The Pittsburgh Steelers took care of business on Sunday Night Football. Pittsburgh defeated Baltimore 26-24 in Week 18 thanks to a missed field goal by Ravens kicker Tyler Loop. Now the Steelers are AFC North champions and will advance to the playoffs, all thanks to one play.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin dropped a wild quote when talking about what if Loop had not missed the field goal that won Pittsburgh the game.
“You know how it is. If my aunt had male parts, she'd be my uncle,” Tomlin said after the game, per Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team.
Tomlin certainly found an interesting way to essentially say “that's not the way things are.”
Loop lined up for a 44-yard field goal on the last snap of the game. If he had made the field goal, the Ravens would have taken the Steelers' place as AFC North champions. Unfortunately for Baltimore, the kick faded right, ending the game with a loss.
The Ravens' rookie kicker had previously made a 40-yard field goal during the second quarter. It was his first miss under 50 yards all season.
Pittsburgh flirted with disaster throughout the entire game. Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, and Zay Flowers were all playing incredibly well for the Ravens. But the Steelers were able to survive thanks to a complete team effort in all three phases.
QB Aaron Rodgers had a great game, going 31-of-47 for 294 passing yards with one touchdown. He also added a 20-yard scramble, reminding NFL fans that he is no statue in the pocket.
Tomlin also made a bold statement about his team ahead of the playoffs.
“We're AFC North champions. That sounds good, and it feels good. But we didn't come here for that. We're here for what lies ahead,” Tomlin added.
Every NFL team wants to make the playoffs, so simply getting into the dance is mission accomplished for the Steelers. But as Tomlin made clear, the expectations are to make some noise in the playoffs.
Next up for the Steelers is a home playoff game against the Houston Texans on Monday, January 12th.
