Imagine letting your fiercest rivals breathe down your shoulders. Sounds scary, right? Well, the Steelers Nation should be scared, as they have opened the door to the Ravens to pick up the AFC North title. And it all boils down to their nine-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson, who had a horrendous Saturday Night in Baltimore.

You can almost say it was a sucker punch to the Steelers’ hopes of wrapping up the division at their rival turf. However, it didn’t happen the way they would have hoped for. Instead, two costly turnovers by Russ led the Steelers to an embarrassing 34-17 defeat. Now, this led to Wilson owning up to his mistakes and calling himself out for the loss, “It’s unacceptable. It can’t happen.”

While Russ was his biggest critic, his coach, Mike Tomlin, had some strong words for his veteran QB, “Russell Wilson is tough on himself because he desires to be great.” But Wilson’s night in Baltimore was probably his worst this season. When the Steelers needed him the most, he led them down to their worst.

The 36-year-old’s first turnover came when the game was 7-7 during the second quarter. Ravens safety Ar’Darius Washington halted Wilson’s 19-yard run just 4 yards away from the red zone. Now, the Ravens didn’t just stop Wilson in his tracks. They got a fumble out of him. And it was swiftly recovered by the Ravens tackle Kyle Van Noy. Guess what happened next? The Ravens ended up completing a 96-yard TD drive that gave them a 14-7 lead. However, Wilson’s horrors didn’t just end there.

During the fourth quarter, the Steelers still had a chance to come back with the score 24-17. But Wilson’s pass that was meant for MyCole Pruitt ended up being intercepted by Marlon Humphrey. And the Ravens CB returned it for a 37-yard pick-six that put the game out of the Steelers’ reach. Well, this win helped the Ravens clinch their playoff spot while keeping the divisional title race open. Now, as the Steelers prepare for another tough game against the Chiefs on Dec 25th. Mike Tomlin has a positive update on his player’s injuries.

Mike Tomlin on key players’ availability ahead of their Christmas clash against the Chiefs

Four players who were absent from the Steelers’ week 16 clash against the Ravens could be back before Christmas. Yes, Tomlin has said George Pickens, DeShon Elliot, Larry Ogunjobi, and Donte Jackson all have a real chance to play against the Chiefs. Now, this would be a huge turnaround for Pickens, at least, who missed practice all week ahead of their visit to Baltimore. He missed his third consecutive game this week because of a hamstring he picked up at the start of this month. Before week 14, Pickens didn’t miss a single game in his NFL career.

Well, without Pickens, the Steelers have struggled heavily on offense. Wilson’s Steelers have managed just 27 points and 3 TDs before week 16, without their star receiver. As for Pickens, he has 55 receptions for 850 yards with 3 TDs, which shows the level of consistency he brought into the Steelers’ offense. Apart from him, the Steelers could also get back their safety, DeShon Elliot, who was dealing with a hamstring issue. And last but not least. Ogunjobi and Jackson could also be back, respectively, from their groin and back issues.

After losing two games on a bounce, the Steelers have to get a win against the Chiefs. Otherwise, they could probably kiss their hopes of leading the AFC North this season.