As it turns out, the league’s last game turned out to be its most dramatic one. Once Tyler Loop’s field goal sailed wide of the uprights, Baltimore had their ticket to the playoffs slip away in a 26-24
loss. Here’s the final Good, Bad, and Ugly of the 2025 season.
The Good:
Lamar Jackson: I mean, wow. After weeks and weeks of having outside media (and some local media) question whether or not Jackson could still be a franchise quarterback, he delivered his best performance since his return from injury. While the legs still weren’t quite there, the two-time MVP reminded everyone that his arm is enough to win. He threw 11/18 totaling 238 yards and three touchdowns for a 121.5 rating, and it should have been more, too. Not only did the Ravens pass-catchers drop a few targets, a number of Jackson’s passes were battled at the line of scrimmage. The lone interception was a tipped ball that somehow pinballed around and landed in a defender’s arms. Jackson led multiple game-winning drives in the fourth quarter. There is zero doubt that the he still has it and should remain in Baltimore as long as possible. I also think his legs will return after an offseason of rest.
Zay Flowers: This was the closest thing we’ve seen to a playoff performance since Flowers’ disastrous fumble against the Chiefs in his rookie year, and he delivered against Pittsburgh. Four catches for 138 yards and the two massive scores in the fourth quarter. He was reliable, did not try to do too much after the catch, and crucially, held onto the ball. It will be interesting to see if the Ravens approach Flowers with a contract extension when he becomes eligible this offseason.
Derrick Henry: The King finished just shy of taking the rushing crown for the 2025 season, totaling 126 yards on 20 carries with multiple explosive runs in the first quarter that put the Ravens ahead early. Unfortunately, the Ravens somewhat forgot Henry existed in the fourth quarter, though the negative game script and explosive passes limited the opportunities to use him to salt away the game.
Devontez Walker: Walker continues to maintain his efficiency. He snagged two catches on two targets, and a long touchdown. He now has four touchdowns on seven catches in his career. He easily ran away from Jalen Ramsey in man coverage for his score on Sunday and looks to be a potential downfield weapon for 2026. With questions surrounding the future of this team, Walker’s involvement could explode next year.
Kyle Hamilton: Hamilton led the team in tackles against Pittsburgh, despite missing most of the second half. He was a menace to an offense that relied entirely on underneath stuff and yards after the catch. Without his presence, the Ravens’ defense simply fell apart and couldn’t contain Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell. The unit went from allowing 3.9 yards per play to giving up 6.9 yards per play after he left the game. In other words, Hamilton was holding this defense apart.
Isaiah Likely: Likely made the biggest catch of his career against Pittsburgh, and it’s probably going to be his last as a Raven. On a do-or-die fourth down on the last drive of the game, fourth down, he made an incredible catch in traffic to set up the field goal that would have won the game. It’s going to be hard watching Likely go somewhere and become a top-five tight end as the top option on a new team.
The Bad
Offensive line: The biggest worry from the beginning of the season might be the reason they failed on Sunday. Derrick Henry had over 100 yards in the first half of the game, but the run game failed to get going in the second half. A major reason for that was a lack of push compared to the first half. Not to mention how under siege Lamar Jackson was most of the night, including the first Zay Flowers touchdown, which happened after two rushers went untouched and sandwiched Jackson, who somehow escaped. It was the weakest point of the team all season long.
The defense: It simply fell apart after Kyle Hamilton walked off the field. The whole unit aside from him deserves to be admonished, which is unfortunate cause there were a ton of positives in the first half. They allowed one field goal the entire first half and had multiple fourth-down stops, including the incredible play at the goal line to end the half. The defensive backs, in particular, were playing extremely well and had a ton of pass breakups and tight coverage early. Then it all fell apart. And no matter how well they played early, it doesn’t make up for how terrible and inept they were late. They only forced one punt the entire second half against an offense missing D.K. Metcalf and Darnell Washington. Just pitiful.
Pass rush: Part 2 of the weakest part of this team. Like the first matchup with the Steelers, the Ravens failed to pressure Aaron Rodgers. They did finish with two sacks, but the rush simply was nowhere near consistent enough to really impact the game. Baltimore only totaled nine pressures in Rodgers’ 50 dropbacks, according to Pro Football Focus. The pass rush absolutely needs to be fixed for next season. You can’t compete in the playoffs if you can’t win with four. (Editor’s Note: Or scheme up pressure with a new head coach. *cough cough* Brian Flores.)
The Ugly
That kick: It’s not a Ravens season if it doesn’t end in heartbreak. With two seconds left in the NFL regular season, despite the yearlong struggles, the Ravens had a chance to win the division go to the playoffs. Instead, rookie kicker Tyler Loop missed the 44-yarder wide right, a bad kick from the moment his foot struck the ball.
Tackling: This was simply atrocious. It was well-known that going into this game without D.K. Metcalf, the running backs for the Steelers would be the primary focus, both on the ground and in the air. There wouldn’t be much of a deep attack, and it would mainly run through short yard passes. Instead, the Ravens missed tackles all night and often struggled to finish plays. They had five missed tackles on run plays, seven missed tackles on pass plays, and 195 yards of the Steelers’ 294 passing yards were yards after the catch. It simply abysmal performance; even worse, it came against what entered the game as an inept offense.
The coaching staff: Sunday’s game turned out to be the final nail in the coffin. With the preseason talk and the expectations, at the end of the day, the failure of this season rests on their shoulders. Nnamdi Madubuike’s injury set the defense back, sure, and your franchise quarterback missing time is never good. But Madubuike’s injury happened so early, with plenty of time to adjust and regroup, and the Ravens went 2-2 without Lamar Jackson starting. But it was clear that the team was not living up to their potential. The offense was inconsistent and never could find a rhythm, largely because of the pass rush. The defense had no teeth and lacked pass rush. Now it’s about moving forward
