Pittsburgh Review

With the absence of Pro Bowl wide receiver Zay Flowers due to a knee injury, the Baltimore Ravens focused on their ground game against the Pittsburgh Steelers during their AFC Super Wild Card matchup at M&T Bank Stadium. Despite the Steelers' strong run defense, ranked sixth in the NFL for the regular season, they faced challenges from Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry.

Derrick Henry rushed for 186 yards and two touchdowns, while Lamar Jackson contributed 80 rushing yards along with 175 passing yards and two touchdown passes. The Ravens secured a 28-14 victory over the Steelers.

"Congratulations to the Ravens," stated Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. "They were the better team. That was obvious. The X-factor was Lamar's talents."

The defeat marks another early playoff exit for Pittsburgh, ending their season in the Wild Card round for the fourth time since 2020.

The Ravens' win is their second consecutive victory over Pittsburgh following a previous loss earlier in the season. Derrick Henry's performance continued his streak of impressive playoff games, having rushed for over 150 yards in four straight postseason appearances.

Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns but struggled to match Baltimore's offensive output as Pittsburgh managed only 29 rushing yards on 11 carries.

"We just weren't good enough," Tomlin commented on his team's performance.

Baltimore capitalized on its offensive opportunities early, taking a significant lead by halftime with contributions from both Jackson and Henry. The Steelers managed to score twice in response but were unable to close the gap significantly as Baltimore maintained control throughout much of the game.

"The opportunity was there," said Cam Heyward, defensive captain of the Steelers. "But our execution was not."