9 on a 20-yard scramble by Lamar Jackson, a holding penalty brought the ball back to a third-and-17 scenario from which the Ravens could not recover. They punt for a third time in the first half.

Derrick Henry is up to 115 rushing yards on 12 carries.

Three plays and three Aaron Rodgers incompletions for the Steelers, who will punt for the second time tonight. Pittsburgh is averaging only 2.7 yards per play right now.

Baltimore's drives tonight, in order:

• 8 plays, 85 yards, touchdown (7-0 lead)
• 7 plays, 18 yards, punt
• 6 plays, 23 yards, field goal (10-0 lead)
• 3 plays, minus 4 yards, punt

Pittsburgh ball next.

Daniel Faalele, who has started at every game at right guard this season and played every snap for the Ravens, steps gingerly off the field in the second quarter after getting shaken up. It's a good sign for Baltimore that he didn't need assistance to get off the field.

He's replaced by Emery Jones Jr., a third-round selection and rookie playing his fifth game.

Aaron Rodgers had a lot of green grass in front of him on third down but opted not to run for it on third-and-6. That brought on Chris Boswell for a 57-yard field goal, and he drilled it.

The Ravens’ lead has been cut to 10-3.

The Ravens now lead 10-0 early in the second quarter after Tyler Loop's 40-yard kick ends a six-play drive that needed to travel only 23 yards following the defense's fourth-down stop. That short field in turn widens Baltimore's lead.

After a score on the game’s opening drive, the defenses have held serve since, with the Ravens even making a stop on fourth down.

Baltimore’s run game has been outstanding; the Ravens ran 13 times for 88 yards in the opening frame.

The Ravens' defense entered tonight ranked 20th in how often it allows opponents to convert on fourth down, but it came up strong on fourth-and-1 there to end Pittsburgh's drive in this first quarter.

After Kenneth Gainwell was tackled short on third down, the Steelers attempted their version of the Tush Push on fourth and short, but Pittsburgh tight end Connor Heyward was held short by a stout Ravens defense. Baltimore takes over.

On third and 6, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson couldn't avoid a blitz right up the middle that his running back couldn't stop in pass protection, and the 13-yard sack pushed back Baltimore so much it punted, keeping the score 7-0 for now.

Derrick Henry is up to 61 yards on eight carries but has largely been held in check since his 47-yard gain on the opening carry.

The Steelers were middling stopping the run this season, entering tonight’s game 13th in the NFL in opponent rush yards per game. With Lamar Jackson recovering from injury, Pittsburgh needs to find a way to corral Derrick Henry.

The Steelers picked up one first down via penalty, but their first possession stalled on the Baltimore 47, and Pittsburgh punted. Aaron Rodgers threw incomplete on third and 11, starting the game 2 of 4.

The Steelers quarterback isn't only vying to make his first playoff appearance since 2021, when he was still in Green Bay. Incentives in his contract with Pittsburgh include an extra $500,000 for a playoff berth and an extra $600,000 for a wild card-round victory.

Wow!

The Ravens went for it on fourth-and-3 from the Pittsburgh 38-yard line and Lamar Jackson found Devontez Walker streaking down the field for a touchdown. The Steelers brought heat on the play and paid the price.

Nice start for Jackson, who hasn’t played since Dec. 21. Baltimore leads 7-0.

Derrick Henry goes 47 yards on the first play up the right sideline, but the gain is shortened by an illegal block penalty by teammate Zay Flowers. NBC rules analyst Terry McAuley called it a "perfectly legal block" on the broadcast.

... And the final game of the regular season is underway. Will the Ravens or the Steelers make the playoffs?

Pittsburgh enters NBC's "Sunday Night Football" with a checkered history this season in prime-time games, with a 1-3 record. That includes going 0-2 previously on "Sunday Night Football."

Henry turns 32 today, and each of the previous two times he played a game on his birthday (in 2020 and 2025), he rushed for 138 yards or more.

Henry last week passed Hall of Fame back Tony Dorsett on the NFL's career rushing list. With 12,892 yards, Henry is 368 behind the next man on the list, Eric Dickerson (13,259).

Henry also now ranks fourth all time for most career touchdown runs, with 122, and with one more will tie Marcus Allen for the third-most.

The biggest trouble the Steelers have faced recently isn't making the postseason but winning in it.

If Pittsburgh wins today and advances to the playoffs, it will be searching for its first postseason win since Jan. 15, 2017. The Steelers have lost their last six playoff game since, including four by double digits.

Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick preview a "Sunday Night Football" duel between the Ravens and the Steelers on NBC and Peacock, debating how Lamar Jackson's health will affect the game and discussing why Pittsburgh should cover.

Just like during last season, the Ravens' defense struggled early this season before getting stingier as the weeks have passed.

In this season's first five games, Baltimore allowed a league-high 35.4 points per game; in its last 11, that average has been halved to 17.7 points. Forcing turnovers has changed the unit's season. After getting just two takeaways in their first five games, the Ravens have forced 18 in their last 11 games.

Matthew Berry, Jay Croucher and Connor Rogers talk about Lamar Jackson's announcing he will play on "Sunday Night Football" against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, debating whether he can lead Baltimore on a surprise Super Bowl run.

Aaron Rodgers has not been to the playoffs since the 2021 season. That year, Green Bay went 13-4 to win the NFC North and earn the No. 1 seed and a bye. It then lost 13-10 at home against the 49ers in the divisional round on a field goal as time expired. Rodgers threw for 225 yards with no TD passes in that loss.

Rodgers has multiple big-money incentives if Pittsburgh makes a playoff run this season. A postseason berth would net him $500,000, a wild-card win $600,000, a divisional win $750,000, an AFC championship game win $1 million and a Super Bowl win $1.5 million.

Two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson missed Baltimore’s Week 17 win at Green Bay with a back contusion — his fourth game missed because of injury this season (he also missed three games earlier this season with a hamstring injury). Jackson was a full participant in practice Wednesday, and the team announced he would return.

The Ravens are 2-2 without Jackson this season, losing both games with Cooper Rush as the starter (Week 5 vs. Houston, Week 6 vs. the L.A. Rams) and winning both games with Tyler Huntley as the starter (Week 8 vs. Chicago, Week 17 at Green Bay).

Jay Croucher and Connor Rogers share their favorite bets for Week 18, outlining why Derrick Henry is primed to go off against the Steelers on "Sunday Night Football" and the Bills will beat the Jets at Highmark Stadium.

After signing a one-year deal with Pittsburgh in June, Aaron Rodgers said he was “pretty sure” this would be the final season of his career. However, he did not close the door on continuing his career when speaking to the media last week.

“I’m 42 years old and I’m on a one-year deal, so you know what the situation is. Whenever the season ends, I’ll be a free agent, so that will give me a lot of options if I still want to play. ... But I’ve enjoyed this experience, and everybody in Pittsburgh has been fantastic to me on an off the field.”

Rodgers is in his 21st NFL season. He was a first-round pick by Green Bay in 2005 and spent the first 18 seasons of his career with the Packers (2005-22). He then spent two seasons with the Jets (2023-24) before signing with the Steelers. Rodgers was the oldest active player in the NFL for a majority of the season, until 44-year-old Philip Rivers came out of retirement to join the Colts in December.

Rodgers won the Super Bowl with the Packers in the 2010 season, beating Mike Tomlin’s Steelers (Rodgers was named Super Bowl MVP).

Tonight's meeting between Mike Tomlin (19th season with Pittsburgh) and John Harbaugh (18th with Baltimore) is their 40th as head coaches. Tomlin holds a 22-17 all-time edge.

Only one other coaching duo has played each other more times in NFL history: Curly Lambeau and George Halas (49).

"Seems like Baltimore is always a dance partner," Tomlin told reporters last week. "I certainly am respectful and appreciative of that relationship and some of the historic things we’ve been able to do when these two teams have come together. This appears to be one of those weekends."

The Steelers have not won the AFC North division title since the 2020 season, when they went 12-4 before losing at home against Cleveland in the wild card.

Pittsburgh has made the playoffs in four of the past five seasons (including each of the last two). The last time it missed the playoffs was in 2022, when it went 9-8 and lost the head-to-head tiebreaker against Miami for the seventh and final playoff spot in the AFC.

In his 19th season as Pittsburgh's coach, Tomlin can tie Chuck Noll today for the franchise record for career regular-season wins. Tomlin has 192, while Noll has 193.

Tomlin has never finished below .500, a 19-year streak that ties Bill Belichick's for the second-longest in NFL history. Tom Landry's 21 consecutive nonlosing seasons are the most by a head coach in NFL history.

In Week 17, the Ravens needed a win at Green Bay on Dec. 27 and a Steelers loss at Cleveland on the 28th to keep their playoff chances alive. With Lamar Jackson out with a back injury, Tyler Huntley stepped in at QB and Derrick Henry put up a monster performance (36 carries, 216 rushing yards, four touchdown runs) to lead Baltimore to a 41-24 win over the Packers.

The next day, the Steelers had a chance to clinch the division title and eliminate the Ravens from playoff contention with a win over the 3-12 Browns. However, Pittsburgh scored a season-low six points in a 13-6 loss at Cleveland, setting up a winner-take-all meeting against the Ravens on "Sunday Night Football" in Week 18.

The Ravens entered this season as co-favorites (with the Buffalo Bills) to win the Super Bowl (+600 per DraftKings). They must now beat the Steelers tonight to avoid missing the playoffs altogether.

Baltimore started this season 1-5 (tied for the worst start through six games in franchise history). It is looking to become the fifth team in NFL history to reach the playoffs after starting 1-5. The last to do so was Washington in 2020.

The winner of this game will clinch the AFC North division title, the No. 4 seed in the playoffs and a home game in the wild-card round.

The loser will miss the postseason. Pittsburgh would clinch the division with a tie. The Steelers won the first meeting this season, 27-22, at Baltimore in Week 14.