Trash talk is a beautiful thing in the NFL, until it isn’t. Baltimore’s Mayor Brandon Scott learned that lesson the hard way Sunday night when the Baltimore Ravens got kicked out of playoff contention by the Pittsburgh Steelers. In a winner-take-all matchup, Scott’s pre-game bravado aged worse than milk in the summer sun.

“Speechless!” Mayor Scott posted a face-palming selfie on his Instagram. “Ravensflock Mood = don’t talk to me about sports for 81 days aka until Orioles opening day.”

Translation: the pain runs deep. Baltimore’s season ended not with a bang, but with a missed field goal, and sent the city straight into mourning. And this latest Instagram post by Mayor Scott hit differently because of what came before it.

Just days earlier, Mayor Scott had uploaded a video on his Instagram handle. In the clip, he spoke about how he had a bet going with Steelers legend Ryan Clark that he’d have to wear some “Steelers propaganda.” He went on to mock Pittsburgh by wiping his backside with a Terrible Towel and dropping a bold declaration for the outcome of the regular season finale.

“You’re going home,” he said in the clip. “The only thing you do with this is wipe your bu** with it… Ravens all day. Get the ball to King Henry, take us to the playoffs.”

But those words now haunt him. The Terrible Towel isn’t just a piece of fabric to the Steelers fans; it’s sacred. Created back in 1975 by broadcaster Myron Cope, the towel has become a symbol of Pittsburgh pride. Disrespecting it? That’s when the curse kicks in. And now Mayor Scott joins a long list of people who found that out the hard way.

In the same post where he insulted the Terrible Towel, Mayor Scott had added another clip from Baltimore’s New Year’s Eve celebration. In that clip, he could be seen encouraging the crowds to boo a Steelers fan who’d shown up to the celebrations. But after the Week 18 heartbreak, that lone Steelers fan in Baltimore seems to be having a good week while everyone else remains speechless, like their mayor.

The Week 18 reality check for Lamar Jackson & Co.

Baltimore started strong and carved out a 10-3 lead by halftime. Star running back Derrick Henry looked unstoppable early with a 79-yard first quarter. But Pittsburgh clawed back, grabbed the lead, and refused to let go. Ravens franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson did everything he could.

Going 11-of-18 for 238 yards, he threw three touchdown passes. Two of which went to Zay Flowers for 50- and 64-yard touchdowns in the fourth quarter that briefly flipped the script and gave Baltimore hope. For a moment, it looked like the Ravens would complete the comeback, but it wasn’t enough.

Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw a 26-yard touchdown to Calvin Austin III with just 55 seconds left in regulation, putting Pittsburgh ahead 26-2. Their kicker, Chris Boswell’s extra point, got blocked, giving Baltimore one last chance. They drove down the field, and Baltimore’s rookie kicker, Tyler Loop, lined up for the game-winner with just two seconds on the clock. The ball sailed wide right, and just like that, Lamar Jackson & co. saw the season slip away from them. 

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Mayor Scott’s Terrible Towel disrespect wasn’t just bad optics; it gave Pittsburgh extra fuel. In a rivalry game where emotions already run nuclear, that clip became bulletin board material. The Steelers won their first AFC North title since 2020 and punched their ticket to face the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round.

Lamar Jackson’s squad now heads into an offseason full of questions. Their string of two straight division titles has snapped, along with a three-year playoff run. Meanwhile, those Terrible Towels that Mayor Scott mocked? They’ll be waving even harder at Acrisure Stadium against the Texans.