In what is arguably the NFL's fiercest rivalry, the 6-6 Pittsburgh Steelers and the 6-6 Baltimore Ravens are going head-to-head to see who takes sole possession of first place in the AFC North. The Ravens' fortunes have turned around as of late, with five wins in their last six games. The same cannot be said for the Steelers, who are 2-5 in their last seven outings and are dealing with an injured quarterback.

After suffering a broken wrist against the Cincinnati Bengals, quarterback Aaron Rodgers had to miss the Week 12 matchup against the Chicago Bears before returning to the field against the Buffalo Bills. As he continues to deal with the injury, it sounds like Rodgers will once again push to play this weekend.

“Tomorrow, we're going to put our heads together - me and Gabriel (Amponsah) - in the training room and see what we can do. But it's definitely healing,” Rodgers told reporters on Wednesday. "I appreciate the extra day off. I love to practice, so I hate missing practice, but dealing with what I'm dealing with, it helps to get another day without any pounding on the bones in there… I didn't come out of the game any worse for wear. The healing process has continued, and we'll see what happens as far as the type of cast I use come Sunday.”

The good news is that whoever is starting for Pittsburgh will have a new weapon to get the ball to. After being released on Monday, the Steelers claimed former Minnesota Vikings wideout Adam Thielen off of waivers on Tuesday.

“Obviously, he’s had a hell of a career in the NFL,” said tight end Pat Freiermuth. “Anyone that [we] can bring in to help us win games, it's much appreciated.”

Getting added to the Steelers' roster the week leading up to a game against the Baltimore Ravens would usually be intimidating for most players. However, Adam Thielen has been a part of several intense rivalries after spending a decade in the NFC North.

“Pretty crazy. Pretty cool,” Thielen said. “The battles that we had in the North. Those rivalries. There's just nothing like that. Storied franchises with great fan bases that are very passionate and are used to winning big games. It's why you play this game. It's why you show up every single day. It's why, when those lights come on, you're like, ‘Oh, I'm not going to retire for a long time’… I think back about some of the rivalries I had in the past. Every game, [it] didn't matter who was good, who wasn't. It was a huge game.”

Both teams heading into Week 14 have a lot to play for. Whoever wins this game will take sole possession of the AFC North and improve to 7-6, while the loser will fall to 6-7.

“We both sit at 6-6. Both of those positions come with some scars, certainly, but they need to come with some lessons learned as well. And I think the team that displays the ability to apply those lessons best is going to be the team that's going to be in position to control this game and thus be in control of the North,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said during a December 2nd press conference. “We had some big games against them in the latter part of the year as well. I think it's good for football. It’s good for our fan base. It's good for their fan base. It's an honor to be a part of it... We've been in hotly contested battles with this group in the past, and I see no reason why this weekend won't be the same.”

It has been somewhat of a down year for the Ravens, who have already matched their loss total from last season. Some of those struggles might have to do with Lamar Jackson, who has been dealing with various injuries throughout the 2025-26 campaign. He was limited in practice on Wednesday and sat out of Thursday's practice. Despite the injury concerns, Jackson is expected to play this weekend.

“It's always good to get a couple days' rest, probably for everybody, so that's a positive in that sense,” said Ravens head coach John Harbaugh on Wednesday. “(Last week) wasn't very enjoyable for us. It would have been better if we'd have won the game. So, [we’re] dealing with that, but it's good to have him out there doing what he did today.”

Injured or not, Lamar Jackson did not look like himself against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13. He was held to zero touchdowns and turned the ball over three times in a 32-14 loss.

“I’ve just got to play consistent. [I] can't have turnovers, especially in any game, not just this game, but any game. Can't have turnovers,” Jackson said during the postgame press conference. “Two fumbles, and an interception, a tip interception. We’ve got to be consistent. We’re putting our defense on the field too much. Can't have that.”

As is often the case when these two teams get together, physicality will play a major role in how things play out. John Harbaugh knows that physicality is the identity of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“I see a Steelers team that's very physical. I see a Steelers team. A well-coached team. Very physical [on] both sides of the ball. I think they make a point - always have - to play that kind of football, and they're doing it on both sides of the football,” Harbaugh explained. “Just a typical Steelers mentality. They've got a reputation and an identity that they've had for many years.”

“It's a great rivalry. It's great to be a part of it. It's an honor to coach in it. It has been an honor to coach in it all these times,” he continued. “We respect the organization very much and the coaches, coach Tomlin, and the team and everybody. You're going up against a very worthy opponent. So we understand that, and that's why it's such a great thing to be a part of… What's it going to be like on Sunday is going to depend on how well we play. If we play really well, then it's going to be great. If we don't, it's not going to be so great, and that's kind of what I'm thinking about.”

Prediction for Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens (-5.5)

Regardless of who the starting quarterbacks have been in this rivalry, these games have always been competitive. It feels like the Buffalo Bills provided the perfect blueprint for beating the Steelers: run the ball down their throat. Considering Lamar Jackson is a better running quarterback than Josh Allen, Baltimore should be able to break off plenty of big runs against a Pittsburgh defense that allowed 249 yards on the ground last week. Though the Ravens aren't as good as they were last year in the run game, they're still fourth in rushing (136.8 yards per game). As long as Baltimore limits the turnovers, they should come out on top in this one. And if Aaron Rodgers somehow doesn't play, then the Ravens will blow the doors off of Pittsburgh.

Prediction: Ravens 27 - 19 Steelers

How to watch Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens (-5.5)

Steelers @ Ravens starts at 1:00 p.m. EDT at M&T Bank Stadium. You can watch it on CBS or stream it via the Paramount+ app or YouTube TV.

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