FULL SCORE
- The Ravens guarantee the Steelers will have to earn it. Baltimore entered Saturday night needing a win to avoid missing the playoffs and handing the AFC North to Pittsburgh. The Steelers can still end the Ravens’ season if they beat the Browns on Sunday, but Baltimore at least saved themselves from elimination for another day. The Ravens did it by going into Lambeau, against a playoff-punching team, and finding a way to win without a star quarterback. Lamar Jacksonwho was out due to a back injury. Baltimore ran it a ton and leaned well Derrick Henrybut Tyler Huntley was also reliable. Although he didn’t have many explosive throws in the air, throwing for just 107 yards and one touchdown, he was confident with the ball and accurate, completing 16 of 20 attempts. The defense also delivered when needed, despite some giveaways. A fourth-down stop on Matt LaFleur’s daring attempt from his own 34-yard line and a Mike Green fumble recovery for the second straight quarter allowed the Ravens to extend a lead that would hold the rest of the night. And with the Packers threatening to make it awkward late, Marlon Humphrey collected an interception with a tip-ball to eliminate any doubt. Now the Ravens are waiting. If Cleveland upsets the Steelers, Baltimore and Pittsburgh will play for the title in Week 18.
- The Packers are collapsing despite making the playoffs. Green Bay is in overtime. It is also in deep trouble. Three weeks ago, the Packers were riding a four-game winning streak into another potential statement game against the Broncos. They then lost Micah Parsons to season torn ACL in loss at Denver. The next week, the Packers overcame a concussion at quarterback Jordan Love holding a 16-6 lead on the Bears with just over two minutes left in the game – only to collapse for a loss. They were gifted a postseason berth at Christmas thanks to the Lions’ fortuitous collapse, but they’ve now dropped three straight after Saturday night. Performance-wise, it was the worst result of the team’s losing streak as it pertains to Green Bay’s prospects. The defense was nowhere to be seen. After allowing the Bears 150 rushing yards in Week 16, the second most this season before Saturday, the Packers allowed 175 to Baltimore — in the first half. By the final whistle, that number had ballooned to a humiliating 307, the most by a visiting Lambeau team since 1978. There’s almost no chance this result would have been any different had Love cleared the concussion protocol and taken care of it, either. Malik Willis played with power and could potentially earn a QB1 look somewhere in 2026. He made a lot of big plays with both legs and arm to keep the Packers in it as long as possible. Green Bay, currently locked in the No. 7 seed in the NFC, will have to spend the entire playoffs traveling. It is unlikely to be a long journey if this is the new normal.
- Henry runs all over the Packers. Derrick Henry saw no action over the final 12 minutes and a change from last week’s loss to the Patriots. He caught 15 carries over the first two possessions alone against Green Bay, turning them into 82 yards and two touchdowns. By the end of the game, he had new career highs of 36, four touchdowns and 216 rushing yards, his most as a Raven. He now has seven career games with 200-plus rushing yards, the most in NFL history. It was remarkable to see Henry, who turns 32 on Jan. 4, run roughshod over the Packers. He dismantled their efforts to guard him at every turn, found tough yards up the gut, stiff-armed would-be tacklers into unknown dimensions and freed himself around the edge for multiple gains. Tyler Huntley certainly helped Baltimore establish their emergency clinic. He added 60 yards on the ground and picked up a number of key first downs on designed runs or smart runs, and Keaton Mitchell contributed 31 yards on nine carries. Make no mistake, though: This was Henry special, and his absolute dominance was yet another reminder of why they call him the King.
Next Gen Stats Insight for Ravens-Packers (via NFL Pro): In his first start of the season, Malik Willis completed 18 of 21 passes for 288 yards and one touchdown. Willis was extremely effective throwing deep (20-plus yards), completing 6 of 7 attempts for 197 yards and a score, the third-most yards by a quarterback this season.
NFL Research: Derrick Henry recorded his seventh career game with three-plus rushing TDs and 100-plus rushing yards, tying Marshall Faulk for third most in NFL history.