Quarterback Lamar Jackson passed for three touchdowns, running back Derrick Henry rushed for 162 yards and cornerback Marlon Humphrey delivered a knockout pick six as the Ravens clinched a playoff spot and kept their AFC North title hopes alive Saturday with a 34-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium.

Humphrey’s 37-yard interception return, the first he’s scored on in his career, gave the Ravens (10-5) a 31-17 lead early in the fourth quarter and restored the momentum lost on Jackson’s red-zone interception just minutes earlier. Jackson finished 15-for-23 for 207 yards as he beat the Ravens’ rival for the first time since 2019 and improved to 2-4 all time.

The victory ended the 10-5 Steelers’ four-game winning streak in the series and denied Pittsburgh’s bid to secure the division crown in Baltimore. The Ravens’ odds of taking the division and claiming a top-four playoff seed are now about 62%, according to The New York Times’ playoff simulator.

The Ravens finish the regular season with a Christmas Day road game against the AFC South champion Houston Texans and a home game against the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers host the AFC West champion Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas and the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18.

The Ravens never trailed and led by as many as 10 points in the first half, but their win wasn’t easy. Pittsburgh, which was missing top wide receiver George Pickens on offense and several starters on defense, tied the game at 17 early in the third quarter and had a chance to even the score at 24 after safety Minkah Fitzpatrick picked off Jackson’s pass early in the fourth quarter.

But Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (22-for-33 for 217 yards) threw behind tight end MyCole Pruitt on the ensuing possession, right to Humphrey, and the Ravens cruised from there.

At halftime, though, the Ravens were perhaps fortunate to be leading 17-10. They recovered two of their own fumbles, and safety Ar’Darius Washington forced a turnover 4 yards short of the goal line with an open-field hit on a scrambling Wilson.

Wide receiver Zay Flowers had five catches for a game-high 100 yards. Tight end Mark Andrews had four catches for 37 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Isaiah Likely opened the scoring with a 9-yard reception.

Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin had four catches for 65 yards, while running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren combined for 18 carries for 83 yards.

Winning without their best

Lamar Jackson didn’t win himself the MVP Saturday. The defense was far from perfect. Chris Horton’s special teams have seen better days.

And yet the Ravens walked out of M&T Bank Stadium with twice as many points as their archrivals. Injury luck had something to do with that. So did fumble luck.

But for a Ravens team that has found every conceivable bullet to blast into its feet against Pittsburgh over the years — and in heartbreaking playoff losses — Saturday’s win has to count as progress.

The Ravens dominated, even while they were far from dominant. And now they have a chance to earn a home playoff game.

— Jonas Shaffer, Ravens reporter

And that’s your winning recipe

In almost every loss this season, the same question arose: Where was Derrick Henry? He was the biggest pickup of the offseason, and having Henry and Lamar Jackson in the backfield seemed like an unstoppable formula. But five of his seven lowest-yardage games came in losses (and one was in a blowout win when they didn’t need him).

Against the Steelers, specifically, he had just 13 carries and 65 yards in the last game. He came on strong at the start, but the game plan moved away from him. This time, that was not the case. The Ravens handed him the ball over and over, and he did what he does best: He pounded the defense into the ground. As he accumulated 24 carries for 162 yards, he opened opportunities for others and smoothed over some of the offense’s gaffes.

– Giana Han, Ravens reporter

The curse, reversed

When Lamar Jackson threw just his fourth pick of the season, it felt like the Ravens were going down that well-trodden path of misery — done in by their self-inflicted errors against Pittsburgh. Instead, something truly bizarre happened. The Steelers started making their own mistakes.

Credit Marlon Humphrey’s incredible closing impulse in snatching his first career pick six. But penalties (five against just two for Baltimore), late miscues on offense and letting Derrick Henry run wild for 162 yards did in Pittsburgh. Add in Jackson’s throws that did *not* go to Steelers defensive backs, and he looked a lot more like an MVP than he did in Week 11 on the road. The Ravens looked like the Ravens that they’ve been more times than not this season — and finally not the jinxed team that has fallen short so many times in this rivalry matchup.

— Kyle Goon, columnist

Exhale

The temperatures were low but the nerves were high at M&T Bank Stadium. There were too many Steelers fans in the building and too much frustration from the offense in a game that was too close for comfort. When Lamar Jackson threw his uncharacteristic red zone interception, nervousness turned into downright terror.

But Marlon Humphrey’s pick six was the breath of fresh, cold air everyone needed. Humphrey, who is in the midst of a career year, was a vocal leader from the start. The Ravens’ offense has the ability to outgun anyone, but this defense’s second-half turnaround has been the biggest reason for optimism. Zach Orr’s unit has been playing with more confidence with each week, and now that it has a win over its archrival in the books, the entire team should feel refreshed for the last two games.

– Paul Mancano, Banner Ravens Podcast co-host