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Player who must step up: QB Lamar Jackson

Jackson wants to get his stock going back up heading into an offseason in which he could sign his big-money extension. He has lost two of his past three starts, struggling to produce with a 34.4 Total QBR (22nd in the NFL). Over the past two weeks, he has thrown a career-high four interceptions in one game and has been sacked a career-worst seven times. Jackson will ultimately become one of the highest-paid players in the NFL. But a strong showing the rest of the way, especially in the postseason, would justify Jackson commanding $45 million a year like Patrick Mahomes. -- Jamison Hensley

It's easy to second-guess John Harbaugh's decision to go for that 2-point conversion in what turned out to be a stomach-punch loss to the hated Steelers, but the coach had his reasons. The Ravens' defense had allowed three consecutive scoring drives in the fourth quarter, and a season-ending pec injury suffered by star cornerback Marlon Humphrey on the previous Pittsburgh possession put his secondary in a desperate situation. Baltimore has made its season with clutch plays in the biggest moments of games, so Harbaugh decided to trust his gut on the coaching equivalent of a "heat check" by a sharpshooter in basketball. Sure, the ball rimmed out, but you have to respect the moxie.

They still don't look right on offense after losing to the Steelers. The defense suffered a big hit with the loss of corner Marlon Humphrey.

John Harbaugh cited their decimated corner ranks as a reason he went for two points and the win Sunday in Pittsburgh. Harbaugh might find himself gambling even more with Pro Bowler Marlon Humphrey apparently now lost for the season.

Best-case scenario: The Ravens have had a rough week: a stunning last-second loss to the Steelers after a failed two-point conversion, plus a season-ending injury to cornerback Marlon Humphrey. But they have proven already this season to be remarkably resilient, and they can all but secure a division title by beating the Browns and Bengals within the next three weeks. The Ravens still have two big non-conference games against the Packers and Rams, but those division games matter most.