Pittsburgh hosts Baltimore on Sunday Night Football in a Week 18 showdown for the AFC North crown and No. 4 playoff seed. Updates from midweek practices show Ravens QB Lamar Jackson participating fully after a back issue, while Steelers edge T.J. Watt was limited with a lung concern. Both teams rebound from Week 17: Steelers' 13-6 loss at Cleveland and Ravens' 41-24 home win over Green Bay.
With the regular season concluding at Acrisure Stadium (8:20 p.m. ET), a Steelers victory clinches the division and playoffs; a loss ends their season. Pittsburgh's offense sputtered against the Browns, with QB Aaron Rodgers going 21-for-39 for 168 yards amid stalled red-zone drives. Rodgers stays upbeat: "We’ll be fine. Yeah, always adapt. We had a lot of opportunities in the Cleveland game. Just didn’t execute very well."
The passing game faces challenges without suspended WR DK Metcalf, who starred with seven catches for 148 yards in Pittsburgh's Week 14 win over Baltimore. Limited practices for WR Calvin Austin III (hamstring) and G Isaac Seumalo (triceps) offer hope, though TE Darnell Washington remains out post-arm surgery.
Baltimore backup Tyler Huntley shone in Jackson's absence last week (16-for-20, 107 pass yds, 60 rush yds, TD), fueling a Derrick Henry-led ground attack (216 yds, 4 TDs). Jackson, sidelined by a Week 16 back injury vs. New England, practiced fully Wednesday, drawing coach John Harbaugh's optimism: "I’m very optimistic." LB Roquan Smith (hamstring) and OT Ronnie Stanley (knee) were limited.
Pittsburgh OLB Alex Highsmith, who sacked Jackson in Week 14, calls this "a matchup for the ages." Watt's status (30-35% chance per Mark Kaboly) looms large, as does the Ravens' run threat after defensive lapses allowed big plays previously—something Austin hopes repeats: "I pray they do. If they stick with that, then, ‘Hey, let’s go.’" A Steelers postseason miss could spark coach Mike Tomlin contract talks.
