The Pittsburgh Steelers' win on Sunday put a smile on the face of embattled coach Mike Tomlin.
"It was classic Steelers-Ravens," Tomlin said. "Big win for us, obviously, in a hostile environment. And we'll keep moving."
It was a massive win for the Steelers (7-6), who took sole possession of first place in the AFC North by beating the Ravens 27-22 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. The Ravens (6-7) are one game behind the Steelers.
The Steelers and Ravens will meet again in Week 18, in the regular-season finale, at Acrisure Stadium. Before that, each team has three games left.
The Steelers host the Miami Dolphins (6-7), visit the Detroit Lions (8-5), and host the Cleveland Browns (3-10). The Ravens visit the Cincinnati Bengals (4-9), host the New England Patriots (11-2), and visit the Green Bay Packers (9-3-1).
"Look at the percentages," Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III said of the importance of Sunday's win. "If you look at the chances we had with a win and with a loss, it kind of explains itself. It was big time."
The win also takes some heat off Tomlin. The 19th-year coach was booed off the field the previous Sunday after a 26-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills at Acrisure Stadium, with the home crowd chanting for Tomlin's firing.
"We knew not to pay attention to any of that outside noise," said Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf, who had a season-high 148 receiving yards on seven catches. "Coach T is a great leader, and he's done nothing but take bullets for us. Even when we were high or low, every day he's steady, always motivated for us to play our best ball. That's what he did last week. We knew what was at stake, first place in this heated rivalry, and the better team came out on top."
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw for a season-high 284 yards and a touchdown and ran for his first TD since 2022. The performance came five days after the four-time NFL MVP's 42nd birthday.
"He just brought that approach all week," Tomlin said. "I think oftentimes game day is indicative of what transpires during the week. I just thought he had a can-do attitude, man. He was wired all week. Texted me after hours, etc. But I just appreciate his mindset and what he brought into the building today."