Week 18’s Sunday Night Football clash between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers was an emotional rollercoaster. The regular-season finale saw four lead changes and was a one-score game for most of the evening, going down to the final play. It ended in dramatic fashion with Ravens rookie kicker Tyler Loop missing the go-ahead field goal from 44 yards as time expired, sending the Steelers to the playoffs and their first division title since 2025.
Loop immediately started crying and was consoled by teammates and coaches alike. It’s season suddenly over, Baltimore was stunned and devastated.
Pittsburgh, on the other hand, was elated and did not show any sympathy for its division rivals.
After the game, Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth had an obscene message for the Ravens, yelling “(bleep) ’em” repeatedly as he entered the locker room.
There is no love lost between these two franchises, who have played countless big games over the years. Last year, Baltimore ended Pittsburgh’s season in the Wild Card Round. This year, the Steelers returned the favor.
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Freiermuth has spent his entire five-year NFL career with Pittsburgh, so he’s experienced the ups and downs of the rivalry. This is his first division title, so it makes sense that he’s extra fired up.
The veteran tight end played a key role in the Steelers’ victory, catching three of his five targets for 51 receiving yards. He had a relatively quiet season by his standards but finished the year strong with at least 45 receiving yards in three of his last four games.
Pittsburgh will need him to have another strong performance this week if it wants to upset the Houston Texans and advance to the Divisional Round.
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