We haven’t seen the last of Aaron Rodgers just yet.
The Steelers have won the AFC North and clinched the conference’s No. 4 seed with a wild 26-24 victory over the Ravens to end the NFL’s 2025 regular season.
In a classic rivalry game between Pittsburgh and Baltimore, there were four lead changes in the fourth quarter as the two teams battled it out for the league’s final playoff spot.
It could have had a fifth. But on the game’s final snap, rookie kicker Tyler Loop missed his 44-yard field goal well wide right.
It was a wild end to what ended up as a wild game.
The Steelers were up 13-10 at the start of the fourth quarter and the defense had a chance to get off the field on third-and-4 when Alex Highsmith and Keeanu Benton had Lamar Jackson dead to rights in the backfield for a potential sack. But Jackson somehow evaded the pressure, stepped up, and fired a 50-yard touchdown pass to Zay Flowers to put Baltimore up 17-13.
Pittsburgh responded with a Kenneth Gainwell 2-yard touchdown to make the score 20-17 with 3:49 left. Followed by Zay Flowers’ 64-yard touchdown reception that put Baltimore back ahead 24-20 with 2:20 left. Though the Steelers had no timeouts, they were able to get into the end zone with Rodgers’ 26-yard touchdown deep down the left side to Calvin Austin.
But Chris Boswell missed his first extra point of the season, as it was blocked at the line of scrimmage and went wide to keep Pittsburgh ahead by just two points.
The Ravens seemed to have everything going for them as they started their final possession, as Keaton Mitchell started things off with a 41-yard kick return to the Baltimore 47. But an illegal formation penalty on left tackle Ronnie Stanley got the Ravens out of rhythm.
Pittsburgh forced a fourth-and-7 from the 50, which Baltimore converted with an outstanding 26-yard throw and catch to tight end Isaiah Likely, wetting the Ravens up at the Pittsburgh 24. Jackson centered the ball on the next play with Baltimore taking its final timeout with two seconds left.
But when Loop struck the ball for a game-winning, 44-yard field goal, the attempt went wide right — well wide right.
The Ravens hadn’t completed the comeback. Their season was over, with the Steelers moving on.
Rodgers finished the contest 31-of-47 for 294 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions.
Jackson was 11-of-18 for 238 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. He ran just four times for 9 yards.
Derrick Henry had 20 carries for 126 yards, but had just five attempts for 14 yards in the second half.
As the AFC North champion at 10-7, the No. 4 Steelers will host the No. 5 Texans next Monday night to conclude the wild card round.
The Ravens finish a disappointing season at 8-9, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
Lamar Jackson just went full Lamar Jackson.
The two-time MVP somehow avoided a sack from two Steelers defenders to throw a 50-yard touchdown, giving the Ravens a 17-13 fourth-quarter lead over the Steelers.
On third-and-4, Pittsburgh edge rusher Alex Highsmith came unblocked off the offense’s left and defensive tackle Keeanu Benton came through in the middle. But somehow, as the two met at Jackson, neither defender could hold on and bring him down.
Jackson stepped up, fired a deep pass to an open Flowers — who was being covered by Patrick Queen — and the receiver caught it for a go-ahead touchdown.
On the injury front, Ravens left guard Andrew Vorhees walked off the field gingerly early in the fourth quarter after being shaken up on a passing play. Emery Jones came in to play left guard after a brief appearance for tight guard Daniel Faalele earlier in the contest. Vorhees is officially questionable to return with a foot injury.
The Ravens will not have one of their best players for the rest of Sunday night’s game against the Steelers.
Safety Kyle Hamilton has been ruled out with a concussion.
Hamilton went down during the third quarter after a helmet-to-helmet collision with teammate Alohi Gilman.
Hamilton was first examined in the sideline medical tent before heading to the locker room for further evaluation on a cart.
Gilman was examined, too, but he was cleared.
In his fourth season, Hamilton entered Week 18 second on the club with 96 total tackles. He registered nine more tackles with one pass defensed on Sunday before his exit.
The Steelers lead 13-10 at the start of the fourth quarter.
Sometimes, odd things tend to happen for the Steelers when they’re playing at home.
Such was the case for T.J. Watt, who caught an interception off a deflected pass at the line of scrimmage in the third quarter to help give Pittsburgh the lead over Baltimore.
On third-and-10 from the Baltimore 34, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson had his pass tipped by Alex Highsmith at the line of scrimmage with Cameron Heyward also there to help break it up. The ball ricocheted back toward Jackson and ended up in the arms of Watt, who secured it and went down for a takeaway.
With the ball at the 26-yard line, the Steelers were able to get a first down but not a touchdown. Aaron Rodgers’ pass on third-and-2 from the Baltimore 7 fell incomplete to Pat Freiermuth in the end zone.
Chris Boswell hit a 25-yard field goal to give the Steelers a three-point lead with 4:28 left in the third quarter.
The Steelers have tied the game that will determine the AFC North winner with a long drive to start the second half.
Connor Heyward took in a 1-yard touchdown on a tush push-style sneak, with his brother Cameron Heyward coming onto the game to help score him into the end zone.
That run came immediately after the Steelers converted fourth-and-1 with the same play from Baltimore’s 2-yard line.
It capped a 12-play, 67-yard drive that took 6:37 off the clock.
But notably, the Ravens have an injury issue in their secondary.
Safeties Kyle Hamilton and Alohi Gilman collided early in the second half of Sunday’s matchup against the Steelers while defending a short pass to Calvin Austin. The two shared a friendly fire helmet-to-helmet hit.
Hamilton was down longer than Gilman, though both were able to walk off the field before. Gilman was first in the sideline medical tent, according to multiple reporters on the scene. Hamilton went into the tent second.
The team announced both Hamilton and Gilman are being evaluated for a concussion. But while Gilman was cleared and re-entered the game, Hamilton was shown on the NBC broadcast being taken back to the locker room on a cart.
If the game ends in a tie, the Steelers will win the division.
