Knee-Jerk Reactions: Steelers 27 Ravens 22

The Ravens lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-22, to fall behind them in the AFC North again.

RSR staff react to the loss here.

Kevin McNelis

That’s probably your season, Flock.

With the loss, Baltimore’s postseason odds drop to around 20% on most projections. The game was a microcosm of so many problems we’ve seen for so long. Poor playcalling in the red zone leaves points on the board when they had a chance to win it at the end. Back-to-back holding calls (including one by a guard, AGAIN) take them from manageable starting distance on their final drive to adding another 20. Allowed DK Metcalf, who has been struggling mightily this year, almost 150 yards, including 90+ on just two plays.

The coach that’s gotten Baltimore’s goat does it to them again, and maybe it’s for the best in the long run. This could finally, mercifully, be the nail in the coffin for a regime that’s been far too complacent for far too long. The regrets will come in when we look back at a 1-5 team that had a top ten selection and lament that they didn’t lean into the rebuild with all the evidence in front of them.

Derek Arnold

Yeah, the refs basically provided an 11-point swing. But that doesn’t mean the Ravens deserved to win this game. As long as they keep running Daniel Faalele and Andrew Voorhees out there, they really don’t deserve to win any games. Faalele had his usual highlight reel of ridiculous-looking whiffs, and I’m sure Voorhees will have some pop up once more fans have time to look at the All-22.

Special teams was atrocious, from Tyler Loop‘s missed extra point and kickoff out of bounds, to more poor coverage and absolutely nothing in any return game (and a hold to set the potential game-winning drive back).

Lamar Jackson and the offense were absolutely inept on the two-minute drill to try to win the game, taking nearly the entire clock on short passes just to get near midfield. I really thought that entire sequence would look better. Silly me.

Rashod Bateman drops a likely touchdown, but a sure first down inside the five yard line.

The defense let Ancient Aaron Rodgers have the best game of his season, as the lack of pressure and poor coverage allowed him to be his old deathly accurate self on deep throws, something the Steelers hadn’t hit in months. They let him get on his walker and hobble into the end zone for his first rushing TD in four years.

I truly don’t understand how “holding the ball away from the defender trying to slap it out of your hands” doesn’t qualify as a “football move” as Likely is getting two feet down, and a field goal turned into a touchdown on an unnecessary roughness call inappropriately applied according to every announcer and Gene Steratore, and somehow Rodgers established possession on the non-interception, but Likely didn’t? Sure, ok.

Where do we go from here? Oh, getting smacked around by Cincy again. Sounds fun.

Jason Woolbert

The Baltimore Falcons put on their usual show today, now losing two straight critical division games at home.  The season is all but over.

We can blame the refs all we want.  The team sucks.  We have a mediocre NFL football team right now.  Yes there’s plenty of talent – other mediocre teams also have talent.  Big picture, every single part of the team shares a part of the blame from different points in the season.  It’s been error-filled football, and what we’re left with is the charred remains of what was supposedly the best roster in the league.

So here’s what’s going to happen.  Lamar Jackson is up for a huge cap hit and the team would really like an extension.  Lamar, despite his sub-par play the last few weeks, has the leverage.  He is going to pull an NBA-syle move.  Call him Giannis Jackson for a few months if you will.  And the prime target is going to be John Harbaugh.  We may be in line for an off season circus that will give us migraines.

Yes, that’s speculation, but put it in the memory banks.  Frankly, I’m ready for something new anyway.

Chad Racine

I could go on a long rant and complain about the calls etc. Instead I’ll keep it short and simple.  You can’t lose two in a row at home to division opponents when both were pretty much must-win games. Is the season over? It’s looking that way but as Lloyd Christmas would say “so you’re telling me there’s a chance.”

Vermont Raven

Wow!  Season near over (will break down paths later). Can’t settle for field goals in red zone.  Also, officials clearly biased…Likely had a TD.  Then on 4th down, Andrews was held and should have been first and goal.  Sickening Ravens—Steelers with Ravens self-inflicted wounds and horrible one-sided officiating benefitting Steelers!  I’ve been a fan of Harbaugh but it’s time for change.  Immediately, Monken needs to go!  Offense can’t be this bad, especially in red zone.

Jared Pinder

I know people are going to the “refs screwed the Ravens angle,” but I honestly can’t even care enough to complain. This game represents the 2025 season to a tee. Have a terrible start, make a comeback to show life only to fall on your face at the end. Even with the refs being awful, we still had plenty of chances to win, yet balls were dropped and the O-line continues to be an embarrassment.

The season is dead, they might not be officially dead but they are dead. This has to be the end of the road for John Harbuagh.

Chris Schisler

Watching a Ravens vs. Steelers game called by Tony Romo is now officially a form of torture. It may as well have been the Steelers telecast network. Before I gripe venomously about the officiating it should be noted that two mediocre teams played football in Baltimore today.

The Ravens have plenty of blame to wear upon their jerseys as heavy badges of their personal failures. Pass these badges out to every single one of them like a gift from Oprah. Good grief. The offensive line is bad. We can complain about Faalele epitomizing the phrase “big for nothing” yet it’s beating a big for nothing horse. So let’s just say this was the worst Andrew Vorhees has looked in his career. The offensive line is atrocious. Jackson looked more like himself but let’s not act like he didn’t contribute to the hole the Ravens found themselves in. The Ravens aren’t good. That out of the way – the NFL officials are worse.

So you’re telling me that a receiver can’t even move his pinky finger off a ball to call it a catch but you could see that Rodgers has clear control when the ball never stopped moving and ended up with Teddye Buchanan? The penalty on the field goal is seldom called and even the incredibly biased Romo thought the Ravens got the raw end of that one. Then Likely has two and a half clear steps in the end zone and it’s not a touchdown? What did the head ref bet on this game? I haven’t doubted the integrity of the officials to this degree since Santonio Holmes scored a game winning touchdown without the ball crossing the end zone against Baltimore in 2008.

The Ravens stink. So do the Steelers. The refs? There are not appropriate words to communicate their atrocity of a performance.

Give this division to whoever stinks the least, but get rightfully out of their incompetent ways.

Rob Shields

The refs clearly screwed the Ravens today but whatever, they never should have been in that position. Bad pick, garbage kickoffs, penalties, drops and an inability to stop a passing game that has been inept for weeks.

You ran the ball the way you needed to, only had one turnover (a big one but still should be able to overcome it against that team) and you still couldn’t win.

This is just not a good team. Yes, they can technically win out and likely make the playoffs but there is zero reason to think they can do it.

Hopefully this is the end of Harbaugh and this coaching staff. It’s a disaster of a season and they all need to go.

The post Knee-Jerk Reactions: Steelers 27 Ravens 22 appeared first on Russell Street Report.

Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2025/12/07/knee-jerk-reactions/knee-jerk-reactions-steelers-27-ravens-22/