Ravens Retake Division Lead With Massive Steelers Game Ahead

The Baltimore Ravens didn’t get the Thanksgiving they wanted. Joe Burrow returned from injured reserve and picked up right where he left off, ripping through coverage and turning Baltimore’s mistakes into points in a game that started with promise and ended in frustration. Costly turnovers, drive-killing penalties, and a run game that evaporated in the second half, especially from Derrick Henry, turned a winnable spot into a moral defeat for a team that needed momentum more than good intentions.

Ravens Get Help From Buffalo in Tightening AFC North Race

What kept the division race from spiraling completely was a little help from across the AFC. Pittsburgh fell to Buffalo 26–7, a result Ravens fans were openly hoping for as the standings jostled into a new shape. That loss nudged Baltimore back to the top of the AFC North and turned what was a deflating week into one that still contains optimistic angles if the Ravens can clean up the things that lost them last Thursday.

A quick note on Pittsburgh’s situation that matters for context heading into the upcoming matchup. Aaron Rodgers, who had missed a game with a fractured wrist, returned to start against Buffalo but had a rough night completing just 10 of 21 passes before exiting after a costly strip-sack. The Steelers’ offense never found a rhythm and the Bills took control in the second half. That sequence matters because it shapes how Baltimore might approach its game plan against a Steelers unit that has questions under center and in protection.