Takeaways: Steelers take AFC North title

Steel City Underground presents post-game takeaways following each 2025 NFL regular season game that focuses on how the Pittsburgh Steelers performed, key statistics, their opponents and more!

The primetime AFC North championship game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens came down to the wire on Sunday Night Football. And what a finish it was. With the 26-24 win, the Steelers took the AFC North title and will enter the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs. We offer our takeaways from the game.

Steelers defense bottled-up Henry

Ravens running back Derrick Henry was a key focal point for the Steelers defense in this win-or-go-home final game of the NFL’s 2025 regular season. Playing heavy along the defensive front, Pittsburgh allowed Henry 126 yards on 20 carries.

While that total may sound like a lot of yardage, subtract Henry’s longest run of 41 yards and add in that the running back rushing for the league’s top rushing spot ended up behind James Cook, and it illustrates how locked-in Pittsburgh was to limiting him. The Steelers also kept Henry, and all other Baltimore runners, out of the end zone.

Yes, the Steelers secondary got burned on a couple deep passing plays as a result. Whether that was communication between players or Teryl Austin’s coaching call is up for debate.

As Jackson cooled, Rodgers got hotter

Aaron Rodgers and Lamar Jackson going head to head on Sunday night was bound to be epic. The two quarterbacks didn’t disappoint in how they battled for their respective teams despite both having down moments in this game.

Jackson attacked first, but completed 11 of 18 passes in the entire game for 238 yards, 3 touchdowns and an interception. Late-game heroics came when Jackson once again threw a long ball that Pittsburgh didn’t cover well that resulted in a touchdown.

Rodgers, who struggled early to get on target with his receivers, found his stride and went into game-management mode. He leaned on Kenneth Gainwell, Jaylen Warren, and Connor Heyward in the run game – keeping the offense moving – in the second half before two long strikes to Pat Freiermuth and a deep touchdown to Calvin Austin. He finished the game having completed 31 of 47 passes for 294 yards, 1 touchdown, and no turnovers.

How about that ending, though?

The fourth quarter of Sunday night’s game went like this:

• PIT: Punt (8 plays, 26 yards, 5:12) 10 BAL – 13 PIT
• BAL: Touchdown (4 plays, 71 yards, 2:10)17 BAL 17 – PIT 13
• PIT: Touchdown (8 plays, 60 yards, 4:53) 17 BAL – 20 PIT
• BAL: Touchdown (3 plays, 73 yards, 1:29) 24 BAL – 20 PIT
• PIT: Touchdown (6 plays, 65 yards, 1:25) 24 BAL – 26 PIT

Following their final touchdown, Chris Boswell inexplicably missed the PAT attempt in a game where either a win or a tie would give Pittsburgh the AFC North title.

Steelers Nation was on pins and needles for the Ravens’ final offensive drive. In 6 plays, Baltimore moved 27 yards after a great kickoff return and was in striking distance for a winning touchdown. While Pittsburgh’s defense kept them out of the end zone, a 44-yard field goal was set up with just 0:02 seconds left in the game. Chip shot for the win, right?

Instead, placekicker Tyler Loop also kicked his field goal attempt wide right and the Steelers won in heart-attack fashion. Acrisure Stadium went wild.