The Pittsburgh Steelers placed their faith in Aaron Rodgers during the offseason, and the veteran quarterback proved them right on Sunday night. He led the Steelers to a dramatic 26-24 victory over the Baltimore Ravens, clinching the AFC North title.
As he entered the news conference room at Acrisure Stadium, a cloud of cigar smoke followed Rodgers, who was wearing a celebratory “Been There, Won That” AFC North champions T-shirt. “We haven”t made it easy on ourselves, really all season, I guess,” he said with a smile. “But I”m proud of our guys. I”m proud of the way that we responded multiple times after they took a lead. It just takes a little belief at this point in the season.”
Under the guidance of coach Mike Tomlin, who actively pursued Rodgers, the Steelers (10-7) demonstrated their commitment to the four-time MVP. On Sunday, he showcased his leadership, helping the team overcome the Ravens in a hard-fought battle for the division crown and a playoff spot. “This was the vision in the spring when we pursued him,” Tomlin remarked. “That”s why you do business with a 42-year-old guy, a been-there, done-that guy with a résumé like his. He”s not only capable; he thrives in it. I think he put that on display tonight.”
With this win, the fourth-seeded Steelers are set to host the fifth-seeded Houston Texans on “Monday Night Football” in the upcoming wild-card round. “We are AFC North champs,” Tomlin stated. “And that sounds good, and it feels good. But we didn”t come here for that. We came here for what lies ahead, so excited about that.”
This marks Rodgers” first return to the playoffs since 2021. He completed 11 of 14 passes for 133 yards in the fourth quarter, including a 26-yard touchdown to wide receiver Calvin Austin III with just 55 seconds remaining. Overall, he finished the game with 31 completions on 47 attempts for 294 yards and one touchdown. He also made a crucial 20-yard rush to convert a third-and-long in the second half.
As the post-game celebration began, the Steelers distributed shirts and hats to commemorate the franchise”s 25th division title and their first since 2020. The night before the game, defensive captain Cameron Heyward, the team”s longest-tenured player, urged his teammates to channel their disappointment from last year”s playoff loss to the Ravens. He rallied them by saying, “”This is what we”ve all been waiting for.” Last year, the playoffs, going to Baltimore, we were really hurt by that. I remember me and T.J. just sitting in the training room, just kind of scratching our heads.”
The Ravens (8-9) took a 10-3 lead at halftime, largely due to a strong first quarter by running back Derrick Henry. However, the Steelers adjusted their run defense, capitalized on a key interception by Watt, and utilized their own run game to score 10 unanswered points in the third quarter. The teams exchanged touchdowns in the fourth quarter, combining for 27 points, a total that tied for the most in any game this season according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
With less than a minute remaining and the Steelers ahead by two points, the game came down to a field goal attempt by Ravens kicker Tyler Loop. After Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson converted a crucial fourth-and-7 with a 26-yard pass to Isaiah Likely, Loop”s 44-yard attempt to win the game went wide right. “I heard the stadium go crazy,” said Pittsburgh linebacker Patrick Queen, who admitted he couldn”t bear to watch the kick. “I was just shocked. I didn”t look back. I didn”t look at the scoreboard. I just literally just stood there.”
Heyward, who participated in the field goal block unit for the final play, shared his disbelief as well. “I got my head around,” Heyward said. “And I was like, “Damn, he missed it.” We haven”t had a lot of misses here. I remember early on in our career, Tucker had one to win the game, and that kind of ended our season. So, we were due to give them one back.”
The Steelers” triumph in capturing the AFC North title, especially after a missed opportunity against the Cleveland Browns a week earlier, reflects the resilience of the locker room. This characteristic, players noted, stems from Tomlin”s leadership, a coach whose future appeared uncertain before the regular-season finale. Following the victory, Steelers players celebrated with cigars, openly expressing their support for Tomlin. “It”s awesome, man… being able to get this for Coach T,” tight end Pat Freiermuth remarked. “Coach T is the best coach I ever played for. And I think a lot of people in this locker room feel the same way. And he”s one of one. We wouldn”t be here without him. He instills belief. He instills confidence in us. And I”m just super grateful to be here with him.”
The Steelers entered the season with +475 odds to win the division, and according to DraftKings Sportsbook, they were given the second-longest odds to win the Super Bowl, only ahead of the NFC South champion Carolina Panthers. Nevertheless, the Steelers remain undeterred by the skeptics. “At the end of the day, we got Coach T and 8,” Austin said. “So, we always have a shot.”
