2 winners and (4 losers) from Ravens' back-breaking Week 14 loss to Steelers

The Baltimore Ravens lost in ugly fashion to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, 27-22. It was a must-win game, but they fell short of the comeback.

It was a season-deflating loss, as they once again find themselves in a hole in the playoff picture. The Steelers now lead the division by a game and hold a valuable tiebreaker over the Ravens for now.

Here are two winners and four losers from Baltimore’s Week 14 loss.

2 winners and (4 losers) from Ravens’ loss to Steelers

Loser: Daniel Faalele

It has been far from a good year for right guard Daniel Faalele. Fans have been calling for Head Coach John Harbaugh to bench him pretty much since Week 1, and on Sunday he gave them even more ammo to call for his starting spot.

Faalele is listed at 6-foot-8 and 370 pounds, yet he fails to hold blocks consistently. In Week 14, he had one of the worst reps of his career, getting beaten easily by Pittsburgh’s 5-foot-10 cornerback Brandin Echols for a sack on a critical third down.

That was far from the only play on which Faalele looked lost. According to CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson, quarterback Lamar Jackson spoke with him after a rough stretch of drives.

It is clear that the fanbase has already had enough of him, and with rookie offensive lineman Emery Jones Jr. progressing, it is fair to wonder if the team has had enough, too.

Loser: Zach Orr

It has been a while since Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr has made one of these lists as a loser. While he is far from the only person under scrutiny from this game, his unit allowed a floundering Steelers’ offense to look fluid.

The defense was looking like the group that was getting burned play after play early in the 2025 campaign. They allowed several big plays to Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf, and running back Kenneth Gainwell found some success in the red zone.

For a group that was adopting a bend-don’t-break mentality while limiting the big play, they strayed away from that philosophy on Sunday. They were back to their historically bad selves, letting quarterback Aaron Rodgers pick them apart all day.

Winner: Derrick Henry

It looked rough early, but Baltimore’s coaching staff finally let running back Derrick Henry dictate the game. There were a couple of drives in the first half where Henry was absent from the game plan, but the offense shifted its focus back to the 30-year-old in the second half.

Henry finished the game with 25 carries for 95 yards. He wore down the Steelers’ defense late in the game and is the whole reason Baltimore even had a chance of winning this game.

With the weather getting colder, Henry needs to get a heavier workload. His strong Week 14 outing should give him a ton of momentum heading into a tough upcoming schedule.

Winner: Lamar Jackson

The extra rest from the long week seemed to pay off for Jackson. While he was far from perfect, this is more due to the fact that Jackson actually looked healthy for once since returning from his hamstring injury.

He finished his day completing 19 of 35 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown and an interception. He also added 43 yards on the ground on seven carries, and also added another touchdown.

The passing attack is still out of sorts, and Jackson definitely has some plays he wishes he had back. However, the mobility and big-time throws returned. His posing a threat as a runner for the first time in a long time certainly helped the offense find success in the second half.

Loser: Pass rush

Did they make a single play? Rodgers had all the time in the world to throw the football, and he took whatever he wanted.

Their pass rush finished the day with zero sacks, and some of the defensive fronts Orr was running out there had people scratching their heads. Still, it did not matter who was getting after the quarterback, as they very rarely even got close to Rodgers. According to Tony Romo, they ran more cover-zero plays in a single game than they had all year, and they still could not generate pressure.

To be a competitive team and Super Bowl contender, you need a lethal pass rush unit. The Ravens do not have anywhere close to that.

Loser: Ravens’ playoff chances

Everyone knew this matchup was a must-win. A win would have seen Baltimore’s playoff odds skyrocket to 76%. A loss would see those odds plummet to 31%. Unfortunately, the latter happened.

Thankfully, the Cincinnati Bengals lost their Week 14 game to the Buffalo Bills, so that should be one less team to worry about. It is another week where the Bills helped Baltimore’s playoff odds significantly.

There is still a chance to earn a playoff berth, but this loss definitely puts their season on life support. Ultimately, though, the AFC North crown could still come down to the Ravens/Steelers rematch in Week 18.