In one of the wildest finishes of the NFL weekend, the Pittsburgh Steelers pulled off a dramatic 29-24 win over the Detroit Lions - a game that ended not with a last-second touchdown celebration, but with a flag that flipped the script entirely.
With the clock expiring and the Lions seemingly punching in a game-winning touchdown, Ford Field erupted. But the celebration was short-lived. A penalty on Detroit wiped the score off the board, sealing a surreal victory for the Steelers and leaving the Lions stunned.
Let’s rewind a bit.
Pittsburgh had a chance to put the game on ice late in the fourth when kicker Chris Boswell lined up for a 37-yard field goal. Make it, and the Steelers go up by eight. But Boswell missed - a rare misfire that cracked the door open for Detroit.
The Lions took full advantage, marching down the field with urgency and confidence. It looked like they were about to complete the comeback in storybook fashion. But the penalty on the would-be game-winner was a gut punch, the kind that shifts momentum and playoff implications in an instant.
And those implications were big. With Detroit’s loss, both the Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers clinched playoff spots.
The Lions, who had been eyeing the NFC North crown, are now officially out of that race. They’re still alive in the Wild Card hunt, but the margin for error just got razor thin.
On the other side, the Steelers continue to defy expectations. With the win, Mike Tomlin locked in his 19th straight non-losing season - a staggering streak of consistency in a league built on parity. Pittsburgh now sits at 9-6 and, more importantly, atop the AFC North heading into Week 17, nudging ahead of the Baltimore Ravens in the standings.
This was a game that had everything - late drama, playoff ramifications, and a reminder that in the NFL, no lead is safe and no ending is guaranteed. For the Steelers, it’s a momentum-building win in a tight division race. For the Lions, it’s a painful lesson in how quickly things can unravel - even when the end zone is in sight.