The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to grab a narrow win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday as the final score was 29-24. Pittsburgh went into a hostile environment and went against a team that was desperate for a win, as the Lions are currently a long shot to make the postseason, and the Steelers came away with the win. There was some controversy at the end of the matchup, but Pittsburgh dominated both sides of the ball for most of the game. The defense for Pittsburgh was fantastic, especially when it came to stopping the run, and the offensive line for Pittsburgh opened up holes throughout the matchup.
Jared Wickerham / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin and quarterback Aaron Rodgers embrace following Pittsburgh's 29-24 win over the Detroit Lions in Week 16 of the 2025 NFL regular season.
The Steelers shocked a ton of people by getting this win on Sunday. The Lions were favored by a touchdown, yet the Steelers were still able to go on the road and get the victory against a team that most people thought would be near the top of the NFC. The majority of the NFL world picked against Pittsburgh in Week 16, and one of those people was Dan Orlovsky. The ESPN analyst spoke about the group's win during an appearance on Get Up on Monday, and he had a declaration about this win for the Steelers.
"The bigger takeaway for me is I think it's one of the most impressive wins by anybody in the NFL this year by Pittsburgh," Orlovsky said. "I would have not guessed that Pittsburgh would've gone into Detroit and whooped Detroit on both sides of the line of scrimmage. This is a defense in Pittsburgh that everybody was running the football on, and Detroit could not run the ball at all. And then vice versa, this is an offense that running the ball is like, let's just be efficient. Efficient. And they created the explosive runs."
Orlovsky believes this win by Pittsburgh is one of the best and most impressive wins that the NFL world has seen in the league during the 2025 season. The game did not go how the majority of the world thought it would. Going into this matchup, it would have been thought by most that Detroit would be able to run the ball right at Pittsburgh, but that was not the case. The Lions' backfield was non-existent on the ground in the loss.
Jeff Nguyen / Detroit Lions
Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. makes an impressive tackle on Jahmyr Gibbs during a road win over the Detroit Lions in 2025.
Detroit has one of the best backfields in the NFL with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, and many Steelers fans were worried that those running backs were going to have their way with the Steelers' defense. That was not the case. The Lions could only muster up 15 total yards on the ground on 12 carries, which shows just how dominant Pittsburgh's win was.
The best backfield in this contest belonged to Pittsburgh, and it really was not close. All three touchdowns for the Steelers were scored by the running backs as Jaylen Warren had a pair of 45-yard touchdown runs, while Kenneth Gainwell made one of the craziest catches of the year and scored a touchdown to tie things up right before halftime.
The way the defense for the Steelers was able to control the majority of the game, along with the offensive line's consistent domination, makes this win so impressive for the Steelers. The group can compete with anyone if it can play like this consistently.
Karl Roster / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers lines up under center during Pittsburgh's 29-24 win over the Detroit Lions in Week 16 of the 2025 NFL regular season.
Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Is Playing His Best Football Of The Season
Outside of the defense stepping up its game, the Steelers are also getting some great play out of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The four-time MVP seems to be playing his best football at the perfect time with Pittsburgh potentially playing playoff football in a few weeks. Orlovsky also sees that in Rodgers, and the quarterback is a big reason Pittsburgh has Orlovsky's attention.
"In the last three weeks, I would tell you that Aaron Rodgers is throwing the football the best that he has since 2022," Orlovsky said. "So we're talking three-plus years, this three-week stretch of throwing the ball and some of the throws that he has made. So, if this offense is going to have some of these explosive runs and Rodgers is gonna do whatever he wants with the football, this is a team that has my attention more after this performance than it had up until a month ago."
The play of the defense, offensive line, and Rodgers has changed the trajectory of Pittsburgh's season. The veteran additions at wide receiver have also played a role. Hopefully both sides of the ball can keep this kind of play up, as it would give the Steelers a chance to actually win a playoff game.
What do you think about Orlovsky's comments? Let us know in the comments below!
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