The Baltimore Ravens’ season ended not just with a loss, but with a loud thud-and the fallout came quickly. Less than 48 hours after a gut-wrenching 26-24 defeat to the rival Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti made a seismic move, firing longtime head coach John Harbaugh.
The loss knocked Baltimore out of playoff contention and marked the second time in five games the Ravens had fallen to Pittsburgh. For a franchise with championship aspirations, that was a bitter pill to swallow.
Veteran linebacker Kyle Van Noy didn’t mince words when reflecting on the Ravens’ late-season collapse-particularly their inability to get past a Steelers team that, in his eyes, was far from elite. During a recent appearance on the Throwbacks with Matt Leinart & Jerry Ferrara podcast, Van Noy offered a candid breakdown of what went wrong, and his frustration was palpable.
“We let a 42-year-old [Aaron Rodgers] wax us twice, which just eats at me,” Van Noy said. “Because they weren’t a good football team.
They were better that day, but they weren’t a good football team collectively. And we weren’t a good football team either.”
That kind of brutal honesty is rare, but it speaks to the tension and disappointment inside Baltimore’s locker room. Van Noy’s comments highlight a broader truth about the Ravens’ season: when it came time to deliver in big moments, they simply didn’t.
Take Week 14, for example. The Ravens had a go-ahead touchdown wiped off the board with just under three minutes to play after a replay review ruled that tight end Isaiah Likely didn’t complete the catch before Steelers rookie corner Joey Porter Jr. knocked the ball loose. That reversal changed the complexion of the game-and potentially the Ravens’ season.
Van Noy didn’t shy away from admitting that some calls didn’t go their way. “I hate saying that,” he said, “but there were huge plays in the game.” It’s the kind of frustration that comes when a team knows it left something on the table.
In Week 18, the Ravens had a chance to play spoiler and keep their playoff hopes alive. But once again, it was the Steelers who made the clutch plays.
Rodgers-yes, still slinging it at 42-threw a go-ahead touchdown with under a minute left in regulation. Baltimore had one last chance, but kicker Tyler Loop missed what would have been a game-winner as time expired.
Game over. Season over.
But Van Noy wasn’t done. He had one more shot to fire across the AFC North bow, this time aimed at Pittsburgh’s leadership.
Less than a day after the Steelers were blown out 30-6 by the Houston Texans in the wild-card round, Mike Tomlin stepped down after 19 seasons as head coach. Van Noy couldn’t resist connecting the dots.
“They ended up going to the playoffs, and we saw what happened in the playoff game,” Van Noy said. “And their coach ended up saying, ‘No thanks anymore’ because of what he has had to deal with.”
It was a pointed jab at a rival organization that’s long been considered one of the NFL’s most stable. Whether Tomlin’s decision was influenced by internal turmoil or simply the grind of nearly two decades on the job, Van Noy’s comment added a little extra spice to a rivalry that rarely needs any.
The Ravens and Steelers won’t meet again until next season, but the tension is already simmering. Baltimore is looking for a new head coach.
Pittsburgh is doing the same. And Kyle Van Noy?
He’s making sure the fire keeps burning until these two teams meet again.