Week 14 was essentially a playoff game for both the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens. These two underwhelming AFC North teams sat on a 6-6 record entering Sunday, and the winner would see their odds catapult. Thankfully, Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers brought his 'A' game.
Rodgers, who turned 42 years old this past week, found more success through the air in Baltimore in Week 14 than he has all season.
Rodgers finished his impressive performance against the Ravens by completing 23 of 34 passes for 284 yards and a touchdown (8.4 yards per attempt). In his previous five games, Rodgers averaged just 163.2 passing yards per game on a mere 5.9 yards per attempt. This equates to just an 83.5 passer rating during this span. Before their game against Baltimore, Pittsburgh lost five of its previous seven games.
Despite losing tight end Darnell Washington early in the game due to a concussion and the rushing attack averaging just 2.0 yards per carry, Rodgers found a way to consistently make plays through the air.
Mike Tomlin's team eventually hung onto their late fourth-quarter lead to win 27-22. This gives Steelers fans a glimmer of hope that the offense might have just enough firepower to put up points in the clutch.
The Pittsburgh Steelers needed every bit of Aaron Rodgers' big performance
The Steelers' offense stalled in the fourth quarter. Thankfully, Rodgers and company found a way to put up 27 points through the first three quarters of the game. While much of Rodgers' production still came after the catch, he was able to make several big plays down the field, including his opening 52-yard pass to DK Metcalf.
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While the Steelers still don't look convincing as a collective, this boost of confidence from Rodgers and the passing game might be the spark Pittsburgh needs as they enter the home stretch of the 2025 season.
Thanks to Rodgers' efforts, fractured left wrist and all, the Steelers are now 7-6 with the AFC North lead and a divisional tie-breaker over the now 6-7 Baltimore Ravens. The Pittsburgh Steelers control their own destiny the rest of the way, and if the season ended today, they would host a playoff game as the No. 4 seed in the AFC.