By Mike DeFabo, Jeff Zrebiec and Mark Puleo

In a battle between quarterbacks with a combined six MVP awards between them, it was the 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers who looked more in his prime Sunday than the 28-year-old Lamar Jackson in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 27-22 road win over the Baltimore Ravens.

The AFC North rivals both entered the day 6-6 and coming off a loss, but it was the Steelers who came out firing in the first half. Rodgers connected with receiver DK Metcalf for multiple 20-plus yard receptions early in the game, setting up a Rodgers rushing touchdown in the first quarter and a Kenneth Gainwell score in the second.

Rodgers hadn’t topped 200 yards passing in over a month, but cleared that mark by the third quarter en route to a 284-yard day. On the other side, Jackson’s struggles of the past month continued as he tossed his fourth interception in four weeks. He later ran for his first rushing touchdown since Week 1 and tossed for a score in the third. But he failed to drive the Ravens into the end zone in the fourth as Baltimore settled for two short field goals and then turned the ball over on downs with 2:22 left and had its final drive end on a sack as time expired.

With just under three minutes to play, Jackson connected with tight end Isaiah Likely on what appeared to be a go-ahead touchdown, but Likely had the ball ripped away as he was finishing the catch and the refs ruled it incomplete.

The Steelers will look to build a winning streak next Monday as they host the Miami Dolphins, while the Ravens aim to reignite their playoff hopes on Sunday when they host the New England Patriots.

Red zone defense made the difference

During OTAs, Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin acknowledged that Pittsburgh has a “Baltimore problem.” In the last two meetings at M&T Bank Stadium, the Ravens racked up 519 yards. On Sunday, Pittsburgh wasn’t much better against the run. The Ravens put up 217 rushing yards, as they marched back from a 17-3, second-quarter deficit.

While the Steelers’ defense was far from perfect, its play in the red zone was the difference. The Ravens drove into the red zone on six occasions. The Steelers limited them to just two touchdowns, three field goals and a turnover on downs.

Most significantly, the Steelers got the critical stop when they needed it. With just over two minutes remaining, it appeared Likely had caught the go-ahead touchdown. However, Joey Porter Jr. kept playing through the whistle and knocked the ball away. The referees initially ruled it a touchdown before overturning their decision. The Steelers went on to stop the Ravens on fourth down, when Jackson’s pass for Mark Andrews fell incomplete.

The Ravens had one last shot to drive downfield for the game-winning touchdown. But outside linebacker Alex Highsmith sacked Jackson in the final seconds to seal the win. — Mike DeFabo, Steelers beat writer

Rodgers heats up offense

On the Steelers’ first offensive play from scrimmage, Rodgers bombed the ball deep to Metcalf along the right sideline. The 52-yard completion set the tone of the game in more ways than one. The Steelers have struggled this season to attack downfield, relying mostly on a short, precision passing game. On Sunday, that changed in a significant way. In addition to the 52-yard pass, Rodgers also found Metcalf for a 41-yard gain and a 28-yard gain. He also hit Calvin Austin III for a 31-yard gain.

Rodgers played one of his better games as a Steeler. He completed 23 of 34 passes for 284 yards and a touchdown. On several instances, he extended plays to create deep and he scampered into the end zone himself to open the game with a touchdown. — DeFabo

Steelers atop division

The Steelers have plenty of warts. Had one or two plays gone differently, we’d be talking about how Pittsburgh blew its fifth halftime lead of the season. But a win, no matter how it comes, is a win. After a week of questions about coach Mike Tomlin’s job status, the 7-6 Steelers have now taken the lead in the AFC North. Pittsburgh’s remaining schedule is more favorable than Baltimore’s. Can the Steelers hang on? — DeFabo

Ravens’ playoff hopes aren’t over, but does Baltimore deserve a spot?

The five-game winning streak that steadied the Ravens’ season felt like it happened months ago. It also feels now like it was a classic case of the Ravens getting the best of the Chicago Bears and then four consecutive struggling quarterbacks/offenses. Facing Joe Burrow and Rodgers the past two weeks, the Ravens have struggled to impact the quarterback in any way.

Their defense looks much like it did during the 1-5 start. Their offense found its rhythm late in the second quarter, but it was a classic case of too little too late. Special teams struggled Sunday, too. If the Ravens win their final four games, they could still win the division. They might even win the division with a 3-1 finish if that one loss doesn’t come to Cincinnati or Pittsburgh. But this is not a team that looks like it belongs in the playoffs. The Ravens don’t do anything consistently well in any phase. — Jeff Zrebiec, Ravens beat writer

Baltimore doomed by a lack of rhythm again

Sunday was a microcosm of what the Ravens have struggled with all season: They’ve struggled to put it all together at the same time. The offense struggled early Sunday, and when it finally found a rhythm, the defense couldn’t get any stops. Special teams cost the Ravens points, too, with a missed extra point and an unnecessary roughness call that took a Pittsburgh field goal off the board and led to a touchdown. For all of the pregame hype, the Ravens never put a complete game together. The offense woke up too late and the defense didn’t do enough. — Zrebiec