The Cleveland Browns somehow beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, making the Baltimore Ravens’ playoff picture a little narrower. It’s funny how football works. Shedeur Sanders, who rejected the Ravens in the 2025 draft, might’ve indirectly played the biggest part in the Ravens’ potential playoff push. And he had something to say about this little subplot.

According to Daniel Oyefusi, “Shedeur Sanders said he had an early-morning missed call from Ravens QB Snoop Huntley, who had spent time in the Browns’ training camp.”

“He not just doing that because it gives (the Ravens) a chance… I think the overall person he is, the time that we spent together, he did nothing but speak life into me,” Sanders added.

That tracks with what Huntley had already shared a day earlier. After the Ravens’ win over the Packers, the backup quarterback explained exactly what he planned to do next. Before Sanders took the field against Pittsburgh, Huntley wanted to reach out directly, quarterback to quarterback, just to steady things.

“I’m trying to make it out of here so I can call Shedeur real quick,” Huntley said on Saturday. “Make sure he can get it done.”

Sanders did enough. Against a Steelers defense that got T.J. Watt back in the lineup, he played under control for most of the afternoon, finishing 17-of-23 for 186 yards and a touchdown, along with two interceptions. The decision-making was questionable again, but that part likely wasn’t Huntley’s concern. The Steelers lost. That’s all that matters.

The irony is hard to miss. Shedeur Sanders once told Baltimore no. During draft weekend, Coach Prime revealed that both the Ravens and Eagles reached out, only for Sanders’ camp to respond by asking both teams not to draft him. The thinking was simple: he wanted a clearer path up a depth chart.

Well, safe to say, there won’t be any bad blood between the two now. So, what does this mean for Baltimore’s playoff picture?

Ravens’ playoff chances after Browns win

Going into Week 17, it felt like the Ravens were out of options. Too much had to break their way. They needed to beat a Packers team already looking like a playoff contender, and even then, their fate sat with the Browns. And let’s be honest, asking Cleveland to knock off Pittsburgh didn’t feel realistic.

But that’s exactly what happened. The Browns ground out a 13–6 win over the Steelers, and suddenly the picture changed. According to NFL.com, Baltimore now sits on the right side of the math. The Ravens’ playoff chances have climbed to 55 percent, while Pittsburgh’s have dropped to 45.

Before everything broke right, the Ravens had only an 11 percent chance to reach the postseason. They were coming off one of their ugliest losses of the year with a flat performance against the Patriots. Lamar Jackson had been playing through bumps and bruises for weeks, then got hurt again. At that moment, belief was hard to find.

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Yet, here they are. The AFC North has been a grind all season, and it’s fitting that it comes down to the final week. Baltimore’s offense has shown signs of life with Huntley under center. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, is getting healthier on defense, with key pieces working their way back. It’ll be a showdown next week between the division contenders.