Ravens’ missed field goal saved Mike Tomlin from having to eat crow for controversial statement about Steelers’ defense

Tyler Loop’s missed field goal saved Mike Tomlin from having to answer for preseason comments.

Rob Gregson — NFL News Writer
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Jan 4, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin during the first half at Acrisure Stadium.
Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense looked like it was going to be in for a long night after spotting the Baltimore Ravens 10 points and watching Derrick Henry go for nearly 100 rushing yards after the first quarter. The first run of the game saw Henry burst up the sideline for over 40 yards.

Then came the team’s ability to bow up against the run, and Henry’s big first half ended there. However, the passing defense started to fail when not once, but twice, the Steelers’ secondary let Ravens WR Zay Flowers get behind the defense for a score, before a bad play on the ball by Jalen Ramsey that set up a 44-yard field goal to win the game.

Only, Tyler Loop and the Ravens missed, and it saved Mike Tomlin from having to answer for his preseason comments about his defense.

Ravens missed field goal saves Mike Tomlin from having to answer for “historic” defense

“We feel really good about the prospects of this group,” Tomlin said back in August on 102.5 WDVE, via Sports Illustrated. “We gotta write that story, but we’ve got enough talent, we’ve got enough schematics to do big, big things. And when I say big things, I’m talking about historic things.”

Forget the fact that if the Steelers lose that game, the franchise likely changes forever. All weekend there was talk about Mike Tomlin’s future, Aaron Rodgers’ potential retirement, and what a loss would do for T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward.

That doesn’t even address that statement from Coach Tomlin back in August. That very defense had multiple chances to stop the Ravens and end the game, and they blew multiple coverages before letting up the huge play to Ravens TE Isaiah Likely on fourth down.

But here’s the thing, none of it matters. Whether it was the football gods, actual divine intervention after the spreading of holy water pregame, or just a miss from a rookie kicker in the most pressure-packed situation of his football life, the Steelers survive and advance.

Not only will they be in the postseason, but DK Metcalf will return from suspension, T.J. Watt can continue to recover from his lung injury, and the Steelers host a playoff game for the first time in half a decade.

“I don’t think anybody expected it. The NFL definitely got their money’s worth with this game,” said Cam Heyward after the game via the Steelers YouTube channel.

Oh and the most important position in sports? The quarterback. The one in black and gold looked pretty good out there on Sunday night, when his team needed him the most.

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