The Baltimore Ravens walked off their home turf Sunday afternoon with a 27–22 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers — a game that didn’t just hurt in the standings but also exposed the recurring issues that have defined this 2025 season.
Baltimore now sits at 6–7, watching the AFC North slip further out of reach and running short on opportunities to prove they can be more than a talented but inconsistent team.
Sunday’s game was a clinic in between-the-20s production and inside-the-20s frustration.
Baltimore outgained Pittsburgh 420–318. They dominated on the ground with 217 rushing yards to the Steelers’ 34. They controlled tempo, field position, and time of possession.
And it didn’t matter.
Why? Because the Ravens turned promising drives into field goals and punts when drives couldn’t be sustained. The overturned Isaiah Likely touchdown — which would’ve given the Ravens the lead late in the fourth — was the most dramatic example, but not the only one. Too often, Baltimore schemes long, successful drives only to stumble when precision and execution matter most. On Sunday Baltimore was two for six inside the twenty, and in the fourth quarter they settled for two field goals on three trips and they turned the other over on downs.
As has been said all season, this is a team with way too much talent to struggle to put the ball into the endzone. Yesterday was the sixth straight game that the Ravens failed to reach thirty points.
That’s the difference between a playoff team and a team watching the postseason from the couch.
This hardly is something new.
It’s been somewhat perplexing how a team with basically the same players can go from the NFL’s best team in red zone efficiency (74%) to one of the league’s worst (44%).
I say somewhat because the reasons are many and they have been outlined on this site many times.
The offensive line has been an issue with inconsistent play from both Guards highlighting the misery. Daniel Faalelee mistakes have become a regular lowlight for many Twitter followers and while Andrew Vorhees hasn’t been much better it looked as if rookie Emery Jones was going to be rotated in at the position. That didn’t happen as Vorhees went the distance.
Another piece that maybe hasn’t discussed enough is Lamar Jackson’s inability and unwillingness to use his legs.
It was good to see Jackson get his first touchdown in a month with his six-yard scramble as he had seven carries for forty-three yards, which is the first time since the Kansas City game that he’s rushed for more than forty yards in a game. In fact, he appeared to be moving better than we’ve seen in a while as he’s been dealing with multiple injuries.
The fact is that a mobile and healthy Lamar masks any deficiencies on the offensive line and it puts the defense at an immediate disadvantage. When he isn’t a threat to run he’s a good quarterback but not a great one.
This team is frustrating because the pieces are all there: a former MVP at quarterback, difference-makers on defense, a creative run game, offensive weapons, and a culture that has historically thrived under pressure.
But 6–7 is 6–7. The Ravens have exhausted their buffer. The division is drifting toward Pittsburgh, and the AFC playoff picture is increasingly crowded.
Still — the Ravens aren’t dead. Not yet, at least mathematically.
If they fix red-zone execution, start games with urgency, and lean into their veteran leadership, this team absolutely has the horses to sprint through the finish. But if they continue to play like a team hoping things go right instead of making things go right, this season will be remembered as one where promise gave way to inconsistency.
The Ravens have reached their reckoning.
Matt has lived in Maryland his entire life and is a graduate of Calvert Hall and Towson University. has always been an avid Baltimore sports fan. Since 2007, he has been writing and talking about Baltimore sports, especially the Ravens. His work has appeared on Ravens Gab, Russell Street Report, and he currently co-hosts a podcast “The Blitz- A Ravens podcast” with Brent Harris.