NFL
In Week 17, two things need to happen for the Baltimore Ravens. #1 They needed to beat the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night, which they did by the score of 41-24. #2 They need to wait and see what happens between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns. A Browns win keeps their season alive, or a Steelers win and the Ravens are eliminated from postseason contention. And, lo and behold, the Cleveland Browns gave the Baltimore Ravens a late Christmas gift, helping the Ravens keep their season alive by beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 13-6. This sets up a winner-takes-all Week 18 matchup for the AFC North against the Steelers
After 17 grueling weeks in the 2025 NFL Season, it comes down to this one game. A game that will decide who will win the AFC North and host a home playoff game in the wild card round, and the loser will head home for the offseason and get prepared for the 2026 NFL season. It’s a matchup between two longtime rivals, two rivals that know each other, two rivals knowing that it will be a hard-hitting, trash-talking kind of a football game, and knowing that everything is on the line in this game. It’s the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night football. This game could very well determine the future of one of these football teams, knowing that whoever loses this game, either John Harbaugh or Mike Tomlin, could be on the unemployment line on Monday morning. So, this matchup means everything for both the Ravens and Steelers.
The Baltimore Ravens need two important things to happen in Week 17, and they got what they needed to remain in contention for the postseason. In Week 17, the Ravens dominated the Green Bay Packers by the score of 41-24, thanks in large part to the domination of Derrick Henry on the ground. Henry was a monster on the ground by running for 216 yards on 36 carries, and four touchdown runs. Also, the Ravens were without Lamar Jackson in Week 17 with a back injury, and Lamar Jackson has been back at practice on both Wednesday and Thursday, and having him out there will provide a huge spark for the Ravens as they look for their 3rd consecutive AFC North division title. The most important key for the Baltimore Ravens this week against the Pittsburgh Steelers is the usage of Derrick Henry. If the Ravens use Derrick Henry the way they use him in Week 17 against the Packers, then it could be a long day for the Steelers. And, if the Ravens use the same strategy against the Patriots by taking him out of the game after scoring a touchdown, it could spell doom for the Ravens.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, going in Week 17, all they needed to do was beat the Cleveland Browns, and they would win the AFC North for the 1st time since 2020. But, they didn’t do any of them, as the Steelers ended up losing to the Cleveland Browns by the score of 13-6, which not only prevented the Steelers from winning the AFC North, but it also set up the winner-take-all matchup against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 18 for the AFC North. Aaron Rodgers struggled tremendously as he threw for only 168 passing yards on 21 completions on 39 attempts. The Steelers are being hit hard by injuries right now. They lost Tight End Darnell Washington to a season-ending arm injury, and TJ Watt is still up in the air with a lung injury, and their receiving core didn’t do too much as they are hampered too. Plus, they will also miss the presence of DK Metcalf, who is serving a two-game suspension for getting into an altercation with a fan against the Detroit Lions in Detroit. The Steelers have been the last few years, and when they have an opportunity to win the division, they come out so disappointed, and with a loss this Sunday, we could see the Mike Tomlin era come to an end in Pittsburgh.
The Ravens needed to thank the NFL gods in Week 17 to preserve their season, with a win and a Steelers loss to the Browns. Now, in the biggest game of the season, they need to play old-school Baltimore Ravens, which is running the football as they did against the Green Bay Packers. If they use Derrick Henry the way they did against Green Bay, then they will win the game. And, I believe that right there will be the reason that the Ravens will not only win this game, but win the AFC North for 3rd straight year, and host a playoff game in the wild card round.
