The NFL’s Christmas doubleheader on December 25 turned the AFC North standings upside down, as Derrick Henry’s dominant performance propelled the Baltimore Ravens to the top. Just ten days ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers held a two-game lead over the Ravens. Now, after Baltimore’s 31-2 triumph over the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh’s 29-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Ravens are sitting pretty with a one-game lead.
Baltimore capped off a grueling three-game stretch in 11 days, finishing with three straight wins, including a crucial 34-17 victory over the Steelers. The Ravens now stand at 11-5 with just one game remaining in the regular season. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh, struggling with the same demanding schedule, dropped all three games and fell to 10-6.
With Kansas City already securing the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs, the battle for the AFC North crown is now even more critical. The division winner will earn a home game in the first round, while the runner-up will have to hit the road for the postseason.
In the Chiefs’ 29-10 victory over the Steelers, Patrick Mahomes led the way with three touchdown passes, including two in the first quarter and one more in the fourth, pushing Kansas City to their sixth straight win. The Chiefs, now 15-1, are gunning for their third consecutive Super Bowl appearance.
The game also featured several Alabama alumni, including Steelers’ defensive tackle Montravius Adams (Auburn), safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (Alabama), and running back Najee Harris (Alabama). Harris, with 74 rushing yards and two catches, crossed the 1,000-yard mark for the season, becoming just the 14th player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first four seasons.
As the season heads into its final stretch, the Ravens are riding high, while the Steelers must regroup for their playoff push.
