The Baltimore Ravens entered their AFC Wild Card matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers with something to prove. After another strong regular season, the narrative was clear: it was time to show they could be more than just a regular-season juggernaut. The Ravens needed to prove to themselves—and to football fans everywhere—that they could rise to the occasion in January.
The challenge wasn’t just external; it was about meeting their own lofty standard. Heading into the playoffs, Baltimore had dismantled its final four opponents by a combined score of 135-43. Both offense and defense were firing on all cylinders, steamrolling everything in their path. The team had built up a reputation as an unstoppable force, taking every punch opponents threw and hitting back harder. The question wasn’t whether Baltimore was good—it was whether they could maintain that dominance when it mattered most.
Against Pittsburgh, they answered that question emphatically.
The Ravens not only beat the Steelers, they left no doubt about who was the better team. Though the 28-14 final score might suggest a competitive game, the truth is, this one was never close. Pittsburgh looked helpless against Baltimore's relentless attack. Derrick Henry ran wild, racking up 186 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Lamar Jackson played it cool and efficient, throwing for 175 yards and two touchdowns of his own. And on defense? Baltimore made a statement, holding Pittsburgh to a paltry 63 total yards in the first half.
It wasn’t just a win—it was a dismantling.
But this victory carried more weight than most. It wasn’t just about advancing in the playoffs; it was about exposing the Steelers for what they truly were this season: frauds. And in the process, it shone an unforgiving spotlight on Mike Tomlin's shortcomings as a head coach. For a franchise built on toughness and playoff success, the Ravens’ domination felt like a harsh reality check for Pittsburgh fans.
Baltimore’s performance didn’t just send a message—it may have sealed a fate.
Ravens add to Mike Tomlin’s historic playoff struggles
It wasn’t a secret the Steelers were limping into the playoffs. Pittsburgh came into the game on a four-game losing streak, having been outscored 109-57 by playoff-bound teams. The writing was on the wall long before the postseason began, but Steelers fans still clung to hope that Tomlin could pull off a miracle.
The Ravens, on the other hand, entered the matchup as a team firing on all cylinders, ready to deliver the knockout punch to a division rival in disarray.
That hope was crushed under the weight of reality.
The Steelers entered this game already tied to a troubling narrative: five straight playoff losses and no postseason wins in seven years. After the Ravens' dismantling, those streaks now extend to six straight losses and eight years of futility. For a fanbase that once considered playoff success an annual expectation, this prolonged drought is nothing short of humiliating.
Adding insult to injury, Pittsburgh’s sixth consecutive playoff loss ties the Miami Dolphins for the longest streak in NFL history. Ravens fans couldn’t have asked for a more satisfying script. Tying the Dolphins for such an infamous streak? That’s a punchline Baltimore can enjoy for years.
But it paints a harsher picture for Pittsburgh: Mike Tomlin and his team are playoff frauds, and Baltimore officially exposed them as such.
The details of this game tell the story of a team completely out of its depth. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith managed a dismal 29 rushing yards on 2.6 yards per carry. His offense somehow looked worse than it did under Matt Canada last season—a feat few thought possible.
Meanwhile, quarterback Russell Wilson’s final stat line (20 of 29 for 270 yards and two touchdowns) looked good on paper but was deceptive. He managed just 44 passing yards in the first half, and the Steelers didn’t put any points on the board until the second half. The defense didn’t fare much better, allowing Derrick Henry to carve them up for 100 yards in the first half alone and finish with 186 yards and two touchdowns.
The Steelers were completely outclassed in every facet of the game.
When will this lack of playoff success finally force the Steelers to make a change? Mike Tomlin is undeniably a good football coach, but things in Pittsburgh are going from bad to worse. Nearly a decade of playoff irrelevance should be enough to put Tomlin on the hot seat.
The Steelers haven’t just fallen short—they've been outright non-competitive in January. Running it back next year and hoping for different results would only prolong their misery (so maybe don't do anything).
Ravens fans can take pride in knowing that their team didn’t just advance to the next round—they may have delivered the final blow to a rival’s era of mediocrity. Baltimore didn’t just win—they sent Pittsburgh spiraling toward an offseason of tough questions and potential upheaval. The Ravens proved they’re built for January, and they may have ended an era in Pittsburgh while they were at it.