Which Team Has the Edge in Ravens-Steelers Winner-Take-All Showdown?
The 2025 Ravens' season has been a roller coaster, and the ride isn't over yet.
They started the season as Super Bowl favorites, then were in a deep hole after a 1-5 start. They rallied to win five straight, then lost three of four to see their playoff odds shrink to single digits.
The Ravens staved off elimination with a 41-24 win over the Green Bay Packers Saturday night, as running back Derrick Henry (36 carries, 216 yards, four touchdowns) dominated and quarterback Tyler Huntley commanded the offense in place of an injured Lamar Jackson (back contusion). Then the Ravens got the help they needed from the Cleveland Browns, who upset the Pittsburgh Steelers, 13-6, on Sunday.
All of that has led to a showdown for the final AFC playoff spot between the Ravens (8-8) and Steelers (9-7) in the regular-season finale this Sunday night in Pittsburgh. Surprisingly, it's the first winner-take-all meeting between the two teams in the final week of the season in the storied history of the rivalry. Buckle up.
Here's a look at what pundits are saying about what transpired with Baltimore and Pittsburgh over the weekend and next week's high-stakes matchup.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano: "Could Pittsburgh win? Of course. It just beat the Ravens three weeks ago, and Baltimore has been far from reliable this season. But if Saturday unlocked something with Henry, it could be a rough day for the Steelers' defense, and the offense could struggle again with receiver DK Metcalf still suspended. The Steelers had a shot to beat Cleveland on Sunday and make the Week 18 game against Baltimore irrelevant. They missed, and Henry could make them regret it."
The Ringer’s Steven Ruiz: "With Lamar Jackson out injured, the Ravens were incentivized to just keep feeding Henry. Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley attempted just 20 passes and finished with a QBR of 91.0 even though the game was surprisingly high-scoring. It's unclear whether Jackson will recover from his back injury in time for next week's game, and if he's out, that'll obviously make things more difficult for Head Coach John Harbaugh's team. But with Henry showing he can still take over a game and Huntley showing he can provide a steady hand behind a strong run game, the Ravens should be confident they can outscore this Steelers team regardless."
The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer: "The Steelers are better equipped to stop Derrick Henry than any of the defenses the Ravens have run over in recent weeks, but did you see their offense Sunday? Wide receiver DK Metcalf's absence will loom large. The availability of wideout Calvin Austin and tight end Darnell Washington could also be in question. And coach Mike Tomlin told CBS, if outside linebacker T.J. Watt can't practice as a full participant all next week, he won't be active. This is a banged-up Steelers defense, and the Ravens' physicality has forced one opposing player after another off the field and onto the injury report. The Ravens would love to have Lamar Jackson fully healthy. But Tyler Huntley has shown he's a more-than-capable steward, too."
The Baltimore Banner’s Paul Mancano: "Ravens fans might be feeling whiplash after they've been subjected to this season. Baltimore's offense, with its recommitment to Derrick Henry, looks formidable again. The defense is concerning, but the way the Steelers' offense played without DK Metcalf on Sunday, it might be good enough. This game will be a coin toss."
The Athletic’s Dan Pompei: "If we consider what happened Saturday and Sunday, we will see the Ravens in the playoffs. However, if we give more consideration to what happened the previous month or so, the Steelers should prevail. A lot depends on the availability and effectiveness of Lamar Jackson, who has been sidelined for four games this season and hasn't played anywhere near as well as he did a year ago. It wouldn't be surprising to see vintage Aaron Rodgers with the season on the line."
ESPN’s Brooke Pryor: "Despite giving up 217 rushing yards to the Ravens a month ago, the Steelers won in Baltimore 27-22 -- but they also got 148 receiving yards from DK Metcalf, who will remain suspended next week. With Metcalf sidelined, the Steelers' best bet is to lean on the run game, as they rushed for just 34 yards in the Week 14 win. But Sunday's loss didn't inspire much hope that the Steelers can adapt their game plan to make up for the offensive absences."
NFL World Lauds Henry for 'Utter Dominance' Against Packers
There was talk during the season, and most recently following the Patriots game, about Henry's usage, but he emphatically reminded everyone Saturday night that The King has not abdicated his throne.
The entire NFL world marveled over the ageless Henry's performance for the ages.
NFL.com’s Bobby Kownack: "It was remarkable to see Henry, who turns 32 on Jan. 4, run roughshod over the Packers. He dismantled their best efforts of defending him in every which way, finding tough yards up the gut, stiff arming would-be tacklers into unknown dimensions and breaking free around the edge for multiple massive gains. … This was a Henry special, and his utter dominance served as another reminder of why they call him the king."
The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec: "During the pregame prayer, Henry challenged his teammates to play freely and stick together, acknowledging the hardships the Ravens have faced this year. He then went out and pulverized the Packers' run defense. He had five more carries than he's ever had in his decade-long career. Yet, the venerable 31-year-old still had the energy to don a Styrofoam cheese grater on his head on the sideline late in the fourth quarter and do a little dance in the postgame locker room."
The Baltimore Banner’s Childs Walker: "From the jump, Henry carried behind bulldozing fullback Patrick Ricard. He finished runs with visible fury, lowering his shoulder to knock would-be tacklers on their heels. A few days short of his 32nd birthday, he remains one of the sport's awesome specimens of power, speed and will."
Press Box’s Bo Smolka: "There's never been a game like it in Ravens history. Henry became the first Ravens running back ever to rush for four touchdowns in a game, and from the game's opening series until his final touchdown run, Henry ran over, past, and through the Packers. Henry finished with 36 carries — tied for the most by a Raven and the most of his career — for 216 yards, the third-highest total in franchise history. Henry, who turns 32 next week, looked to be in the prime of his certain Hall of Fame career."
Huntley Does It Again
Huntley always seems to have a huge smile on his face, and he gave Ravens fans reason to smile with his performance Saturday night.
Huntley has been called on to start two games this season when Jackson was injured, and "Snoop" answered the call on each occasion. Both games were crucial to keeping the Ravens' playoff hopes.
The Ravens' 41 points against the Packers were the most they've scored since Week 8, when Huntley led a 30-16 win over the Chicago Bears that prevented Baltimore from falling to 1-6. The victories over the Bears and Packers are their only ones against winning teams this season.
When Harbaugh was asked after the game to assess Huntley's performance, he gushed like Ralphie imagined Miss Shields would about his essay in "A Christmas Story."
"A+. Give him two pluses on top of that, maybe three," Harbaugh said.
Huntley received high marks from pundits as well.
Ravens Wire’s Geoffrey A Knox: "Accuracy and ball location: A-. Vision and Dissection: A. Intangibles and off-script plays: A+. Decision-making: A. Leadership: A+. Overall grade: A."
Smolka: "Huntley was superb, and Harbaugh and Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken devised a game plan that was well suited for him. Huntley got into rhythm with a lot of high percentage throws, and he sprinkled in several of his own runs to complement the Derrick Henry-led rushing attack. Huntley finished 16-for-20 for 107 yards and one touchdown, which came on maybe his best throw of the day. Facing third-and-8 from the Packers' 10-yard line, Huntley zipped a pass to the left sideline where only Zay Flowers could catch it. Flowers did, then lunged over the pylon for a touchdown and a 34-24 lead. After the Packers had closed the Ravens' lead to 20-14, Huntley took over at the Ravens' 35 with 1:24 left in the half. He proceeded to march the offense 65 yards in seven plays, including a 25-yard quarterback draw. He finished with eight carries for 60 yards — the most by a Ravens quarterback since Jackson ran for 70 at Buffalo in Week 1."
Zrebiec: "Starting in place of Jackson, Huntley ran Baltimore's offense beautifully, leading the team to its most points since Week 2. Every chance he's gotten to play this year, he's handled himself really well, and he's played a key role in arguably Baltimore's two most impressive wins this season, against Chicago and Green Bay. Huntley had to wait around a long time this summer to get a job offer from the Browns. He probably won't be waiting that long this coming summer."
Sports Illustrated’s Anthony Miller: "It was the same situation as it was in the Bears game, as Huntley didn't turn the ball over and used his legs to pick up critical third downs throughout the game. Having that kind of threat of Huntley running the football is something the Ravens' offense has been missing with Jackson, who became more of a pocket passer from his hamstring injury earlier in the season. Huntley didn't force the football down the field and wasn't asked to do that. He was asked to make the easy completions and run for big yards when the opportunity was open. That's where he succeeds the most on the field."
Secondary Struggled Against Deep Ball
While it was a great night for the offense, the defense – specifically the secondary – did not have its best performance.
Backup Packers quarterback Malik Willis, starting in place of the injured Jordan Love, hurt the Ravens through the air (18-of-21, 288 yards, one touchdown, 134.6 rating) and on the ground (nine carries, 60 yards, two touchdowns).
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley: "Biggest hole in the game plan: Defending the deep pass. The Ravens nearly failed to hold a double-digit lead for a second straight week because they couldn't stop the long downfield throws by Malik Willis. In the first three quarters, Willis was 6-of-7 for 197 yards and a touchdown on throws of 20 or more air yards. That's the second-most completions on such throws by a quarterback this season. This has been an issue for Baltimore, which entered this game having given up the sixth-most completions on passes of 20 or more yards (26). This might have been the worst game of the season for Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins."
Walker: "The lack of discipline from key members of the secondary — safety Kyle Hamilton and cornerback Nate Wiggins but also Marlon Humphrey and safety Alohi Gilman — was troubling. The Ravens' offense proved to be their best defense as they kept the ball out of Willis' hands. But they can't feel good about a backup completing 18 of 21 passes for 288 yards as he moved his offense at 8.3 yards per clip. It was enough to make us wonder if all the progress that culminated with the 24-0 shutout in Cincinnati was illusory."
