The Ravens are still alive and owe the Cleveland Browns a thank-you card.
Baltimore received a huge favor Sunday from the Browns, who defeated the Steelers, 13-6, to keep the Ravens' playoff hopes alive.
The Ravens and Steelers will meet for the AFC North championship in Week 18 in Pittsburgh, with the winner going to the playoffs and the loser going home.
The Ravens (8-8) can now become the first team to win three consecutive AFC North titles and will open the playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium if they win next weekend's game.
It seems fitting that the Ravens and Pittsburgh will meet for the division title in the latest chapter of their longtime rivalry. Next week's game will be a rematch of their Week 14 battle in Baltimore, when the Steelers walked away with a 27-22 victory that gave them the division lead heading down the stretch.
However, the Ravens avoided elimination with Saturday night's 41-24 victory over the Green Bay Packers, then watched Sunday as the Browns delivered the outcome the Ravens needed. Now the Ravens have a chance to settle the score with Pittsburgh and can advance to the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.
The Ravens were nervous watching Sunday's outcome unfold in Cleveland but got the result they were looking for.
The Steelers will face the Ravens without their No. 1 wide receiver, DK Metcalf, who will be serving the second game of a two-game suspension. Metcalf had seven catches for 148 yards in this season's first Ravens-Steelers meeting.
Meanwhile, Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin said after the Browns game that tight end Darnell Washington had suffered a broken arm.
