The Ravens’ season ended in heartbreak as Tyler Loop missed a FG on his final play in a 26-24 loss to the Steelers
PITTSBURGH — A week ago, Ravens coach John Harbaugh’s home watch party for the Steelers’ loss to the Browns in Cleveland turned “open,” the 18th-year coach said. However, on Sunday night, the mood turned somber.
In a win-or-go-home contest against its biggest rival, Baltimore’s season fizzled like week-old champagne, at least when it mattered most.
Trailing the Steelers 26-24 with 2 seconds left in a wild back-and-forth second half of back-and-forth lead changes, rookie kicker Tyler Loop missed a 44-yard field goal attempt wide right as time expired.
Super Bowl favorites early in the season, the Ravens’ championship hopes were officially extinguished at the confluence of the Ohio, Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers, where so many of their dreams had died before and happened once again in a most excruciating way.
Even when the Ravens looked like they would find a way to win, they couldn’t.
Leading 24-20 with just two minutes remaining after Lamar Jackson (11 of 18 passing, 238 yards, three touchdowns, one interception) connected on a 64-yard touchdown pass to Zay Flowers for the go-ahead score, 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers (31 of 47 passing, 294 yards, one touchdown) drove the Steelers 65 yards in six plays, connecting with a wide-open Calvin Austin III in a broken coverage for the game-tying score.
Still, Baltimore has a chance.
Steelers kicker Chris Boswell missed the extra point, and Keaton Mitchell’s punt return cost the Ravens the ball at midfield. Facing a fourth-and-7 from the 50, Jackson connected with Isaiah Likely, who made a spectacular jumper to put the Ravens within field goal range.
But like many opportunities, this was one that was missed.
A loss to Pittsburgh in the final week of the regular season officially eliminated Baltimore from playoff contention. The Steelers are AFC North champions for the first time since 2020 and will host a wild card playoff game against the Houston Texans next Monday night. The Ravens’ players will be out on Monday after Baltimore failed to reach the postseason for the first time since 2021.
The loss was also the fifth in Baltimore’s last six trips to the Steel City. More importantly, it brings to an end a year that started with so much hope and ended in failure, with only frustrations and questions that will reverberate in the weeks and months to come.
Questions about Harbaugh’s future, questions about his respective offensive and defensive coordinators Todd Monken and Zach Orr, and even the franchise quarterback who eight years ago on draft night promised to bring the Vince Lombardi trophy to Charm City. Instead, we have to wait until next year – again.
Whatever the impact, these Ravens almost certainly won’t look the same next season.
As for this 30th anniversary campaign, it will be considered a sad disaster.
It was just two years ago that the Ravens were on the brink of the sport’s final and biggest game. Harbaugh and Jackson led the Ravens to the NFL’s best 13-4 record and the AFC championship game at M&T Bank Stadium.
But Baltimore did too often what they’ve done too often lately when the stakes are high and came up short in a 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, with questionable coaching decisions regarding play calling, missed scoring opportunities, and three costly turnovers that provided plenty of passing and upsets in the off-season.
Last season, the Ravens stumbled early – the sting of the previous year may still remain – but bounced back. Facing a two-game deficit in the division with four games remaining, they prevailed, including against the archrival Steelers, to capture their second straight AFC North crown.
However, their postseason woes continued, falling 27-25 to the Buffalo Bills in a performance marred by three key turnovers, including two by Jackson, and a game-tying 2-point conversion pass by Mark Andrews with 93 seconds remaining.
This time, and despite expectations, the Ravens didn’t even get that far.
Five losses in their first six games – including squandering a 15-point fourth-quarter lead to the Bills in upstate New York – nearly doomed their chances from the start. Along the way, Jackson suffered a hamstring injury and missed three games, two of which were losses.
However, as in previous years, the Ravens dug themselves out of the hole they dug for themselves, reeling off five straight wins to climb to the top of the division. Turning the corner?
It’s all just a temptation.
Baltimore lost two straight divisional games at home, matched a franchise high with five turnovers in a Thanksgiving night debacle against the Cincinnati Bengals at home then got bullied by the Steelers the next week. The first shutout of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s NFL career followed, then the Ravens took another double-digit lead in the fourth quarter, this time to the New England Patriots in Baltimore.
With Jackson out injured after suffering a back injury in the loss, the Ravens rode Derrick Henry’s long, strong legs to a win over the Green Bay Packers last week to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Steelers livened them up further with a loss to the Browns a day later, setting up the first matchup for the division title in the final week of the season between the old foes.
But like any year for the Ravens, this is one step forward, two steps back. Now the party is over.
This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1.
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