With just under three minutes left in a hard-fought AFC North battle, it looked like Isaiah Likely had delivered a game-changing moment for the Ravens. Lamar Jackson found his tight end in the end zone, and the initial call on the field was a touchdown - a potential lifeline in a game that had been slipping away.
But the celebration in Baltimore was short-lived. Replay review overturned the catch, ruling that Likely lost control of the ball after taking a third step, and just like that, a crucial fourth-down opportunity vanished.
That sequence turned out to be the turning point. Pittsburgh took over after the turnover on downs, still holding a 27-22 lead. The Ravens would get one more shot, starting from their own 26-yard line at the two-minute warning, but the damage had already been done.
It was a tough moment for Likely, who’s now been involved in back-to-back red zone miscues. Just last week, he fumbled out of the end zone in a Thanksgiving loss to the Bengals. These aren’t just unfortunate plays - they’re momentum killers, and in a division as tight as the AFC North, they can be the difference between a playoff berth and an early offseason.
Still, the Ravens didn’t go down quietly. Jackson found Likely again on fourth down to keep the final drive alive, and a strike to Charlie Kolar moved them into Steelers territory.
A quick spike stopped the clock at 16 seconds, and a short gain to Mark Andrews brought them nine yards closer with nine seconds to go. But on the next snap, Alex Highsmith came flying off the edge and brought Jackson down for a game-ending sack.
That final play capped off a frustrating afternoon for Jackson and the Ravens’ offense. Jackson showed flashes of his trademark mobility, running for 43 yards and a touchdown, but he also threw a costly interception in the first half and finished 19-of-35 for 219 yards. On that last snap, he might’ve been better off throwing the ball away to preserve one final shot at the end zone - a split-second decision that will linger in the film room this week.
The officiating didn’t do Baltimore any favors, either. Earlier in the game, a Steelers field goal was wiped off the board thanks to a questionable unnecessary roughness call on defensive lineman Travis Jones - a penalty that extended the drive and eventually led to a Pittsburgh touchdown. Then there was an apparent interception by the Ravens that was overturned after replay ruled Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was down when he caught a batted pass back into his own hands.
Rodgers, for his part, delivered one of his best performances in a Steelers uniform. He finished 23-of-34 for 284 yards, pushing the ball downfield with confidence and connecting with DK Metcalf seven times for a whopping 148 yards. Rodgers even ran in a touchdown - his first rushing score since January 2023 - showing flashes of the dual-threat ability that made him so dangerous in his prime.
With the win, Pittsburgh now sits atop the AFC North at 7-6, and they’ve officially put the rest of the division on notice. The rematch with Baltimore looms in Week 18, but if the Steelers keep trending upward, the division title might be locked up before then.
As for the Ravens, head coach John Harbaugh will have questions to answer - especially about the decision to go for it on fourth down after the overturned Likely touchdown. A field goal would’ve trimmed the deficit to two points, and Baltimore still had all three timeouts. Instead, they went for the knockout punch and came up empty.
Next week, the Ravens head to Cincinnati looking to stop the bleeding and avoid a three-game skid. The Steelers, meanwhile, return home to host the Dolphins with a chance to build on their momentum - and their lead in the division.