Steel City Underground presents post-game takeaways in our Steelers Offseason Recall series, revisiting key moments from the 2025 season and how they shaped the year that followed.
One week after one of their lowest points of the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers delivered one of their biggest victories.
Needing a response after being embarrassed by Buffalo, the Steelers traveled to Baltimore in Week 14 and emerged with a dramatic 27-22 victory that reignited their AFC North hopes. The game featured Aaron Rodgers‘ best performance in a Steelers uniform, timely defensive adjustments, several explosive plays, and two controversial replay reviews that left both fanbases debating long after the final whistle.
Looking back, this wasn’t just another chapter in the Steelers-Ravens rivalry. It was the game that reminded everyone Pittsburgh was still very much alive in the division race.
The Steelers finally got back on track
After being physically dominated by the Bills the previous week, Pittsburgh entered Baltimore with a much clearer identity. Before kickoff, the Steelers’ blueprint was straightforward: win the quarterback battle, contain Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson, protect Aaron Rodgers, involve Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell, and limit Baltimore’s production over the middle.
For perhaps the first time in weeks, they executed nearly every part of that plan.
Rodgers wasted little time proving his injured hand wasn’t going to define his afternoon. On Pittsburgh’s opening possession, he connected with D.K. Metcalf for a 52-yard gain before finishing the drive himself, scrambling around the left side for a one-yard touchdown.
It wasn’t a typical quarterback sneak. When the play broke down, the 42-year-old Rodgers sprinted diagonally across the field before beating the Ravens defense to the pylon for one of the most memorable rushing touchdowns of his career.
By game’s end, Rodgers had completed 23 of 34 passes for 284 yards and a touchdown while leading an offense that finally rediscovered its explosive element.
The big plays returned
One of Pittsburgh’s biggest offensive problems throughout November had been the lack of chunk plays. Against Baltimore, those disappeared in a hurry.
Rodgers connected repeatedly with Metcalf for gains of 52, 41, and 28 yards while also finding Calvin Austin III for 31 yards. Jaylen Warren added a 38-yard catch-and-run touchdown that stretched Baltimore’s defense in ways opponents hadn’t seen for weeks.
Just as important, the offensive line turned in one of its cleanest performances of the season.
Despite facing one of the NFL’s most aggressive defenses, Rodgers was never sacked. While the running game remained relatively quiet between Warren and Kenneth Gainwell, the protection allowed Pittsburgh’s passing attack to dictate the afternoon.
It was the offensive balance the Steelers had been searching for.
Defensive adjustments paid off
Pittsburgh’s defense also looked much different than it had seven days earlier. Rather than selling out for pressure on every snap, the Steelers emphasized setting the edge and controlling Baltimore’s rushing attack.
The approach worked. Although Derrick Henry finished with 94 rushing yards, he averaged just 3.8 yards per carry and never reached the end zone.
T.J. Watt consistently forced runs back inside, while Alex Highsmith helped seal the opposite edge. Lamar Jackson still made plays through the air, but Pittsburgh limited one of Baltimore’s biggest weapons by holding Mark Andrews to just one catch for nine yards.
Another unlikely contributor emerged as well. After barely making the roster earlier in the season, James Pierre played 86 percent of the defensive snaps and produced perhaps the biggest takeaway of the afternoon. Jackson attempted to extend a second-quarter play before throwing directly into Pierre’s hands, setting up another Steelers touchdown and giving Pittsburgh a commanding 17-3 advantage.
Pierre finished with an interception, two passes defended, and five tackles in one of the best games of his career.
A rivalry game decided by inches
No one remembers this game without talking about the replay booth. With just over seven minutes remaining, Baltimore believed it had recovered an Aaron Rodgers fumble after a deflected pass. Officials initially ruled it a turnover, but replay determined Rodgers had secured possession and was down by contact before the ball came loose.
The Steelers eventually punted, but the ruling preserved valuable time.
Then came the play everyone still debated afterward. Trailing 27-22 with under three minutes remaining, Jackson found Isaiah Likely in the end zone for what appeared to be the go-ahead touchdown. Ravens fans celebrated.
Replay had other ideas.
Officials determined Likely lost control of the football before completing the catch, overturning the touchdown and giving Pittsburgh new life. Baltimore eventually turned the ball over on downs, but still had one final opportunity after another Steelers punt: that’s when Alex Highsmith ended it.
With nine seconds remaining and the Ravens facing third-and-one near the Steelers’ 30-yard line, Highsmith exploded past his blocker and brought Jackson down for an eight-yard sack. Baltimore had no timeouts remaining, and the clock expired before another snap could be taken.
It was the perfect ending to one of the rivalry’s most dramatic games.
A season-saving victory
The 27-22 win did far more than erase the memory of the Buffalo loss: tt returned the Steelers to the top of the AFC North and restored confidence at a point when their season could have unraveled completely.
Rodgers looked rejuvenated despite playing through injury. The offense rediscovered its explosive playmaking ability. The defense made critical adjustments after its worst outing of the year. And Pittsburgh found a way to win one of the season’s biggest games despite controversy, pressure, and a furious Baltimore comeback.
Looking back, Week 14 became one of the defining moments of the 2025 campaign. It reminded everyone that the Steelers-Ravens rivalry rarely disappoints—and that sometimes a season can change just as quickly as it seemed to be slipping away.