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The final game of the 2025 NFL regular season may have been the best, and it all came down to the final seconds.
Twenty-seven points were scored in the fourth quarter instead of 30, when Baltimore Ravens kicker Tyler Loop missed what would have been a field goal to send the Ravens to the playoffs.
Instead, the AFC North title went to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who had their fair share of miraculous fourth-quarter efforts, while the Ravens’ season ended in heartbreak.
Baltimore Ravens kicker Tyler Loop (33) reacts after missing the winning field goal against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second half at Acrisure Stadium. (Charles LeClaire/Image Images)
It’s no secret that the face of the Ravens, Lamar Jackson, hasn’t been himself this entire season, but he made his best play of the season, and perhaps of his career, midway through the fourth quarter. On third-and-4 from midfield and trailing by three, Jackson evaded a sack and let fly to Zay Flowers, who caught him in stride for a long touchdown that gave the Ravens a 17-13 lead. The Steelers weren’t breaking a sweat, however, as they responded with an eight-play drive that ended with a Kenneth Gainwell touchdown to take a 20-17 lead with 3:49 left. But Jackson apparently saved the best for last, finding Flowers again, this time for 64 yards to take a 24-20 lead with 2:20 left.
The Steelers quickly crossed midfield, and on third-and-10, Aaron Rodgers found Calvin Austin wide open to score with 55 seconds left. However, Chris Boswell missed the extra point and only had a two-point lead. The Ravens took the kickoff to their own 47-yard line and had three timeouts — a golden opportunity.
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Jackson completed his first pass, but after an illegal formation and two incomplete passes, he faced a fourth-and-seven. Jackson threw a prayer and Isaiah Likely highlighted it for an incredible catch. Jackson took a knee to set up the field goal drive in the middle of the hash with two seconds left, but to no avail, as the Steelers were the ones to celebrate a wide right kick.
Aaron Rodgers of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium on January 4, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
The scoring began from an unlikely source, as Lamar Jackson found Devontez Walker for a 38-yard touchdown to take the early lead. Both teams then traded punts before the Steelers fumbled, and the Ravens took advantage by kicking a field goal to take a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter. Pittsburgh responded with a field goal for its first score.
In the final seconds of the first half, the Steelers benefited from a defensive penalty that put them at the 2-yard line with two seconds left. They opted to score the touchdown instead of a field goal, but the decision backfired as Kenneth Gainwell was full when the clock hit zero.
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Fortunately for them, the Steelers got the ball early in the second half, and didn’t let their opening drive go to waste, finding the end zone to tie the game at 10. Then, in his first game back from a collapsed lung, TJ Watt caught a batted ball in the line for an interception. Pittsburgh then added a field goal for its first lead of the game.
Connor Heyward (83) of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates a touchdown with Pat Freiermuth (88) during the third quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium on January 4, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
The Steelers, with the 42-year-old Rodgers and a head coach, Mike Tomlin, whom fans were ready to give up on, finished the season 10-7 and will host the Houston Texans on Monday night in the wild-card round.
