Honestly, if you want to understand why the AFC North is the most stressful division in football, you just have to look at the Ravens vs Steelers 2022 series. It wasn't pretty. In fact, it was often downright ugly. But that’s the point. These two teams don't play "pretty" football; they play a 60-minute game of chicken where the first one to blink usually gets their season ruined.
The 2022 season was weird for both squads. Lamar Jackson was dealing with knee issues that eventually sidelined him. Ben Roethlisberger had finally retired, leaving the Steelers in a bit of an identity crisis with Mitch Trubisky and rookie Kenny Pickett. Yet, despite the musical chairs at quarterback, the games were absolute grinders. We’re talking about two contests decided by a combined five points.
The December Slog in Pittsburgh
The first meeting on December 11, 2022, was a classic "throw the record books out" kind of day. The Ravens limped into Acrisure Stadium without Lamar Jackson. Tyler Huntley got the start, but then he got knocked out with a concussion. Enter Anthony Brown—an undrafted rookie who had basically zero expectations on his shoulders.
Most teams would fold. The Ravens just ran the ball 42 times.
J.K. Dobbins, fresh off the injured reserve after his second knee surgery, looked like a man possessed. He racked up 120 yards and a touchdown, helping Baltimore control the clock for over 32 minutes. On the other side, the Steelers were charitable with the football. Mitch Trubisky threw three interceptions, all of them in Ravens territory. You just can't do that against a John Harbaugh defense and expect to wake up with a win.
Justin Tucker did Justin Tucker things, hitting three field goals to push his career total past Matt Stover for the franchise scoring record. The Ravens escaped with a 16-14 win, but it felt more like a survival mission than a victory lap.
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Why the Ravens vs Steelers 2022 Rematch Flipped the Script
Fast forward to New Year’s Eve—well, technically January 1, 2023. The vibe was totally different. The Ravens had already clinched a playoff spot, but the Steelers were fighting for their lives. This was the "grown-up moment" Mike Tomlin keeps talking about.
Kenny Pickett was back under center, and for three quarters, it looked like the Ravens’ defense was going to suffocate him. Baltimore led 13-9 late in the fourth. Then, Pickett did something that actually made Steelers fans believe the post-Big Ben era might be okay. He led an 80-yard drive that felt like it took a decade off everyone's life.
- The Drive: Pickett escape pressure, rolled left, and found Najee Harris for a 10-yard score with 56 seconds left.
- The Result: A 16-13 Steelers win that kept their playoff hopes alive for one more week and preserved Mike Tomlin’s legendary "no losing seasons" streak.
- The Ground War: While Dobbins had 93 yards, it was Najee Harris who stole the show with 111 yards on 22 carries.
It’s kinda wild that in two games, neither team managed to score more than 16 points. That is pure, unadulterated AFC North football. No explosive 50-point shootouts. Just bruised ribs and field goals.
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The Roquan Smith Factor and the Defense
You can't talk about Ravens vs Steelers 2022 without mentioning Roquan Smith. Baltimore had traded for him mid-season, and he immediately became the heart of that defense. In the December game, he was the one who sent Pickett to the concussion protocol on a legal but thunderous hit.
By the January rematch, Roquan was the team MVP. He finished that season as a First-Team All-Pro, and his presence changed how the Ravens played the run. Even in the loss, the Ravens' defense only allowed one touchdown at home across a four-game span. That’s insane efficiency, and it set the stage for the Mike Macdonald defensive masterclasses we saw later.
Key Stats from the 2022 Series
If you're a numbers person, these tell the story better than any narrative. In the first game, the Ravens outrushed Pittsburgh 215 to 65. That’s a massive gap. Usually, if you run for 200 yards, you win by three touchdowns. Not in this rivalry. The Ravens won by two.
In the second game, the Steelers flipped it. They outrushed Baltimore 198 to 120. It’s basically a rule in this matchup: whoever wins the trenches wins the game.
What This Means for Your Next Rivalry Watch
Looking back, the Ravens vs Steelers 2022 games taught us a few things that still apply every time these teams meet.
- Don't bet on the spread. These games almost always land within 3 points.
- Watch the "Inactives" list. Backup QBs play a huge role in this series, and the 2022 season proved that a third-stringer like Anthony Brown can actually win in Pittsburgh if the run game is clicking.
- The fourth quarter is the only one that matters. Both games were decided in the final two minutes.
If you're looking to dive deeper into the history of this rivalry, check out the 2021 regular-season finale or the 2015 Wild Card game. You'll see the same patterns: low scores, high stakes, and a lot of ice packs in the locker room afterward.
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For your next steps, go back and watch the highlights of the January 1st game. Specifically, watch how the Steelers' offensive line moved the Ravens' front in that final drive. It’s a clinic on late-game execution in hostile environments. Then, compare the defensive alignments of Mike Macdonald (Ravens) and Teryl Austin (Steelers) from those games; you’ll see the seeds of the defensive schemes that are still dominating the league today.