If the Pittsburgh Steelers came into this Wild Card matchup hoping to erase their four-game losing streak and salvage their season, the Baltimore Ravens made sure to bury those hopes in the first half. At halftime, Baltimore leads 21-0, and the Steelers aren’t just losing a game—they’re losing faith in their head coach.
This isn’t a close contest between two AFC North rivals. It’s a beatdown, plain and simple. Lamar Jackson has diced up Pittsburgh’s defense with his arm and legs, while Derrick Henry has reminded everyone why he’s the league’s most feared power back. The Ravens' defense? They’re suffocating Pittsburgh’s offense, turning Russell Wilson’s big-game experience into a footnote.
If you’re scrolling Steelers X (or Twitter), you’ll find it’s less about what adjustments they can make and more about whether this should be the final chapter of the Mike Tomlin era.
The Ravens are exposing Mike Tomlin and the Steelers
Baltimore started the game with a pair of long, grinding touchdown drives that chewed up clock and Pittsburgh’s willpower. The offensive line neutralized T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, giving Jackson the time to find Rashod Bateman and Isaiah Likely in key moments. Henry’s bruising runs—already at 100 yards and counting—have set the tone for a Ravens offense that looks unstoppable.
Pittsburgh, on the other hand, can’t get out of its own way. The Steelers’ lone bright spot has been… punting? That’s not an exaggeration. The offense has produced just 63 total yards, and Russell Wilson’s longest pass traveled a measly nine yards. Najee Harris has been bottled up to the tune of 12 rushing yards, and their receiving corps, led by George Pickens, is nowhere to be found.
On defense, Pittsburgh looks overmatched. They’re biting on play fakes, missing tackles, and giving up chunk plays left and right. By the time Jackson connected with Justice Hill on a five-yard touchdown pass to close out the half, you could almost feel the collective groan from Steelers Nation.
This game isn’t just about a bad half—it feels like the culmination of years of playoff disappointment under Tomlin. The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since 2016, and this performance only adds to the growing frustration in Pittsburgh.
Fans have long pointed to Tomlin’s ability to avoid losing seasons as a reason to keep him around, but what good is a 10-7 record if it leads to this? The Ravens are dismantling the Steelers in every phase, and Tomlin’s sideline demeanor—a mix of stoicism and apparent helplessness—isn’t helping.
Second half update:
Midway through the third quarter, the Steelers came alive offensively and drove 98 yards in three minutes and 24 seconds to put up their first points in the game. The Ravens lead 21-7.
And just like that, the Ravens wasted no time driving the ball down the field themselves. Enter Derrick Henry who is running through anything and everything. Baltimore answered the Steelers' score immediately. Henry ripped off a 44-yard touchdown run just two minutes later, extending the Flock's lead 28-7. Meanwhile, Henry has amassed 155 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries.
Social media had itself a Tomlin halftime moment:
Mike might want to check his boarding pass:
FIRE MIKE TOMLIN TONIGHT!!!!!!
— Irrelevant Sports Takes (@IrrelevantSpor) January 12, 2025
Do not let him on the team plane home. It is time he thinks about his playoff failures and actually put effort into the future of this organization
Apparently, no one is safe:
Fire Mike Tomlin
— Dalton Oneal West (@DaltonWest12) January 12, 2025
Fire Teryl Austin
Fire Arthur Smith
Fire everybody and start fresh
Things are escalating quickly:
Fire Mike Tomlin, trade TJ Watt, sell the team. Draft Drew Allar and get us the first round pick for the next three years.
— Brian (@BhuBez19) January 12, 2025
Living proof, you truly can never say never:
Never ever been a fire Mike Tomlin guy. But it’s time
— The Contract (@theschwanzman) January 12, 2025