STEELERS WEEK 18: A MISS HEARD 'ROUND THE AFC
- Tyler Yasembousky, Contributor
What a crazy way to end the regular season.
I’ll admit it — I didn’t like the Pittsburgh Steelers’ chances against the Ravens, especially with how good Baltimore looked against the Packers and how bad the Steelers looked against the Browns.
But when it comes to the best rivalry in the NFL, anything can happen.
This was also a true “loser goes home” game for head coaches Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh.
Tomlin is the most tenured head coach in the NFL, now in his 19th season.
Second on that list? John Harbaugh, at 18 years.
Both franchises seemed to be at a crossroads, and many assumed that whichever coach lost — and missed the playoffs — would be out of a job. Unfortunately, that ended up being true, as we found out the day after the game.
The Ravens and Steelers added yet another unforgettable chapter to their legendary rivalry.
The game itself was a back-and-forth battle, with Pittsburgh holding a 13–10 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Then, suddenly, both offenses woke up.
Lamar Jackson connected with Zay Flowers not once, but twice, on massive deep-ball touchdowns. Flowers finished with a ridiculous stat line: four catches, 138 yards, and two scores.
The Steelers — and yes, old man Rodgers — answered with their own explosive play, a beautiful bomb to Calvin Austin that put Pittsburgh in position to take control.
The Steelers were about to go up 27–24.
All they needed was an extra point from one of the league’s most reliable kickers, Chris Boswell.
Instead, Boswell missed — something he hadn’t done in four years.
Just like that, it was 26–24, and the Ravens had a chance to win the game with a field goal.
The Steelers’ defense needed one stop.
They didn’t get it.
On third-and-long, Lamar delivered a perfect throw to Isaiah Likely for a first down, setting Baltimore up in field-goal range. It felt inevitable. The Ravens were going to win, the Steelers were going to miss the playoffs, and Mike Tomlin’s job seemed very much in danger.
Out came rookie kicker Tyler Loop, who replaced the legendary Justin Tucker.
He kicked…
…and missed.
Wide right.
Game over.
There’s a great clip of Mike Tomlin on the sideline telling his players not to panic, pointing out that Loop was just 1-for-4 from 50-plus yards during the regular season. Tomlin was right — and Loop missed again.
The Pittsburgh Steelers won 26–24, clinched the AFC North for the first time since 2020, and punched their ticket to the playoffs.
They’ll now host the Houston Texans this Monday night.
The craziest part? If that kick goes in, Tomlin might be the one without a job. Instead, it’s John Harbaugh who was let go — and he’s now the most sought-after coach on the market.
Teams like the Giants, Raiders, and Dolphins are expected to pursue him heavily. Personally, I think the New York Giants would be his best landing spot.
Meanwhile, the Steelers live to fight another week — and they’ll try to keep an incredible streak alive.
Pittsburgh’s last home loss on Monday Night Football came in 1991. That’s over 30 years without a defeat under the lights at home.
Hopefully, they can keep it going.