The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t just beat the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday — they stunned them. In a rivalry defined by bruising defense and razor‑thin margins, this 27–22 victory was packed with twists no one saw coming.
From Aaron Rodgers’ best performance in black and gold to a controversial overturned touchdown that flipped the AFC North race, the game delivered drama at every turn. What looked like a routine divisional clash quickly turned into a showcase of surprises that reshaped the Steelers’ season and left the Ravens reeling.
Here are some surprises from the victory.
James Pierre Pick
From not making the team to becoming a reliable starter and playmaker, Pierre’s addition to the Steelers defense went from an afterthought to him playing 86% of the snaps against the Ravens.
Pierre’s biggest impact came in the second quarter, as Ravens QB Lamar Jackson scrambled to extend a play, only to throw into Pierre’s direction. The Steelers corner leaped to catch the errant pass, the only interception committed by Jackson in the game.
The Steelers offense would take advantage of the turnover, going up 17-3 following the pick. Pierre would finish the afternoon with two passes defensed and five total tackles.
Aaron Rodgers Rushing TD
When is the last time you saw a 42-year-old quarterback scramble for a touchdown?
In the scorebook the run registered one yard, but it looked as if Rodgers had to run about twenty, as the veteran quarterback took matters into his own hands as a pass play broke down. Rodgers would run diagonally, and beat the Baltimore defenders to edge of the endzone for Pittsburgh’s first points on the day.
Deep Passes
After failing to connect on any deep passes in the month of November, and had a general lack of explosive plays. On Sunday, however, the Steelers had five passes go for 28 or more yards against the Ravens.
Aaron Rodgers connected with D.K. Metcalf on several of those plays, including gains of 52, 41, and 28 yards.
Rodgers also found Calvin Austin III for 31 yards and a wide-open Jaylen Warren out of the backfield – albeit a shorter throw than the others – went for 38 yards and a score.
Overturned TD
With just under three minutes left, it looked as though the Ravens had stolen the game back. Lamar Jackson dropped back and fired a strike to Isaiah Likely in the end zone, a. go‑ahead score that would have put the Ravens in front and shifted all the pressure back onto Pittsburgh.
On the field, it was ruled a touchdown — but as the officials huddled and the replay booth took a closer look, the mood shifted. Slow‑motion angles showed the ball slipping ever so slightly as Likely moved, and lost possession of the ball. The ruling was overturned, the touchdown nullified, and Pittsburgh held its lead.
We would love to show you the controversial play, but most videos of it have been scrubbed from Twitter/X. So the best we can do is offer the pool report, explaining the officials’ decision.
Here is the pool report from @jeffzrebiec on the Isaiah Likely overturned TD and more: pic.twitter.com/JSGSBSxYTv
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 8, 2025
The monumental swing from this play likely (pun intended) shifted the odds of the Steelers and Ravens chances of winning the AFC North, and also making the postseason. Wow.
Alex Highsmith Game-Ending Sack
As Steelers fans are well aware of, Lamar Jackson is a difficult quarterback to bring down. While Brandin Echols got to the Ravens quarterback earlier in the game, it was Alex Highsmith – one of several Steelers who left the field injured on Sunday – who returned to the game and called game.
On 3rd-and-1 with nine second remaining in the game, Jackson stepped back to pass from the Steelers 30-yard-line. As he scanned the field he felt pressure, and eventually was grabbed and brought down by Highsmith, for Pittsburgh’s second sack of the day.
With no timeouts remaining, the clock expired and the Steelers survived with a 27-22 win.