Entering Week 18, there was only one way the Pittsburgh Steelers could claim the AFC North crown: they needed a win over the Cincinnati Bengals and a Ravens loss to the Browns. Sadly, Pittsburgh's hopes of hosting a home playoff game went out the window before they even took the field for the season finale.
The Ravens' blowout win over the Browns gave Baltimore the AFC North title and the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs. Directly after the Ravens game, the Steelers failed to mount a comeback win against the Bengals after a despicable showing from Russell Wilson.
This all but sealed their fate as the No. 6 seed. Pittsburgh had one last hope to move to the fifth seed and play a struggling Houston Texans team in Round 1 of the playoffs, but they needed the Chargers to squander their Week 18 game against the Raiders. This didn't happen.
Now the Steelers' first playoff matchup is secured... and it's the perfect shot at redemption.
Steelers will play on the road vs. Ravens in Wild Card round
For their first (and potentially only) matchup in the AFC Playoffs, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be on the road to face the Baltimore Ravens. We saw this exact game situation play out on December 21. Unfortunately, Pittsburgh's first matchup in Baltimore this year was a beatdown.
In Week 16, the Ravens trounced the Steelers in a 34-17 win—making it clear that Baltimore was the true Super Bowl contender from the AFC North. This was a game to forget.
But there's hope. The Steelers will get a shot to redeem themselves in the same setting, and Mike Tomlin will do everything in his power to not let that go to waste.
The Steelers' blowout loss in Baltimore included a pair of game-altering plays that gave the Ravens all the momentum and sealed Pittsburgh's fate. Quarterback Russell Wilson got aggressive and, in an effort to find paydirt on the run, he elected to make a move for the endzone instead of sliding. This resulted in a fumble, which was recovered by the Ravens—essentially wiping away seven points for Pittsburgh.
In the third quarter, the Steelers had a chance to make a game-tying drive before Wilson telegraphed an interception to Marlon Humphrey, which was returned for a touchdown. Had these two plays not occurred, we would be looking at a very different game on December 21.
It's also worth noting that the Steelers have already beaten the Ravens once this year. Though this win did come in Pittsburgh on November 17, Mike Tomlin's team showcased the ability to hold Baltimore's high-flying offense to just 16 points.
Divisional games are always tough, and Ravens head coach John Harbaugh isn't expecting a walk in the park. Baltimore is expectedly favored, but the Pittsburgh Steelers will get their shot at redemption against their biggest rival in the Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs.
Steelers vs. Ravens game details:
- Where: M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore
- When: Saturday, January 11, 8:00 p.m. ET
The Steelers vs. Ravens game will follow the Chargers vs. Texans game as the second NFL playoff matchup to begin the year. The game will take place Saturday night in Baltimore with game coverage beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
The winner of this matchup will advance to the Divisional Round (and their matchup next week will be determined by seeding). The loser will be eliminated. The Steelers are on a cold streak after losing four straight games to close the regular season, but their path to the Super Bowl starts with a win in Baltimore.