The Baltimore Ravens dropped their Thanksgiving game to the Bengals but fortunately for them, the Steelers also lost meaning the good guys are still in the driver's seat in the AFC North title race. That is not something anyone would have predicted when the Ravens began the year with a 1-5 record and looked down for the count.
Next week is a massive game for Baltimore, as it will host the Steelers in the rivalry's first showdown of the 2025 regular season. The winner of this game moves to 7-6 while the loser drops to 6-7 and will have its work cut out for them in trying to claw its way back into the division title race.
Fortunately for the Ravens, the Steelers' ship might already be sinking. After getting blown out by the Bills in Week 13, quarterback Aaron Rodgers wasted no time throwing his teammates under the bus and that drama is music to Ravens fans' ears.
When asked after the Steelers' loss how to get more production in the passing game, Rodgers responded, "When there's film sessions, everybody shows up. And when I check to a route, it'll be the right route. Jonnu [Smith] and I just weren't on the same page. He checked to his in-breaker and he ran out of breaker. Jonnu's a true professional so I'm sure you know he's sick about that."
Wow, he really just went there, didn't he? Rodgers didn't hesitate throwing tight end Jonnu Smith under the bus after the two, in his words, "weren't on the same page". What kind of message does this send to the Steelers team if the 41-year-old quarterback who was brought in to help the team win a playoff game immediately throws a teammate under the bus after a tough loss?
Aaron Rodgers throwing teammates under the bus is great news for Ravens
This drama comes just in time for the Ravens/Steelers showdown and it just so happens that first place in the AFC North is on the line. As mentioned earlier, a win here is massive because it'll shift the odds of winning the division in the favor of whoever is victorious. The Ravens have a bit of a tough road to close out the year with two games against Pittsburgh, one against the Bengals, one against the Patriots, and one against the Packers so any wins they can get now will go a long way for them in the final month of the season.
Ravens fans had an inkling that when Rodgers joined the Steelers late in the offseason that it'd end up going like this. At times, he looks like the Rodgers of old but, for the most part, he's looked like a quarterback in his early 40s inching closer to the end of his playing. Hopefully the Ravens get the latter version of him this weekend in Baltimore so they can take further control of the AFC North title race.