The Steelers defeated the Ravens to win the AFC North under Aaron Rodgers' leadership
Pittsburgh As Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers smiled and sat down at the dais in his brand-new "Been There, Won That" AFC North champions T-shirt, cigar smoke billowed from the tunnel that connected the Steelers' locker room to the Acrisure Stadium news conference room.
"We haven't made it easy on ourselves, really all season, I guess," he laughed. However, I'm proud of our guys.
"I'm proud of the way that we responded multiple times after they took a lead. It just takes a little belief at this point in the season."
Led by coach Mike Tomlin's pursuit of Rodgers, the Steelers (10-7) placed their belief in the four-time MVP during the offseason, and he showed why they were right to do so Sunday night as he helped the Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens 26-24 in a rock fight-turned-boat race for the division crown and a playoff berth.
"This was the vision in the spring when we pursued him," Tomlin said. "That's why you do business with a 42-year-old guy, been-there, done-that guy with a résumé like his. He's not only capable; he thrives in it. I think he put that on display tonight."
Rodgers and the fourth-seeded Steelers now head to the postseason and will host the 5-seed Houston Texans on "Monday Night Football" (8:20 p.m., ESPN) in next week's wild-card round.
In the fourth quarter, Rodgers, who is making his first postseason appearance since 2021, completed 11 of 14 passes for 133 yards, including a game-winning 26-yard touchdown to wide receiver Calvin Austin III with 55 seconds left. By the end of the game, the signal-caller had completed 31 of 47 passes for 294 yards and one touchdown. In the second half, Rodgers also converted a third-and-long with a 20-yard rush.
"We haven't made it easy on ourselves, really all season, I guess," he laughed. However, I'm proud of our guys.
"You see the ball in the hands of [No.] 8 there," Pittsburgh star pass rusher T.J. Watt said, "it's like, [Rodgers] is here for a reason. This is why he's here. This is the best dude in the NFL for this moment. And to be able to see him deliver on a big stage like that was incredible to see."
Around the corner from where Rodgers and his teammates spoke, bass thumped through the speakers and permeated the cinderblock walls as the Steelers passed out more shirts and hats to celebrate the franchise's 25th division title and first since 2020.
The night before the game, defensive captain Cameron Heyward, the team's longest-tenured player, delivered a rousing speech that called on his teammates to channel their frustration of last year's blowout playoff loss to the Ravens and change their fortunes this time around.
"'This is what we've all been waiting for,'" Heyward told his teammates. "Last year, the playoffs, going to Baltimore, we were really hurt by that. I remember me and T.J. just sitting in the training room, just kind of scratching our heads. To get out here this year and play the same team -- had some success in different ways -- but it was a team performance. There's not a guy in that locker room that didn't step up in a different way, and we needed everybody today."
The Ravens (8-9) jumped out to a 10-3 lead at halftime thanks in large part to a 79-yard first quarter by running back Derrick Henry. But the Steelers rallied by adjusting their run defense, getting a timely interception by Watt and using their own dominant run game to score 10 unanswered third-quarter points.
After scoring 23 points in the first three quarters, the two sides traded blows in the fourth quarter, combining for 27 points. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the four go-ahead touchdowns in the last ten minutes of the fourth quarter equaled for the most in any game this season.
With less than a minute remaining, Pittsburgh kicker Chris Boswell missed his first extra point try in over two seasons, giving the Steelers a two-point lead. The Steelers' chances of winning the championship depended on Ravens kicker Tyler Loop. Isaiah Likely, a rookie for the Ravens, attempted a 44-yard field goal to win the game, but it went wide right after Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson converted a fourth-and-7 on a 26-yard pass with 14 seconds remaining.
"I heard the stadium go crazy," said Pittsburgh linebacker Patrick Queen, who added he couldn't watch Loop's kick. "I was just shocked. I was just shocked. I didn't look back. I didn't look at the scoreboard. I just literally just stood there."
Heyward, who was on the field for the last play as a member of the field goal block unit, was also shocked.
"I got my head around," Heyward remarked. "I thought, 'Damn, he missed it.'" There haven't been many misses here. Early in our career, I recall that [former Ravens kicker Justin] Tucker had one to win the game, which effectively put an end to our season. We were therefore supposed to return one to them.
The resilience of the locker room is demonstrated by the fact that the Steelers won the AFC North title after wasting a chance against the Cleveland Browns a week ago. Steelers players claimed that their coach, whose future in Pittsburgh seemed uncertain in the week before the regular-season finale, is the source of this quality.
As they smoked cigars following the victory, Steelers players were adamant in their support of Tomlin.
"It's awesome, man ... being able to get this for Coach T," said Pat Freiermuth, a tight end who caught three important passes for 51 yards in the second half.
"Coach T is the best coach I ever played for. And I think a lot of people in this locker room feel the same way. And he's one of one. We wouldn't be here without him. He instills belief. He instills confidence in us. And I'm just super grateful to be here with him."
The Steelers entered the season at +475 to win the division, and according to DraftKings Sportsbook, they have the second-longest odds to win the Super Bowl, ahead of only the NFC South champion Carolina Panthers. Yet, the Steelers aren't listening to the prognosticators.
"At the end of the day, we got Coach T and 8," Austin said. "So, we always have a shot."
