Fans cheering in snowy Lambeau Field with yellow and black balloons hovering and a giant TV screen showing live stats

Ravens Face Steelers in Do-or-Die AFC North Showdown

At a Glance

  • 8-8 Ravens take on 9-7 Steelers on Jan. 4 in a championship-style showdown.
  • The winner moves to the postseason; the loser is eliminated.
  • Lamar Jackson is expected to return after a Week 16 injury.
  • Why it matters: This game decides the AFC North champion and the next playoff team.

Sunday Night Football pits the 8-8 Baltimore Ravens against the 9-7 Pittsburgh Steelers in a do-or-die matchup that will crown the AFC North champion and determine the next playoff spot.

The Game: Ravens vs Steelers

The final Sunday Night Football of the 2025 regular season is essentially the AFC North championship. The winner advances to the postseason while the loser is eliminated. The game will be played at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.

Season Recaps

The Ravens started 1-5 before rallying after Lamar Jackson returned from injury. Jackson was injured again in Week 16, but backup Tyler Huntley kept Baltimore alive with a shootout win over the Packers in Green Bay last Saturday. News Of Los Angeles’s Ian Rapoport stated:

> “cautiously optimistic” that Jackson will play.

  • 1-5 start
  • Jackson returned after injury
  • Huntley’s win kept season alive

Steelers Situation

Pittsburgh lost a 13-6 game to the lowly Cleveland Browns, missing a division title that could have been secured with a win. Head coach Mike Tomlin has already clinched his 19th straight season without a losing record. The Steelers have not won the AFC North since 2020.

  • 13-6 loss to Browns
  • Division title slipped away
  • 19th straight non-losing season

Game Details

The game kicks off at 5:20 p.m. PT on Sunday, Jan. 4. It will air on News Of Los Angeles and News Of Los Angeles, with Mike Tirico on play-by-play, Cris Collinsworth as analyst and Melissa Stark on the sidelines. Pregame coverage starts at 4 p.m. PT with “Football Night in America”.

Platform Play-by-Play Analyst Sideline
News Of Los Angeles Mike Tirico Cris Collinsworth Melissa Stark
Tyler Huntley stands field point with a football while Lamar Jackson jersey hangs nearby and headlines of Ian Rapoport.
  • Live stream: News Of Los Angeles and News Of Los Angeles.com
  • Mobile app: News Of Los Angeles mobile app (Apple/Android), News Of Los Angeles mobile app
  • Musical show opening: multi-platinum, GRAMMY-Award-winning singer stars for the 13th consecutive NFL season.

Key Takeaways

  • The 8-8 Ravens face the 9-7 Steelers for the AFC North title.
  • Lamar Jackson is expected to return after a Week 16 injury.
  • The game will be broadcast on News Of Los Angeles and News Of Los Angeles with live streaming options.

This high-stakes showdown will decide who advances to the postseason and who ends their season.

Author

  • My name is Amanda S. Bennett, and I am a Los Angeles–based journalist covering local news and breaking developments that directly impact our communities.

    Amanda S. Bennett covers housing and urban development for News of Los Angeles, reporting on how policy, density, and displacement shape LA neighborhoods. A Cal State Long Beach journalism grad, she’s known for data-driven investigations grounded in on-the-street reporting.

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