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The Baltimore Ravens have finally slayed the dragon, defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers 34-17 on Saturday afternoon. Pittsburgh had won eight of the past nine games in this storied rivalry, but Baltimore finally gets one back on its arch enemy.
In doing so, the Ravens clinched a playoff berth for the third season in a row, and their sixth in the past seven seasons. They were already a virtual lock to make it to the postseason, but it's good to officially lock up a spot.
Clinchmas came early pic.twitter.com/NwZT9M1h39
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 22, 2024
It's been a bumpier road to the playoffs than last season, when the Ravens cruised through the regular season en route to a 13-4 record and earned the top seed in the AFC. Still, they navigated the peaks and valleys throughout the season, and now they've earned their ticket to the dance.
Currently, the Ravens occupy the No. 5 seed in the AFC, which would pit them against the No. 4 seed and AFC South champion Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round. Of Course, the final two weeks of the season could change the seeding substantially.
As for the AFC North, the Ravens still face long odds to repeat as division champions. While they've forced a tie atop the division, with both them and the Steelers sitting at 10-5, they still need a bit of help to take the crown. Essentially, the Ravens must either finish with a better record than the Pittsburgh (obviously), or defeat the Cleveland Browns and have the Cincinnati Bengals defeat the Steelers in Week 18, which would give them the tiebreaker thanks to a better divisional record.
With their postseason spot locked up, the Ravens have yet another short week ahead of them as they travel to face the Texans on Christmas Day.
More must-reads:
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- Trey Lance makes strong first impression with Chargers in Hall of Fame Game
- The '2024-25 NFL TD catch leaders' quiz
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One player from each AFC team who deserves Hall of Fame call
Let the (preseason) games begin. With the Detroit Lions-Los Angeles Chargers Pro Football Hall of Fame Game kicking off 2025 action, Yardbarker NFL writers mulled a player — past or present — on each AFC team who merits enshrinement in Canton. AFC East BUFFALO BILLS | LB Von Miller | As the NFL’s active leader in sacks (129.5), Miller — who's now with the Commanders — is a sure bet for the Hall of Fame even though he missed 14 games in three years with Buffalo. In 10 seasons with Denver, Miller earned a Defensive Rookie of the Year award, made eight Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams and was named MVP of Super Bowl 50, the last defensive player to win the award. MIAMI DOLPHINS | WR Tyreek Hill | His subpar 2024 season aside (81 catches, 959 yards, six TD catches), the 31-year-old receiver boasts a Hall of Fame resume (eight Pro Bowls and five first-team All-Pro nods in nine years). Hill led NFL receivers with 1,799 yards in 2023 and has six 1,000-yard seasons in his career, two fewer than Cris Carter, who spent the last five games of his Hall of Fame career with Miami. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS | Kicker Adam Vinatieri | The NFL’s all-time leading scorer (2,673 points) narrowly missed induction as a finalist in 2025, his first year of eligibility, and will be an automatic finalist in 2026. Vinatieri, who retired in 2021, holds records for most field goals made in the regular season (599) and playoffs (56) and helped the Patriots win three Super Bowls before winning another with the Colts in 2007. NEW YORK JETS | QB Aaron Rodgers | The enigmatic passer disappointed as a Jet, but four first-team All-Pro honors, four NFL MVP awards and a Super Bowl MVP with the Green Bay Packers can’t be overlooked. Rodgers’ 62,952 passing yards are the seventh most in league history, and his 4.34 touchdown-to-interception ratio is the best of any quarterback, past or present. — Bruce Ewing AFC West DENVER BRONCOS | WR Rod Smith | Smith played a key role when the Broncos repeated as Super Bowl champions in the 1997 and 1998 seasons. The three-time Pro Bowler had 152 receiving yards in a 34-19 Super Bowl XXXIII win over the Atlanta Falcons, tied for the sixth most in a Super Bowl. The undrafted WR starred for Denver from 1995-2006, becoming the club’s career leader in receiving yards (11,389). KANSAS CITY CHIEFS | QB Patrick Mahomes | Star tight end Travis Kelce would be an excellent pick, too, but the Chiefs had won only one Super Bowl before Mahomes became the starter during the 2018 season. The 2017 first-round pick has won three Super Bowls and two MVPs in eight seasons with the Chiefs. Expect Mahomes, who turns 30 on Sept. 17, to keep bolstering his stellar resume. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS | QB Philip Rivers | Rivers, who retired as a Charger in July, never reached a Super Bowl during his career, but neither did former Chargers QB Dan Fouts. That didn’t prevent him from making the HOF in 1993. The same should go for eight-time Pro Bowler Rivers, who ranks sixth in career TD passes (421). LAS VEGAS RAIDERS | Guard Steve Wisniewski | It’s surprising Wisniewski isn’t in Canton already. Per Pro Football Reference, his HOF monitor score (76.58) is higher than that of HOF guard Mike Munchak (72.7). The former O-lineman is also a member of the HOF’s All-1990s team. — Clark Dalton AFC North BALTIMORE RAVENS | LB Terrell Suggs | Suggs, who played from 2003-19, and former Ravens guard Marshal Yanda were finalists for the 2025 class but missed out. Suggs was one of the more dominant pass-rushers of his era, accumulating 139 career sacks, earning seven Pro Bowl nods, one first-team All-Pro, a Defensive Player of the Year award and an NFL-record 202 tackles for loss. He was a key part of two Super Bowl winners. CINCINNATI BENGALS | QB Ken Anderson | The Bengals did not win a Super Bowl during Anderson’s career (1971-86), but that is pretty much the only thing separating him from other Hall of Fame quarterbacks, especially from his era in the 1970s. Anderson has an NFL MVP award and led the league in passing twice, completion percentage three times and passer rating four times. CLEVELAND BROWNS | Edge Myles Garrett | Garrett is still active, but it’s not hard to see the path his career is on. He has been the more dominant pass-rusher in the league from pretty much the day he arrived. He may not win a title in Cleveland, but he is going to finish as one of the best Browns players of all time and one of the best defenders of the modern era in the NFL. PITTSBURGH STEELERS | QB Ben Roethlisberger | Roethlisberger, who retired in 2022, does not have many individual accolades, but spending nearly two decades as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL and earning two Super Bowl rings will be more than enough to get him in. It is just a matter of how long he might have to wait for induction. — Adam Gretz AFC South HOUSTON TEXANS | DE J.J. Watt | Widely considered to be a first-ballot lock, Watt — who retired following the 2022 season — will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2028. His career could have been even better if not for several seasons being shortened by injury, but Watt is one of only three players to win three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards. Few players were capable of changing the game the way a healthy Watt could. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS | Kicker Adam Vinatieri | The three-time Pro Bowl selection made 29 game-winning kicks in his career, including two that won Super Bowls for the Patriots. Vinatieri has four Super Bowl rings and could be considered the most clutch kicker of all time. There are four kickers in the Hall of Fame, and it is almost impossible to argue against Vinatieri becoming the fifth. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS | RB Fred Taylor | The wait continued in 2025 for Taylor, a Hall of Fame finalist for the second straight year, but he did not get the nod. Taylor, who retired in 2011, ranks 17th in NFL history with 11,695 rushing yards and holds numerous Jaguars records. The only running back ahead of him on the all-time rushing list who is not in the Hall of Fame is Frank Gore, and he is likely to get into Canton eventually. TENNESSEE TITANS | RB Derrick Henry | Titans legends Eddie George and Steve McNair advanced in the Hall of Fame voting process for 2025, but there is a good chance neither will get into Canton. Henry, meanwhile, is already 19th on the NFL’s all-time rushing list with 11,423 yards and coming off a season in which he ran for 1,921 yards. Henry, who spent the majority of his career in Tennessee, should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. — Steve DelVecchio
Lakers reportedly monitoring two-time All-Star's availability
The Los Angeles Lakers finished last season with a dud after propelling to the third seed of the Western Conference, losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs. The one thing that the Wolves exposed was the Lakers' lack of an inside presence. The center spot was weak once they traded Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic midway through the season, but they found a way to manage despite putrid numbers coming from the center position. The Lakers were bottom five in both rebounds and points per game for centers during the regular season after the All-Star break. However, in the postseason, the numbers got worse. They tried to use their original starting center, Jaxson Hayes, to man the paint, but he only played 7.8 minutes per game while only scoring 1.8 points and grabbing two rebounds per contest. This team knows it needs extreme levels of help for the center spot, which is why it is reportedly looking at a former All-Star center's situation. Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints reported that the Lakers are closely monitoring the situation between Nikola Vucevic and the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls have shipped out several key players over the last year, with Vucevic being the lone former All-Star still on the roster. As his trade market winds down, some have speculated that a potential buyout is on the horizon. However, Chicago Bulls insider K.C. Johnson reported on "The Fastbreak" podcast that the Bulls have no intentions of a buyout and would like to move him for assets at the trade deadline. Vucevic would be a massive upgrade alongside Deandre Ayton, whom the Lakers signed earlier in the offseason. Vucevic put up very impressive numbers last season, averaging 18.5 points and 10.1 rebounds per game while shooting 53% from the field in 73 games. His career numbers are just as impressive, and he's a former two-time All-Star as well. The Lakers should continue to monitor Vucevic and assess the Bulls' ultimate plan for him. With Ayton already in the fold, a trade for Vucevic could put them at the top of the Western Conference.
Micah Parsons Avoids NFL Punishment After Trade Request From Cowboys
In a passionate and wordy statement shared to social media, Dallas Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons revealed on Friday that he is requesting a trade. "I stayed quiet but again after repeated shots at myself and all the narratives I have made a tough decision I no longer want to play for the Dallas Cowboys," wrote Parsons. With training camp in full swing and the 26-year-old three-time All-Pro clearly not wanting to be a part of the Cowboys anymore, questions began to arise regarding whether or not he'd continue to attend training camp. Although he wasn't a participant in training camp, Parsons had made it a point to be there for his teammates, while also possibly easing tensions between him and the team. Will the NFL Punish Micah Parsons Over Dallas Cowboys' Training Camp? Had Parsons decided to change his mind about continuing to attend Dallas' training camp in Oxnard, California, he would've been subject to mandatory fines of $50,000 each day he missed. Something that NFL insider Ed Werder reported will not be the case, as Parsons will still be in attendance. "Source: Despite his public ridicule of the #Cowboys organization and his trade request to the Dallas front office, I’m told @MicahhParsons11 has no intention of leaving training camp and incurring $50K in daily fines as mandated by the NFL," wrote Werder. Micah Parsons' Contract Situation With the Dallas Cowboys After being selected out of Penn State with the No. 12 overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Parsons' rookie contract was a four-year deal with a fifth-year team option. He quickly established himself as one of the premier pass rushers, totaling 256 tackles with 52.5 sacks in his first four seasons. The Cowboys picked up his team option valued at over $21 million, not the widely reported $24 million, as Parsons is designated as a defensive end and not a linebacker, per ESPN's Todd Archer. In Archer's report, it was also revealed that Parsons and owner Jerry Jones had actually "came to an agreement on the length, total money and guaranteed portion" of his contract. Still, once Parsons' agent reached out to seal the deal, the team felt that the job had already been done. Will the Dallas Cowboys Trade Micah Parsons? Not only do the Cowboys not have to trade Parsons, but it has already been confirmed by NFL insider Dianna Russini that they don't plan to. “The Dallas Cowboys have no intention of trading Micah Parsons, per sources,” wrote Russini. Still, teams around the league are planning to reach out to check on his availability today.” What's Next for Micah Parsons? While there is still over a month between now and the Dallas Cowboys' Week 1 game against the Philadelphia Eagles, so a trade or contract extension could occur. With that being said, Parsons could be in line for fines if opts to hold out of regular season games.
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Lions must avoid nightmare scenario with Aidan Hutchinson after Micah Parsons news
The Detroit Lions are officially on the clock. Again. The NFL has landed its next star-headlined holdout, with Micah Parsons taking to social media on Friday to officially request a trade from the Dallas Cowboys. The request comes after, according to Parsons, Dallas continually tried to negotiate a new deal with the star pass rusher without his agent present. Dallas has already signalled they're not sending him anywhere, anytime soon. This is just the latest perfect example for the Lions to not follow as it pertains to future negotiations with their star pass rusher, Aidan Hutchinson. Hutchinson hasn't received an extension on his current deal which extends into 2026. He's clearly due for a massive pay day, evidenced by the Lions potentially being okay with letting Alex Anzalone walk next year in order to make it happen. But, they must make it happen - or else, they run the risk of looking like the Jerry Jones run Cowboys in a season. Lions must avoid Hutchinson disaster after latest Micah Parsons developments General manager Brad Holmes has to pay a hefty price to keep Hutchinson around, and the defender sounds primed to have a season so undeniably elite that he'll need a deal akin to that received by T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers or Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns. He's been lighting it up in training camp, appears even better than he did to start the 2024 season, and isn't afraid of contact on his leg that suffered a break last season. Detroit has a ton of cap flexibility, which makes their situation a bit more unique compared to that of the Browns, for example. They're working with $48 million in cap room for this season, per Over the Cap, so they could get something done with the pass rusher this season. The issue, however, lies with 2026 and beyond. READ MORE: This Lions-Cowboys trade finally brings Micah Parsons to Detroit However, Detroit is projected to be in the red against the cap to the tune of $43.3 million. That's thanks to a whopping $55 million due to Jared Goff beginning next year, $27.5 million due to Amon-Ra St. Brown, and $19 million due to both Hutchinson and tackle Penei Sewell. Major roster decisions regarding free agents that might demand a hefty price tag to stick around with the team seem imminent if Holmes and the Lions are bent on retaining Hutchinson. Whatever it takes to make sure Hutchinson doesn't become the next Parsons, or Watt, or Garrett, should be of the highest priority for this front office, though. With concerns about his ability to bounce back from his 2024 injury beginning to fade with each passing day in training camp, it's becoming clearer that Detroit has to avoid a high profile contract dispute - a trend, it seems, becoming exclusive to pass rushers. More Lions news and analysis
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