If you heard a loud thud just after 11:30 Sunday night, it was likely all of Pittsburgh collectively falling off the edge of its seat.
The Steelers’ shocking 26-24 victory culminated with Ravens rookie kicker Tyler Loop missing a 44-yard field goal as time expired, crowing the Steelers champions of the AFC North and sending them into the playoffs.
WIDE RIGHT! STEELERS TAKE THE DIVISION! pic.twitter.com/4GOByZpx98
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) January 5, 2026
When Loop’s kick leaked wide right, it capped a frantic fourth quarter that included four lead changes, 324 total yards and four touchdowns.
To recap, the Steelers led 13-10 after Chris Boswell’s 25-yard field goal late in the third quarter.
After the teams exchanged punts, Baltimore pulled ahead with 8:42 left in the game when QB Lamar Jackson found WR Zay Flowers for a 50-yard TD and a 17-13 lead.
Flowers: Delivered. ???? pic.twitter.com/71AJCJUfOP
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) January 5, 2026
The Steelers responded five minutes later when RB Kenny Gainwell ran in for a 2-yard score and a 20-17 advantage.
STEELERS RETAKE THE LEAD. ????
???? NFL
pic.twitter.com/8vHtGQ4jgm— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) January 5, 2026
That lead was short-lived as Jackson needed just three plays to retake the lead, connecting again with a wide-open Flowers for a 64-yard TD strike and 24-20 advantage.
BACK-AND-FORTH WE GO.
???? NFL | ???? NBC and Peacock
pic.twitter.com/esTY6pdAgU— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) January 5, 2026
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers then quickly marched downfield, finding Calvin Austin III on a 26-yard touchdown strike with 55 seconds remaining.
The Steelers went 65 yards in six plays as Rodgers connected with Austin (16 yards), Adam Thielen (8 yards) and Gainwell (15 yards) before finding Austin alone down the far sideline.
THIS. GAME. ROCKS.
???? NFL | ???? NBC and Peacock
pic.twitter.com/nyPoRFMOga— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) January 5, 2026
Before Pittsburghers had finished celebrating taking a 26-24 lead, the mega-reliable Boswell pushed his extra-point attempt to right and fear again set in among Steeler Nation.
Potentially pivotal missed extra point keeps this a two-point game.
BALvsPIT on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/mYc2crKICe— NFL (@NFL) January 5, 2026
Jackson got the Ravens into field goal range with a 26-yard floater to TE Isaiah Likely on a fourth-and-7, as the tension continued to mount. Then there was an overwhelming sigh of relief (or astonishment) from the Steelers sideline when Loop’s field-goal attempt sailed wide of the upright.
Up for reliving some other wild and memorable Steelers finishes? Here’s a few to get the heart pumping:
The Immaculate Reception (1972)
This became one of the greatest plays in NFL history. There were 22 seconds left in an AFC Divisional playoff game at Three Rivers Stadium, with the Steelers trailing the Oakland Raiders, 7-6. On fourth-and-10 from their own 40-yard line, QB Terry Bradshaw threw to RB Frenchy Fuqua over the middle. Raiders safety Jack Tatum, Fuqua and the ball converged simultaneously, and the ball popped out.
That’s when Steelers RB Franco Harris, who was trailing the play, snatched the ball just before it hit the ground and sprinted more than 40 yards for a touchdown to seal an unlikely 13-7 victory.
It was the franchise’s first playoff victory and sent the Steelers to the AFC championship game, igniting a run of four Super Bowl titles (1975, ‘76, ‘79, ‘80).
Super Bowl XLIII (2009)
This iconic game in Steelers’ lore included a 100-yard touchdown return by linebacker James Harrison that is one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history.
#3: The Immaculate Interception – James Harrison 100-yard interception return TD (+29%)
Super Bowl 43: @steelers 27 – @AZCardinals 23
The only first-half play on this list, Harrison’s pick and ensuing runback was likely a 14-point swing. The Arizona Cardinals were at the goal… pic.twitter.com/lefuvqEOKw
— Sportico (@Sportico) February 9, 2025
But it turned out that wasn’t even be the biggest play of the game.
The Steelers led 17-7 after Harrison’s interception return just before halftime and added a Jeff Reed field goal in the third quarter for a 20-7 advantage.
Arizona then rallied in the fourth quarter with two touchdown receptions from Larry Fitzgerald and a safety to take a 23-20 lead.
But QB Ben Roethlisberger drove the Steelers 78 yards in the final three minutes, finding Santonio Holmes on the absolute edge of the end zone for a 6-yard TD and a 27-23 victory in Super Bowl XLIII.
2️⃣5️⃣ DAYS UNTIL THE DRAFT
Santonio Holmes was the 25th pick by the @steelers in 2006. He went on to make one of the best catches in Super Bowl history while also winning #SBXLIII MVP ???? pic.twitter.com/stW2T79m30
— NFL (@NFL) March 30, 2025
AFC championship game (1995)
With a trip the Super Bowl on the line, the Steelers rejoiced when a Hail Mary attempt somehow fell to the ground.
The Steelers won the 1995 AFC Championship game, 20-16, over the Indianapolis Colts when Jim Harbaugh’s 29-yard pass fell incomplete despite falling into the lap of a falling Aaron Bailey.
I was convinced for 10 good seconds that Aaron Bailey caught it. Fun conversation here between Peyton and Jim Harbaugh on that infamous play (and Harbaugh punching Jim Kelly?!?)
Full ep now streaming on ESPN+???? pic.twitter.com/qBBhVjzHBr
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) November 16, 2025
The Steelers led 13-9 after Norm Johnson’s 36-yard field goal in the third quarter. The Colts then pulled ahead 16-13 when Harbaugh hit Floyd Turner for a 47-yard strike. After the teams traded punts, Bam Morris’ 1-yard TD run put the Steelers in front 20-16 with 1:34 left.
AFC Wild Card game (2016)
Twists and turns would be an understatement for this classic battle of AFC North foes.
The Steelers and Bengals traded blows, literally and figuratively in the AFC Wild Card game in 2016. AJ McCarron gave the Bengals a 16-15 lead with 1:50 left in the game with a 25-yard TD pass to A.J. Green. Steelers QB Landry Jones, in for an injured Ben Roethlisberger, was then intercepted by Bengals LB Vontaze Burfict.
That momentum quickly changed when Steelers LB Ryan Shazier stripped Bengals RB Jeremy Hill on the ensuing play, and the Steelers’ Ross Cockrell recovered.
Roethlisberger returned despite a shoulder injury, and led the Steelers down the field. His pass over the middle to WR Antonio Brown fell incomplete, but Burfict drilled Brown in the head and was penalized. Two additional personal foul penalties by Bengals DB Adam “Pacman” Jones set up Boswell for a 35-yard field goal with 14 seconds left and secured an 18-16 victory.
When Vontaze Burfict lit up Antonio Brown with a nasty hit ????????pic.twitter.com/DgYlIE9jv2 https://t.co/ASfRaaKLZS
— Touchdown Central (@TouchdownHQ) November 21, 2025
The Steelers advanced to play Denver in the AFC divisional round.
AFC Wild Card game (2003)
Quarterback Tommy Maddox showed why he was the NFL Comeback Player of the Year when he engineered a rally in the second half to lead the Steelers past the Browns, 36-33, in the AFC Wild Card game in 2003.
The Steelers trailed 27-14 in the fourth quarter. After three touchdowns and a safety, they triumphed over the rival Browns.
Maddox threw a 3-yard TD pass to TE Jerame Tuman with 13:15 left. After Cleveland responded with a TD drive to make it 33-21, the teams traded punts before Maddox again drove the Steelers 77 yards in 10 plays, capped by a 5-yard TD pass to Hines Ward to make it 33-28.
After forcing a three-and-out, the Steelers went 61 yards in six plays, as RB Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala scored on a 3-yard TD run for a 36-33 lead. The Steelers defense then secured the win, thwarting QB Kelly Holcomb’s final drive.
WildCard 2002 AFC
Steelers remontan una desventaja de 17 puntos en la 2da mitad 33-21 en los últimos 3 minutos para vencer a los Browns 36-33
• Maddox 30-48, 367 yardas, 3 TD, 2 INT
• Fuamatu-Ma'afala TD
• primera vez que se tocó Renegade en el estadio
pic.twitter.com/V6xDYLmTFc— Fernando Von Rossum (@fvonrossum) January 5, 2023
AFC Wild Card game (1989)
Gary Anderson’s overtime field goal gave the Steelers a 26-23 victory over the Houston Oilers in this classic playoff matchup.
The Steelers’ defense held Houston to just three Tony Zendejas field goals through three quarters, but QB Warren Moon connected with Ernest Givins for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter as the Oilers took a 23-16 lead.
Merril Hoge’s 2-yard TD run with 46 seconds left sent the game overtime.
After the Steelers punted, the Oilers were driving, but Rod Woodson forced and recovered a Lorenzo White fumble. The Steelers moved the ball to the 33-yard line, where Anderson drilled a 50-yard field goal down the middle for the win.
