Steelers Win AFC North in Insane Win Over Ravens

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Baltimore Ravens 26-24 in the first "win or go home" game in AFC North History.

The Steelers kicked off and Ravens' returner Keaton Mitchell returned it. A holding penalty was called, and the Ravens began on their 15 yard line.

On the first play of the game, Ravens running back Derrick Henry drove down the field for 41 yards. A 15-yard penalty for a blindside block was called on wide receiver Zay Flowers, and defensive stalwart Cam Heyward was tripped and struggled to get up.

After the Ravens gained multiple sets of downs on the Steelers side of the field, a tackle by linebacker Malik Harrison forced a fourth down and 3, which the Ravens converted for a 38-yard touchdown from quarterback Lamar Jackson to rookie wideout Devontez Walker.

Steelers running back Jaylen Warren drew an early face mask, and the Steelers jumped out to near the 50-yard line early on. Just past the 50-yard line, the Steelers found themselves at 3rd and 11. A deep ball to Calvin Austin was not completed, and Ravens' defensive back Nate Wiggins was slow to get up after the fact.

The Steelers forced a deep third down, but a roughing penalty on nose tackle Yahya Black gave the Ravens more life. A sack by Nick Herbig would turn the momentum towards the Steelers, who would receive the ball back down 7-0.

Steelers Offensive Woes Begin

With the Steelers taking over on offense, they went for it on fourth down from their own 45 yard line, and Cam Heyward unsuccessfully pushed his tight end brother Connor. He was unable to reach the line to gain, and the Ravens took over with good field position.

Henry gained four yards, then fourteen yards, and the Ravens were just outside the redzone quite quickly. At the end of the first quarter, the Ravens led by 7 and were on their way to making the deficit a bit more insurmountable for the Steelers. A 40-yard field goal by Tyler Loop as the second quarter kicked off made it a 10-0 lead for the Ravens.

The ensuing drive for the Steelers was highlighted by the running backs. Kenneth Gainwell kept the drive alive on a 12 yard catch before Warren did so with a 17-yard catch on the following play. A pass from Rodgers was well over the head of tight end Jonnu Smith, then he froze on a scramble which set up a 57-yard field goal that Boswell drained to make it a 10-3 game.

A tough defensive stand by the Steelers caused a Ravens punt, and Austin returned it for a short gain to set up the offense. Three straight passes from Rodgers went awry, and Corliss Waitman came out to punt.

Henry opened the Ravens' drive with a 20 yard rush. They moved down the field but were stopped at the 42 yard line, where they punted. The Steelers moved down the field quite easily, and with 15 seconds remaining the Steelers found themselves inside the redzone. On third down, Rodgers threw the ball towards the back of the endzone, and defensive pass interference was called with two seconds remaining. A trick play to Gainwell led to Alohi Gilman stopping him short, and the Steelers entered the half down 7.

Jan 4, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell (14) rushes the ball against Baltimore Ravens safety Alohi Gilman (12) during the first half at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

The Steelers began with the ball in the second half, and moved their way down to the redzone. Rodgers found Freiermuth on the way for a medium gain. Then, the Steelers found themselves a couple yards short of the end zone on fourth and one. They went for a shove with Heyward, who got the new set of downs. They then ran the same play again, and the Steelers got their first touchdown to make it 10-10 after a Boswell extra point.

Momentum Shift Towards The Black And Gold

The tide would once again turn in the Steelers favor, as two straight plays for zero yards led to a Heyward deflection into a T.J. Watt interception in his first game this month following his lung injury. The Steelers took over from the Ravens 26.

Warren gained 9 yards on the first play of the drive, then two yards on the following play. The next two plays were also a rush by Warren, who gained 8 in the next two plays. An incomplete pass on third down presented a tough decision to make, and the Steelers opted to kick a field goal. Boswell's 25 yard field goal was successful, and the Steelers took a 13-10 lead.

The Steelers would force a Ravens punt on the next drive, and then Rodgers moved the ball down the field with a pass to Marquez Valdes-Scantling before being sacked on third down. Waitman punted, and the Ravens took over from the 29.

Jackson found wide receiver Zay Flowers for a 15 yard gain, then on third down Jackson evaded two Steelers in pursuit and threw the ball 50 yards through the air to find Flowers again for a touchdown. The Ravens took a 17-13 lead with 8:42 to play following a Tyler Loop extra point.

A tough run by Warren following a kick out of bound by Loop had the Steelers at the Ravens 38 less than a minute after the touchdown. After a couple small plays saw the Steelers stuck at third and eight, Rodgers found Freiermuth for a 31 yard pass to give the Steelers more downs, those at the five yard line.

A Warren rush gained a yard, and a Jonnu Smith catch gained another two. After the Steelers used all their timeouts due to a malfunction in the helmet communications system, Gainwell rushed into the end zone to take a 3 point read with 3:49 to play.

On third and one, Jackson found Flowers wide open in the middle of the field, and Flowers took it all the way to the end zone for a 64-yard touchdown. The Ravens took a 24-20 lead with 2:30 to play.

Rodgers immediately hit wideout Calvin Austin III for a gain that took the team to the 50. He then found Thielen for a gain of 8 yards, then Gainwell for 15. Rodgers first incomplete pass of the drive came with 1:08 to play, and the Steelers had second and ten from the 26 with just over a minute to play. Rodgers threw incomplete again, bringing up a third and ten.

On that down, Rodgers found Austin for a 26 yard touchdown, giving the Steelers a 26-24 lead. Then, Boswell missed his first extra point of his season and his second in four years to keep it a two-score game.

Mitchell made the Steelers pay for that mistake, as he returned the kickoff to the 48 yard line. A Walker catch moved the ball further, then a Ronnie Stanley illegal formation took time off the clock. An incomplete pass by Jackson made it third and seven with 31 seconds remaining from the 50 yard line. On third down, Jackson drained 10 seconds evading Steelers defenders, and he threw it out of bounds. On fourth and seven, Jackson found Isaiah Likely for 28 yards.

Jackson kneeled the ball out to center the ball, and Tyler Loop missed the game-winning field goal as time expired.

The Steelers won 26-24, and will take on the Houston Texans next Monday at 8PM.

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