Ravens-Steelers winner takes AFC North: ‘Going to be a slugfest’

Editor’s word: This story initially printed on Jan. 1, 2026.

Over at John Harbaugh’s home on Sunday, a few of the Baltimore Ravens gamers and members of the teaching workers gathered to cheer on the Cleveland Browns to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It grew to become essentially the most nervous three hours of the season for the Ravens, who sat helplessly realizing they wanted the Browns to upset the Steelers to maintain their postseason hopes alive. When Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers‘ fourth-and-goal move sailed incomplete to seal Cleveland’s unlikely 13-6 victory, the Ravens erupted in a celebration that Harbaugh described as “uncorked and raucous.” They jumped round. They hugged one another — so much.

All of this units up a historic — and a few may say inevitable — showdown in one of many NFL’s most heated rivalries: The Ravens and Steelers will battle for the AFC North crown Sunday evening within the ultimate regular-season recreation of the 2025 season. For Baltimore and Pittsburgh, this recreation is the fruits of two difficult seasons crammed with quarterback drama and questions in regards to the futures of the league’s most tenured coaches.

“I believe if you take a step again, particularly as a Ravens fan or within the group, you need to nod your head a bit bit and go, ‘Sure, that is in all probability the way in which it ought to be,'” Harbaugh mentioned.

For 3 many years, this feud has grow to be must-watch TV due to the brutal hits, the nail-biting margins of victory and the video games’ excessive stakes. This rivalry has outlined the cultures of each groups to the purpose that, in Baltimore, gamers repeatedly inform newcomers that “you are not a Raven till you beat the Steelers.”

When Baltimore performs at Pittsburgh on Sunday (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), it is going to mark the primary “winner-take-all” recreation within the ultimate week of the common season between the 2 groups and solely the second winner-take-all regular-season finale within the division for the reason that AFC North was shaped in 2002.

“The competitor in me is like, ‘Convey it on,'” Steelers defensive captain Cameron Heyward mentioned after the Week 17 loss to the Browns. “Baltimore’s coming in. Winner takes all. I’ve a number of respect for these guys over there, however let’s win it at house.”

It might additionally mark the top of an period for the dropping franchise with each coaches dealing with a surge of exterior criticism at the same time as every locker room publicly backs its leaders.

“These two guys are extraordinarily hardworking guys,” mentioned inside linebacker Patrick Queen, a first-round decide by the Ravens in 2020 earlier than being signed by the Steelers as a free agent in 2024. “They care about each single participant on their staff. Each single day they arrive in with the most effective mindset to have the ability to put together their staff for no matter challenges they face forward.”

The winner earns the AFC North title, the No. 4 seed in the AFC and a home game within the wild-card spherical. For the dropping staff, the season is over and actual choices about the way forward for the franchise start.

“That is going to be a slugfest,” mentioned CBS analyst Invoice Cowher, who coached the Steelers from 1992 to 2006. “And that is going to be a kind of video games the place it turns into very private. That is going to return to the previous Pittsburgh Steelers-Baltimore Ravens recreation. what? No hitting throughout the week as a result of we’ll go away all of it out on that subject.”

ESPN Ravens reporter Jamison Hensley and Steelers reporter Brooke Pryor check out every staff’s matchup with a deal with the quarterbacks, keys to every staff’s protection and the potential influence of this recreation’s end result on each head coaches.

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Season is on the road for Baltimore in Week 18

Jamison Hensley studies on the AFC North winner-take-all matchup between the Ravens and the Steelers in Week 18.

Ravens

Does it matter who’s the beginning QB for Baltimore?

It completely does, though the reply is not clear-cut. The Ravens are at their finest with a wholesome Lamar Jackson, however the two-time NFL Most Useful Participant hasn’t been at full power for a majority of this season due to hamstring, knee, ankle, toe and again accidents. However Jackson left no doubt when he said on Jan. 1 that he’ll play Sunday evening.

“Yeah, 100%,” Jackson replied Thursday when requested about his availability for the regular-season finale. “I will be on the market.”

Within the ultimate two weeks of the common season, Jackson is 8-0 with 18 landing passes and one interception.

However Jackson, 28, simply hasn’t seemed like himself since coming back from a hamstring damage that sidelined him for many of October. In his previous eight video games, he has thrown eight landing passes and 5 interceptions whereas averaging 21.7 yards dashing per recreation.

Prior to now two video games that Jackson has sat out, backup Tyler Huntley has led the Ravens to their two largest wins of the season, defeating a few playoff groups within the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. However Harbaugh has made it clear there is no such thing as a quarterback controversy, saying, “If Lamar’s able to go, he is enjoying. That is it, for positive.”

What is the largest concern with the Ravens’ protection?

Huge performs within the passing recreation. Baltimore has given up an NFL-worst 32 completions on passes of no less than 20 yards within the air this season, together with a season-high six throughout the 41-24 Week 17 win at Inexperienced Bay.

Harbaugh mentioned the difficulty was poor approach by the cornerbacks and a scarcity of communication among the many defensive backs. It was a stunning remark contemplating the Ravens’ secondary is loaded with 4 first-round picks: cornerbacks Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey and safeties Kyle Hamilton and Malaki Starks.

Within the season’s first assembly with Pittsburgh in Week 14, the Ravens’ move protection was an issue. Aaron Rodgers threw for a season-high 284 yards and stretched the sphere for one of many few instances this season. Three of Rodgers’ completions went to DK Metcalf for 28, 41 and 52 yards. With Metcalf suspended, the one Steelers participant with a number of catches on throws over 20 yards this season is tight finish Pat Freiermuth with two.

“I believe we have to play good however not play timid. I believe there is a advantageous line there,” Ravens security Kyle Hamilton mentioned. “Whoever loses the sport, it is their final recreation of the 12 months. So at any time when the end result, you do not wish to be sitting within the locker room saying you possibly can have finished extra.”

How does this recreation influence Harbaugh’s future with the Ravens?

That is in the end Ravens proprietor Steve Bisciotti’s name. It simply appears extra questions on Harbaugh’s job safety are coming from exterior the Ravens’ facility than inside. Harbaugh signed a three-year extension final offseason, which retains him below contract by 2028. The quantity of struggle that the Ravens confirmed in Saturday’s must-win recreation in Inexperienced Bay confirmed the gamers are nonetheless responding to Harbaugh, who’s in his 18th NFL season (tied with Denver’s Sean Payton for fourth-most tenured lively head coach).

“I really like Coach Harbaugh as a coach, and I additionally love him as a person so far as what he is been capable of preach to me when he is not even speaking about soccer, however talking about soccer. It has been nice,” Humphrey mentioned. “So having a frontrunner that, it doesn’t matter what’s occurring, staying constructive I believe has been big of what he is finished this 12 months. And even given the circumstances, now we have an opportunity to win all of it. And so I could not be extra grateful to have that man main us.”

This disappointing season — going from one of many preseason favorites to win the Super Bowl to a fringe playoff staff — has led to a rising degree of discontent. Harbaugh was booed whereas strolling off the sphere at a house recreation this season, and he has needed to continuously reply questions on his job safety.

Earlier this week, he was requested if Sunday’s recreation will function a “referendum” for Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and himself.

“There’s all the time strain, however I believe it was [tennis hall of famer] Billie Jean King who mentioned that strain is a privilege,” Harbaugh mentioned. “That is one thing that’s earned. So, we really feel prefer it’s one thing very worthwhile to be in video games like this. And if these are the issues which can be being talked about together with that, that is OK. That is a privilege, too.”

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T.J. Watt set to return from punctured lung in Week 18

Brooke Pryor discusses T.J. Watt’s return forward of the Steelers’ pivotal Week 18 matchup towards the Ravens.

Steelers

How can the Steelers and Rodgers higher take up Metcalf’s absence?

The Steelers’ offense used Metcalf to set the tone from their very first snap of their 27-22 Week 14 win towards the Ravens as Rodgers hit veteran receiver on a go route down the precise sideline for a 52-yard completion. That was only the start of Metcalf’s seven-catch, 12-target, 148-yard afternoon, marking his finest output for the reason that Steelers acquired him in a March blockbuster commerce. The remainder of the Steelers’ large receivers — Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Adam Thielen, Scotty Miller — accounted for 48 yards on three catches in 5 targets.

Although the Steelers are on observe to get Calvin Austin III (hamstring) again after he sat out the Browns recreation, shifting targets to working backs Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell might have an even bigger influence on the passing recreation.

Gainwell, who leads the Steelers in targets this season, spent a number of the Browns recreation giving Rodgers additional safety towards Myles Garrett. However the Ravens’ move rush is not as formidable. Gainwell had six catches on seven targets for 29 yards within the first assembly with the Ravens, whereas Warren had three catches on three targets for 49 yards and a landing.

And it is not solely Metcalf’s absence the Steelers have to soak up. They’re going to even be with out tight finish Darnell Washington, who fractured his forearm towards the Browns and was placed on injured reserve after present process surgical procedure Tuesday. Washington is an irreplaceable goal along with his huge 6-foot-7 and greater than 300-pound body, however tight finish Pat Freiermuth might be an excellent candidate to have an expanded position as an in-line blocker.

The Ravens have the league’s fourth-worst passing protection, giving up a median of 245.3 passing yards to opponents. And over the previous three weeks, they’ve been the second-worst passing protection (285.3) after the New York Jets (314.3).

How has Pittsburgh’s protection modified since their Week 14 win?

Since giving up 217 dashing yards to the Ravens — together with 94 to Derrick Henry — the Steelers have not allowed an opponent to publish 100 dashing yards. Prior to now three weeks, the Steelers have held opponents to a league-best 52 dashing yards per recreation. Maybe much more outstanding, they did it with out edge rusher T.J. Watt, who could return this week after a three-game absence from {a partially} punctured lung.

A key a part of that equation is the return of rookie defensive sort out Derrick Harmon. When Harmon performs, the Steelers maintain opponents to a median of 80 fewer dashing yards per recreation.

Harmon returned from his second knee damage of the season towards Detroit and helped the Steelers’ protection maintain Jahmyr Gibbs to 2 yards on seven carries. Although the Steelers misplaced to the Browns, the run protection stood tall and held the Browns to three.1 yards per carry.

“Possibly it is simply Derek Harmon,” Tomlin mentioned with a sly grin when requested about the important thing to the Steelers’ defensive turnaround.

The fact is that whereas Harmon has been a lift to the run recreation, contributions throughout the board from Queen, Heyward, Malik Harrison, Nick Herbig and Alex Highsmith have elevated this unit to being a defensive power after it was a major weak spot early within the season.

“I believe we all the time had confidence,” Queen mentioned of the run protection. “A few weeks in the past, I [talked about] the distinction between confidence and momentum. I believe the arrogance was all the time there. I believe we simply have not put a string of excellent video games collectively doing that, and recently, now we have.

“You may sort of see the momentum attempting to take over, and everyone’s feeling it. … Confidence is you simply realizing that you possibly can do it, however momentum is you doing it, after which constructing off of it. And I really feel like that is what we have been doing.”

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Might Ravens-Steelers loser transfer on from its coach?

Adam Schefter seems into the pivotal matchup between the Ravens and Steelers and if a loss may be the top for John Harbaugh or Mike Tomlin.

Is Tomlin teaching for his job?

Not based on his contract or franchise precedent — or to the gamers within the locker room.

“I believe a number of the criticism is sort of unworthy, as a result of a number of instances it is on the gamers’ shoulders, the outcomes of video games,” Queen mentioned. “Typically it might be coaching-related, however for essentially the most half, we go on the market and carry out and if protection is letting the offense rating a complete bunch or the offense turning the ball over and stuff, I do not suppose that actually depends on coaches as a lot.”

But, it feels as if the Steelers and Tomlin enter this AFC North rivalry recreation at a crossroads, and the end result will go a protracted technique to figuring out their path ahead.

Tomlin, 53, has two years left on his contract: 2026 and a membership possibility for 2027 set to be decided by March 1. The Steelers have additionally had solely three head coaches since 1969. However the exterior frustration is mounting.

5 weeks in the past, followers chanted “Fireplace Tomlin” because the Steelers trailed the Buffalo Bills within the third quarter. And when the stadium DJ queued up Styx’s rendition of “Renegade” in a last-ditch try to get the gang at Acrisure Stadium into the sport, the gang responded with loud boos.

That outpouring of fan unhappiness was undoubtedly one of many lowest factors of the season — till the Week 17 loss to the Browns.

Within the month between losses, the Steelers put collectively a three-game win streak as Tomlin clinched his nineteenth consecutive non-losing season and his two hundredth profession NFL win. He blew kisses to the gang in Baltimore and thumped his chest in Detroit. And towards the Miami Dolphins, he clinched his twenty second consecutive house Monday evening win in dominant style because the run protection held vaunted working again De’Von Achane to 60 yards.

Even so, embers of fan frustration nonetheless smoldered below Tomlin’s seat. And by popping out flat towards the hapless Browns and squandering a chance to clinch the AFC North every week early, the Steelers breathed life again into fan discontent and reignited the fireplace.