Knee-Jerk Reactions: Steelers 26 Ravens 24

The Ravens fell in Pittsburgh, 26-24, and their season ends in heartbreak, but this time before the playoffs even start.

RSR staff react to the loss here.

Kevin McNelis

If you didn’t think this team would figure out the most brutal way to break your heart, you haven’t been watching closely enough.

I’m glad that Lamar silenced the detractors and Zay finally turned upfield (twice!). It gave them a shot, but it wasn’t enough. Their most hated rivals broke them twice.

A fitting end to a lost season. As long as this means that all of the coaches are gone, something will come out of this, but I don’t know how much faith I have in Steve Bisciotti to do it.

Derek Arnold

A fitting end. The latest heartbreaking, soul-crushing mistake is a missed 44-yard field goal into the closed end of Acrisure Stadium. Lamar Jackson had his Heinz Field moment…three of them, actually, with huge touchdown passes to Zay Flowers and a 4th-and-7 conversion to Isaiah Likely to set up the field goal.

But they’ll be forgotten, because the idiot kicker, to quote Peyton Manning, goofed it.

Lamar and the offense, though, can’t be let off the hook for sleepwalking from the opening drive until halfway through the fourth quarter. They had the opportunity to put the nails in the coffin much earlier, but instead sputtered, running straight into stacked boxes, racking up untimely penalties, and getting collapsed by the Pittsburgh pass rush.

Pass rush, by the way, was something we could have used. As all season, it was non-existent, and Zach Orr seemed scared to blitz, so eventually Aaron Rodgers sat back and picked things apart when it mattered. The tackling was terrible all night, and once Kyle Hamilton left the game, got even worse.

Basically, all the Ravens’ 2025 issues came to Western Pennsylvania with them, and conspired together to end their season. Rookie kicker unreliable, especially on kickoffs. Uneven offense. Swiss cheese defense.

We’ll try to look at the bright side..a draft pick that looks to be around 14, instead of in the 20’s. Not having to watch the Houston defensive line destroy us even worse than the Steelers did. Etc. Etc.

But having the chance to win that game…like that…on that field…and then blowing it yet again? How very Every-Year-But-2012 Ravens. Chef’s kiss. No notes.

Rob Shields

If you could have written a script for how this Ravens season would end, that would have been the perfect ending.

What a terribly coached team.  Sure, things may have been different if Hamilton was on the field, but if losing one player makes that much of a difference, you are way too flawed to begin with.

To allow 26 points to that garbage offense is pathetic.

The offensive line isn’t good. The front four can’t get pressure. Tackling was abysmal. You get awful and ill-timed penalties non-stop. The Ravens definitely have more points in the board in the first half if they don’t commit a few bad holds.

Your kicker that you just had to draft puts the kickoff out of bounds in the fourth quarter, and then misses a chip shot kick to win the game…a kick that i personally had zero confidence he would make.

And the salt in the wound is going to be that unless he leaves on his own, Harbaugh is back next year.

Vermont Raven

Wow!  Does this Ravens team know how to disappoint!   Lamar plays superman several times to cover a defense that is garbage without Kyle Hamilton.  Tyler Loop set up perfectly in middle of the field; blocking is good, and he chokes!  If I’m the Ravens, I’ve seen enough. Time for changes, notably:

— Harbaugh and coaching staff gone

— Roquan and Marlon Humphrey gone

— Loop gone, or at least bring in some real competition, not just an undrafted free agent.

Most disappointing season yet!  Tons of talent and couldn’t get the job done.  No way the defense (even minus Hamilton) should allow THAT Steelers offense to do what they just did!

Jared Pinder

I have a lot to say about this game and the 2025 season as a whole but let’s get one thing straight: change is needed. There are no more excuses for Harbuagh, Monken, Orr, or anyone else on the staff. They need to go now, don’t even try to make the excuses about the injuries either. They were only in this game because of Lamar and honestly he has saved this coach for far too long. Well today and for this season, Lamar couldn’t overcome ineptitude from players and coaches. Even guys on defense like Marlo and Roquan need to have their roles checked because they played like garbage all season long.

Let’s be honest with ourselves: this team was going nowhere on the playoffs. What is the benefit of making the playoffs? So that we can see soft zone coverages on every down by Zach Orr? So that we can see Lamar get killed at the line of scrimmage every snap? So that we can watch this head coach blow another game?

Be mad tonight, but looking back this might have been the best for the overall health of the organization. John needs to go and no excuses about injuries should save him. If Steve does bring him back, then maybe this Ravens might need a break from being a Ravens fan.

Chad Racine

I don’t have much to say other than the ending and the entire game summed up this season. Up and down, glimmer of hope multiple times but ultimately a failure in the end. The Ravens tried to prepare for life after Justin Tucker with a draft pick but he’s got to deliver in the big moments. I wouldn’t be surprised if they draft another one this offseason.

Chris Schisler

The season of misery is over. Honestly, if you take the Pittsburgh out of it, this almost wouldn’t hurt. The Ravens started 1-5 and played some of the most miserable football in franchise history. The season is mercifully over. The fact that the Steelers got away with one hurts. The fact that the Ravens lost to their rivals feels horrible. It is hard to think that the Ravens were going to make a run though, so I think I will find some peace.

It was good to see Lamar Jackson come alive in the end. It was nice to see Isiaiah Likely actually hold on to a pivotal reception for a change. The Ravens had their chances. Overall, the Ravens just did not get the job done. The defense got nickled and dimed to death. The offense sputtered in key moments after a fast start. It was incomplete football, the calling card of the season. My least favorite season in franchise history is over. Now let’s see if the Harbaugh era is too.

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