Tom Brady threw 88 touchdown passes in the playoffs in his career, so many that there’s not even a close second. But there is a close race for second.
Currently, Patrick Mahomes has the second-most touchdown passes in the playoffs in NFL history, with 46. But Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers could move ahead of Mahomes on Monday night.
Rodgers has thrown 45 touchdown passes in the playoffs tied for third all-time with Joe Montana. If Rodgers throws one touchdown against the Texans he’ll tie Mahomes, and if he throws two he’ll move ahead of Mahomes. If the Steelers win and Rodgers’ playoff run continues, he has a chance to move well ahead of Mahomes on the all-time playoff touchdown list.
Given that Rodgers is 42 years old and Mahomes is 30, by the time they’re both retired Mahomes is likely to have far more playoff touchdown passes than Rodgers has. And Mahomes might even have a chance of threatening Brady’s record.
But this year, while Mahomes is at home recovering from knee surgery and Rodgers is in the playoffs, may be Rodgers’ chance to move ahead of Mahomes, and second only to Brady, on the career playoff touchdown pass list.
Steelers Clips
Their 40th meeting in 18 seasons ended up being the last. For now.
Regardless of where former Ravens coach John Harbaugh goes next, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin appreciates the significance of their relationship as adversaries.
“I just have so much respect for Harbs,” Tomlin told Rich Eisen on Wednesday. “Our stories will forever be interwoven. This rivalry that we’ve been fortunate and honored enough to be a part of, I’ve just got so much respect for him and how he’s gone about his business. And we’ve certainly had some legendary battles over the years.
“In terms of him being let go, unfortunately, I just think it’s a component of today’s sport culture. And so, you know, there’ve been many examples of that, and so it’s unfortunate. But I’m sure that he is going to move on and if he chooses to coach again, I’m sure he will, and I’m sure he’ll be very successful at doing so. But more than anything, I just think it’s a larger example of today’s sport culture in terms of not a lot of patience and the entertainment component of what it is that we do. There’s just not a lot of longevity. You know, I’m sure we all would like to be Don Shula and Tom Landry, but I think those days are gone.”
Although turnover has always been part of the coaching industry, the modern NFL sees roughly 25 percent of the head-coaching jobs become vacant every year. This time around, it’s seven — with possibly more to come.
One of those could be Tomlin. Not because he’ll be fired, but if he chooses to leave. There are indications he has a TV offer tucked in his back pocket, and that he’ll have to decide after the Steelers’ postseason run ends what he’ll do next.
If that happens, Harbaugh will surely hope to see Tomlin return. With Tomlin leading 23-17, Harbaugh will want to have more chances to close the gap.
With six vacancies (other than the Ravens) and seven teams calling former Ravens coach John Harbaugh after his dismissal on Tuesday, at least one team without a vacancy made the call.
So which team(s) called? (It’s possible that more than one team without an opening called, if at least one of the teams currently looking for a coach did not.)
Here’s a look at the possibilities. And don’t blame us for doing it; Harbaugh’s agent lit the fuse by disclosing that seven teams called.
Jets: By all appearances, first-year coach Aaron Glenn lost the locker room. The final five games, with a minus-137 point differential (27.4 per game), was arguably the worst stretch ever for a franchise with plenty of rough spots. Still, owner Woody Johnson has shown no inclination to fire Glenn — and to owe him more than $40 million to not coach the team.
Dolphins: Michigan man Stephen Ross once pursued Michigan man Jim Harbaugh while the Dolphins still had a coach under contract. Why wouldn’t Ross make the call about Harbaugh’s brother, given the currently tenuous status of Mike McDaniel?
Bills: What if the Bills lose this weekend? Is it crazy to think the Bills would consider making a change? That said, swapping out one coach who failed to get to the Super Bowl during the prime years of a generational talent for another coach who failed to get to the Super Bowl during the prime years of a generational talent seems odd.
Steelers: If the team thinks Mike Tomlin, who seems to have a TV offer in his back pocket, could be leaving after the playoff run ends, it needs to be thinking about the next coach. Why not Harbaugh?
Bengals: There’s no way Mike Brown will finance Zac Taylor’s buyout and pay whatever it would take to get Harbaugh.
Colts: Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon has said Shane Steichen will be back. Could she view Harbaugh as an upgrade who may not be available if a change is made in 2027?
Chiefs: Andy Reid will be back for 2026. The phone call (if it happened) may have been as simple as, “Keep us in mind if you’re thinking about taking a year off and returning in 2027.”
Cowboys: See the Chiefs.
Commanders: Dan Quinn’s team badly regressed in 2025. Why wouldn’t owner Josh Harris at least consider the possibility of an upgrade to Harbaugh?
Packers: New team president Ed Policy made it clear in June that it’s an up-or-out year for coach Matt LaFleur and G.M. Brian Gutekunst. Could Policy have wanted to let Harlan (the son of former Packers CEO Bob Harlan) know that there may be a reason to let the wild-card round play out before making any decisions?
Buccaneers: There’s a vague sense still lingering that ownership could make a coaching change. Harbaugh’s availability could be the thing that pushes the Bucs off the fence.
At least one of those teams made the call. Maybe more than one. And if one of those teams fires its head coach in the coming days, it could be the first step toward hiring John Harbaugh.
Steelers receiver DK Metcalf is back with the team, after serving a two-game suspension for initiating contact with a fan at Ford Field in Detroit.
Meeting with reporters, Metcalf repeatedly declined comment on the situation: “I can’t say anything about what happened,” Metcalf eventually said, “for the fifth time.”
Metcalf said he was surprised that his appeal of the suspension was denied, and he said he’s excited to be back with his team.
It was his first time talking about the situation; he declined to talk to reporters after the Week 16 win over the Lions during which the incident occurred.
Metcalf’s refusal to address the situation undoubtedly flows from legal advice he has received to say nothing about it. Anything he says can be used in the potential civil lawsuit to be filed by Lions fan Ryan Kennedy, for assault and/or defamation arising from the media campaign aimed at spreading the word that Kennedy provoked the incident with a racial slur.
The best news for Metcalf and the Steelers is that there was even a reason for him to meet with reporters on Monday. If Ravens kicker Tyler Loop’s 44-yard field goal hadn’t gotten wide, the Steelers wouldn’t be preparing for a Monday night wild-card game against the Texans.
But for a shanked 44-yard field goal, the DK Metcalf suspension would have tanked Pittsburgh’s playoff hopes.
Now, he’s officially back.
Metcalf’s two-game suspension has been lifted. He’s eligible to return to the team on Monday, and he’ll undoubtedly be in the starting lineup next Monday night, when the Steelers host the Texans.
His absence was evident in games against Cleveland and Baltimore. Always a threat whenever he’s on the field, his presence as the Steelers get close to the goal line stresses a defense, whether the ball is thrown his way or not.
The Steelers likely would have beaten the Browns if he’d played. The finale against the Ravens quite possibly wouldn’t have boiled down to a last-secon field-goal attempt if Metcalf had been available.
Regardless, he will be for the wild-card game against the Texans. And the Steelers should consider themselves fortunate.
Some within the league have questioned why Metcalf received only a two-game ban for assaulting a fan. Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw, by way of comparison, got two games for verbally accosting referee Brad Allen after a Week 7 win over the Giants. The Metcalf incident crosses a much different line. But for the fact that the punch he threw at Lions fan Ryan Kennedy missed the mark (and but for the fact that the jerking of Kennedy’s T-shirt didn’t cause him to tumble over the railing onto the ground below), the outcome could have been much worse, for eveyone.
Yes, Metcalf paid a price for largely unprecedented behavior. And the Steelers paid a price for failing to keep him from approaching the stands to accost Kennedy. Some stillthink it should have been worse.
None of that matters now. The Steelers will have him for the playoff run, however long it lasts. The team’s immediate goal will be to get the first postseason win since the 2016 season, ending the longest drought the Steelers have endured since they won their first ever playoff game on December 23, 1972, in the Immaculate Reception game.
The Steelers defense gave up a pair of long touchdown catches to Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers in the fourth quarter of Sunday night’s game and that meant quarterback Aaron Rodgers had to come up with a pair of answers for the team to have a shot at winning the AFC North.
Rodgers went 4-of-4 for 43 yards to set up a Kenneth Gainwell touchdown run with just under four minutes to play and then completed four more passes, including a 26-yard touchdown to wide receiver Calvin Austin to put the Steelers back in front with 55 seconds left to play. The Ravens would give themselves a chance to win the game, but the Steelers escaped with a 26-24 win after kicker Tyler Loop missed a field goal at the final whistle.
After the game was over, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that the final minutes illustrated why the Steelers opted to get into the Rodgers business in the first place.
“I’ve admired him from afar for a long time, good to do it with him,” Tomlin said in his press conference. “This was the vision in the spring when we pursued him. That’s why you do business with a 41, 42-year-old guy — a been-there, done-that guy with a resume like his. He’s not only capable; he thrives in it. I think he put that on display tonight.”
There was talk about Sunday night’s game being Rodgers’ final NFL contest if the Steelers lost. He’ll be playing at least one more at home against the Texans next weekend and there wasn’t much in the fourth quarter to suggest that the quarterback’s tank is empty.
It looked like a kicker would be wearing the goat horns at the end of Sunday night’s game between the Ravens and the Steelers, but it turned out to be Ravens rookie Tyler Loop instead of Steelers veteran Chris Boswell.
Boswell’s missed extra point with 55 seconds to play left the door open for the Ravens to win with a field goal and Lamar Jackson’s 26-yard pass to tight end Isaiah Likely on a fourth down with less than 20 seconds to play set up a game-winning field goal attempt for Loop. The rookie pushed it wide to the right, however, and the Steelers celebrated a 26-24 win that sent them to the playoffs as the AFC North champs.
After the game, Loop said he knew the kick would miss the moment he made contact.
“It was a great situation, exactly what we wanted, and unfortunately, I just mishit the ball,” Loop said, via the team’s website. “We call it hitting it thin. It spins fast and goes off to the right. The second it made contact with my foot, I felt it lower. We talk about hitting on the fourth lace of the shoe. It felt a little lower down the foot and hit it thin.”
Loop’s miss capped a wild fourth quarter and a disappointing season for a Ravens team that could point to a number of other missed opportunities that cost them a chance at the postseason long before Loop’s kick sailed wide. That didn’t soften the blow in the moment on Sunday night, but dealing with the root causes of an 8-9 season will take a lot more than lamenting a missed field goal at the final second of Week 18.
Home-field advantage might not mean much in the first round of the NFL playoffs.
Of the six games in the wild card round, the road teams are favored in four.
The biggest favorites are the Rams, who are 9.5-point favorites to beat the Panthers in Carolina. But that might be just fine with the Panthers: The Rams were previously 10-point favorites at Carolina in the regular season, but the Panthers won 31-28.
The Packers are 1.5-point favorites on the road in Chicago. It will be the third meeting of the two teams in the last six weeks after they played twice in December. The Bears beat the Packers 22-16 in overtime in Chicago in the regular season, while the Packers beat the Bears 28-21 in Green Bay.
The Bills are 1.5-point favorites against the Jaguars at Jacksonville. The Jaguars lost twice at home in the regular season.
The Eagles are 3.5-point favorites at home against the 49ers. The Eagles lost twice at home in the regular season.
The Patriots are 3.5-point favorites at home against the Chargers. The Patriots went 14-3 this season, but all three losses were at home.
The Texans are 3-point favorites on the road against the Steelers. The Steelers lost at home three times in the regular season.
If the betting lines are to be believed, only two division winners, the No. 2 seed Eagles and Patriots, will advance to the divisional round.
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, setting 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.
