Heartbreak in the Steel City: Ravens’ Season Ends on Wide-Right Whimper
January 4th, 2026, In Pittsburgh at Acrisure Stadium, the Ravens put up one last fight to hold onto their hopes of pushing through the playoffs. It seems like every year, their season goes up and down with a lot of emotions, and they can’t seem to make it past round one in the playoffs. If you are a Baltimore fan, this is becoming way too familiar. This wild game seemed to be the epitome of the also turbulent season for the Ravens, and not an easy win for the Steelers. As the clock hit zero, it ended in favor of Pittsburgh, with what I can imagine left Ravens’ fans silent and once again, let down. It came down to a 44-yard field goal attempt by Baltimore’s rookie kicker, Tyler Loop. This made field goal would have secured the Ravens’ playoff berth, as well as their title in the division. As all fans watching were holding their breath, the kick goes up, sails wide right and he MISSES. For the first time since 2021, Baltimore is now out of the postseason and finishes their season with an 8-9 record.
This was a particularly intense game, not only being well known rivals, but both teams fighting all four quarters for what each of them thought they deserved. And the winner would take all. It didn’t come easy, but the end of the game left the Steelers moving on and Ravens thinking about all the “what-ifs.” Once again, it comes to “maybe next year” for Baltimore.
Lamar Jackson led the Ravens as quarterback, scoring three touchdowns and finishing with 238 passing yards. They started strong, finding wide receiver Devontez Walker to score an opening 38-yard touchdown. By the second quarter, the Ravens were up 10-0 in what felt like a promising start. Loop made a 40-yard field goal giving the Ravens this lead. Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh offense seemed to be struggling to keep up.
This all started to change in the third quarter when Ravens’ Ronnie Stanley deflected a pass that ended up in T.J. Watt’s hands, leading them to a 13 point run, now ahead of Baltimore. In the final quarter of the game, Zay Flowers and Lamar Jackson connected for touchdowns of 50 and 64 yards, that nearly could have saved the season, giving the Ravens a 24-20 lead with under three minutes remaining. Despite Baltimore’s defense trying to stop them, they couldn’t find a way in the end, and Pittsburgh scored another touchdown of 26 yards, but the extra point was blocked. All Baltimore must do now is get down the field close enough to secure a field goal, with the score at 24-26 in favor of the Steelers. This made field goal and the clock running out, would give Baltimore the win they so desperately needed. The pressure was on as Loop was set up to kick, only from the 24-yard line and he missed. Not what anyone could have predicted.
Post game, Jackson stated in the locker room his frustration with “It’s a tough pill to swallow because we had it.” It seems from the outside looking in, Baltimore is always right there but never seems to close when it matters most. This bitter loss left the Ravens once again frustrated by an ending they wish came out differently, defined by a call on Likely that would eventually be announced as a mistake and should have been given to the Ravens. During the last quarter, Isaiah Likely made a touchdown catch, which was overturned as an incomplete by officials. Fans and players were not happy with the call and it was left as is, taking away the lead for Baltimore. After the game concluded and days passed, the NFL made an announcement that this call was wrong. Making the season ending game that much more of a sting. With the game now passed, the call can’t be changed, and the Ravens are out of the playoffs. Pittsburgh won 24-26.
If you have watched any of these rivalry games, you know that it’s never an easy game on either team and it’s always a battle down to the very last second. Despite the bad call, both teams showed up to win and never stopped fighting. Whether you’re a Ravens fan, a Steelers fan or neither, this game was an exciting one to watch and the end for Baltimore of a very unpredictable season.