The Pittsburgh Steelers kept their playoff hopes alive with a 16-13 win against the Baltimore Ravens in their NFL Week 17 match. The victory was sealed by a touchdown pass from Kenny Pickett to Najee Harris in the fourth quarter. The Steelers now need to defeat the Cleveland Browns next weekend and for both the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots to lose to make the playoffs.
“Confidence that I had in myself is showing up on the field, and I think guys are starting to feel that, which is always good,” Pickett said.
“Going into the huddle and seeing how confident everyone is, as a quarterback you know they have a lot of belief in you, and I have a lot of belief in those guys in the huddle. When that is there you have a shot. So, it’s a step in the right direction. There’s a lot of business left to take care of.”
Steelers Break the Curse
As far as the 2022 Pittsburgh Steelers were concerned, facing an impending 10-point or more deficit has typically resulted in doom and gloom. That was until Week 17 when the Steelers squared off against the Baltimore Ravens. By Kenny Pickett’s clutch touchdown with under a minute to go in the game, Pittsburgh mounted an epic comeback from being down 13-3 and topped their AFC North rivals 16-13 at the end of regulation.
Before Sunday’s impressive feat, the Steelers had come up short in seven such games where they fell behind by double digits. The fact they carved out a victory despite so many odds stacked against them speaks volumes about their resilience, grit, and determination. It will be interesting to see if similar heroics are in store when Pittsburgh resumes its campaign next season.
Ravens Collapse Again
Meanwhile, the Ravens suffered another heart-breaking loss, specifically, collapsing at the end and losing the game despite dominating for most of the time. This marks the fourth time this year that they have given up a second-half lead, including a nine-point lead to the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier this season. The Ravens will now be hoping fervently for a Bengals misstep as they look to dethrone them from atop the AFC North.
With the Ravens’ recent loss, the Cincinnati Bengals may cement a commanding 12-4 record in the AFC North if they managed to win over the Buffalo Bills which is currently a 1.5-point favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Up Next…
The Baltimore Ravens will have an all-out battle against their Divisional Rivals – Cincinnati Bengals, to end their season. It will be interesting to see if the Ravens will use this opportunity to prove their worth or if the Bengals will maintain their grip on the AFC North throne.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, on the other hand, are set to face off against the Cleveland Browns in Week 18. The stakes have never been higher as they are one win away from making the playoffs. Will they be able to seal the deal with a win over the Browns? Only time will tell.
Stay tuned to find out which team has their hands on the AFC North title and who will secure a playoff spot in Week 18!
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