It has felt like it was coming down to this for several weeks now and here we are. It’s the final week of the 2025 season and the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Baltimore Ravens in a ‘do-or-die’ game for both teams. Here’s everything you need to know about the game.
What: Baltimore Ravens 8-8 at Pittsburgh Steelers 9-7
Where: Acrisure Stadium Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
When: Sunday January 4th, 2026 820pmET
Weather: 22 degrees and light winds at kickoff. No precipitation expected.
Surface: Natural Grass
Wagering Information: Ravens -3.5 O/U 40.5
Last Week: The Ravens went into Green Bay in a must-win situation and delivered. They beat the Packers 41-24. The Steelers meanwhile lost 13-6 in Cleveland.
TV: NBC Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analysis), Melissa Stark (field reporter)
TV Coverage in Your Area (courtesy 506sports.com): National TV Audience
Radio: Steelers Audio Network Rob King (play-by-play), Max Starks (analysis), Missi Matthews (field reporter)
Westwood One Radio: Ryan Radtke (play-by-play), Mike Golic (analysis)
Head Official: Shawn Smith. In his eighth season as a head official, Smith is in finance and is a graduate of Ferris State University. He has yet to officiate a Steelers’ game this season and has overseen the Ravens once back in October. His last Steelers’ game was a big win over the NY Jets in October of 2024. His crew has thrown 213 flags this season which put them in the lower half of all officials. His crew also calls on average about 1.5 more flags on the road team than they do the home team.
Game Status (courtesy steelers.com) PIT: NONE BAL: No. 7 WR Rashad Bateman (Illness) – Questionable
No. 58 DT Taven Brayn* (Knee) – Questionable, No. 44 CB Marlon Humphrey (Illness) – Questionable
* in the 21-day window designated to return from Injured Reserve
Injury Notes: For week 18 both teams are pretty healthy with their current rosters. T.J. Watt is expected to play but how much and how effective he can be is a major question.
2025 NFL Ranks:
Total Offense: PIT 26th, BAL 16th
Passing Offense: PIT 22nd, BAL 28th
Rushing Offense: PIT 26th, BAL 1st
Total Defense: PIT 27th, BAL 25th
Passing Defense: PIT 30th, BAL 29th
Rushing Defense: PIT 12th BAL 11th
AFC North Standings:
Pittsburgh 9-7
Baltimore 8-8
Cincinnati 6-10
Cleveland 4-12
This Week in the AFC North: Cleveland at Cincinnati 1pmET Sunday
What You Need to Know: The Ravens are 5-2 on the road this season… The Steelers are 5-3 as the home team in 2025… Pittsburgh is 33-30 all-time on Sunday Night and are 0-2 in 2025… The Steelers are 97-45-1 versus the AFC North all-time… Pittsburgh is 46-42 all-time in season finales and are 22-6 in home finales… The Steelers have the most wins (14) in season finales in the NFL since 2007… Pittsburgh is 9-3 this season when scoring 20 points or more.
Playoff Possibilities: Whoever wins, clinches the AFC North and will host a Wild-Card Game as the number four seed. The loser will start preparations for next year.
Tomlin Time: Coach Tomlin is now one win away from tying Chuck Noll (193) for ninth all-time in head coaching victories… Tomlin is 110-68-2 all-time in one score games… Coach T has 31 primetime wins since 2000. That’s second behind Andy Reid’s 34… Tomlin is 76-36-1 all-time versus the AFC North.
Baltimore Ravens Names to Know: QB Lamar Jackson, QB Tyler Huntley, RB Derrick Henry, WR Zay Flowers, TE Mark Andrews, TE Isaiah Likely, LB Roquan Smith, S Kyle Hamilton, K Tyler Loop, CB Marlon Humphrey, CB Nate Wiggins
What’s at Stake: The entire season.
All-Time Series: Steelers lead 37-27 and lead in Pittsburgh 21-12
Last Meeting: December 2025 in Baltimore. Steelers 27 Ravens 22
Postseason History: Steelers lead 3-2
Steelers Regular Season Game Highs vs BAL:
PASSING: 506 yards Ben Roethlisberger 12/10/2017
RUSHING: 144 yards Le’Veon Bell 10/01/2017
RECEIVING: 213 yards Antonio Brown 12/10/2017
SACKS: 3.5 T.J. Watt 12/05/2021, James Harrison 11/05/2017
INTERCEPTIONS: 2 Brent Alexander 01/20/2002, Dewayne Washington 09/19/1999
Check out the latest SCB Steelers Podcast for more on the Steelers.
Three Things We Need to See for a Steelers’ Victory:
–Stop Derrick Henry. That’s it. You stop him and your odds of winning increase dramatically.
–Win the Line of Scrimmage. This definitely goes for the above goal as well, but winning the line of scrimmage offensively is huge as well. The Steelers have to be able to run the ball well because without D.K. Metcalf, the passing game is a mess as we saw last week. Running the ball will give Aaron Rodgers more time and hopefully give his group of ‘cast off’ receivers more time to get open. Both Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell need big days and that will start up front.
–A Danny Smith Special. Field position is going to be huge in a game that is expected to be close. Corliss Waitman has to be precise when needed and have that big leg when needed too. Chris Boswell has missed a field goal in each of the last two games so he needs a strong performance as well. Ultimately, STs comes down to blocking and tackling. Danny Smith’s group needs a big night in the Burgh.
The ‘X’ Factor: Each week I will select a player from each team who I believe will need to play above and beyond in order for his team to win.
X-Factor Steelers: Aaron Rodgers. Look, this is exactly why Mike Tomlin went out and got Rodgers. Rodgers has to be the steady hand that the offense needs in this high-stakes situation. He has to make the right adjustments and get the offense into the right plays when warranted. A poor performance from him could mean the end of his time in Pittsburgh.
X-Factor Ravens: Zay Flowers. The Steelers will sell out to stop Derrick Henry and while the tight ends are always dangerous for Baltimore, Flowers is the guy who can not only catch the ball but also run with it. Obviously how they defend him will be based on situational football but the bottom line is that if he starts making plays down the field then the Steelers could be in trouble as that will open up the running game.
Prediction: Last week felt… Like a ‘Mike Tomlin Special’ didn’t it? It was hard to find any Steelers’ fan who had 100% confidence in a win over the Browns. That ‘lack of faith’ was rewarded… Now this one feels different. I admit, it’s going to be a tall order but it also feels like a game that Mike Tomlin wins. Aaron Rodgers made a comment this week that he rarely has two bad games in a row. That had better hold true Sunday Night and I think it will.
Steelers 20 Ravens 17
Season Prediction Record: 8-8
