Steelers' T.J. Watt 'excited to play' in winner-take-all game against Ravens 

The Steelers won that game, 27-22, and then followed that victory up with two more over the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions. However, Pittsburgh's three-game winning streak would come to an end by losing their last game in 2025 in Cleveland to a Browns team that picked up only their fourth win of the season by defeating the Steelers, 13-6, on Dec. 28.

The loss to Cleveland, coupled with the Ravens' 41-24 win over the Green Bay Packers, made the final game of the 2025 season a winner-take-all affair. The winner of Sunday's prime-time battle between Pittsburgh and Baltimore claims the AFC North title, while the loser goes home and misses the playoffs entirely. 

Pittsburgh needs all the help it can get 

Even though the Steelers were able to win two out of the three games Watt missed and the struggles of the offense led to losing to the Browns, his return will be welcome no matter the situation. Pittsburgh will need all hands on deck to get by a Ravens team that also expects two-time MVP Lamar Jackson to be back under center. 

Jackson will only add to the challenge of facing a Baltimore rushing attack that saw Derrick Henry gash the Packers for 216 yards and four touchdowns. Henry has 1,469 yards for an average of 5.1 yards per touch on the year. 

Baltimore's style of play and needing to make the game a low-scoring contest to have a chance, will put pressure on Watt and the rest of the Steelers defense to be at their best. 

Even with T.J. Watt, the Steelers defense has struggled most of the season  

Pittsburgh has allowed the sixth-most total yards and the sixth-most yards per game in the NFL through 16 games. 

Watt, the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year and eight-time Pro Bowler, has 53 tackles with 22 as solo stops, seven sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception in his 13 games. 

Kickoff from Acrisure Stadium on Pittsburgh's North Shore is set for 8:20 p.m. ET. The game will air nationally on NBC.