Roquan Smith doubles down on how ‘crap’ it is that the defense blew it

The Baltimore Ravens‘ The 2025 season ended in a state of shock after a narrow 26-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a result that officially eliminated them from the playoffs. Despite Lamar Jackson’s spectacular performancewho threw for 238 yards and three touchdowns, the team was unable to secure the victory needed to extend its year.

Jackson’s late-game heroics, including two deep touchdown passes to Zay Flowers, briefly gave Baltimore hope, but the momentum swung back to Pittsburgh in the closing moments. Stunned by the outcome, Jackson admitted after the game that he believed the victory was secured before the final drive was played.

The loss marks the end of an 8-9 season plagued by defensive injuries and a lack of consistency, leaving the franchise facing a long offseason filled with questions about its future direction.

Defense leader Roquan Smith he didn’t hold back when reflecting on the unit’s performance during critical phases of the game. According to Jeff Zrebiec at X, formerly Twitter, Smith was open to failure to protect the lead, stating that the moment is just bullshit and that there is nothing else to say except that the team needs to do better.

He took the defensive struggles personally, admitting the group didn’t do enough late in the game to support the offense. Smith described the loss as a tough pill to swallow, expressing the heavy emotional toll of feeling like the defense let everyone down when the stakes were highest.

The defensive breakdown was especially evident as the Ravens struggled to pressure Aaron Rodgers, who has been sacked just twice in two games this year. Injuries to the secondary further hampered Baltimore’s efforts, creating openings that the Steelers took advantage of to regain the lead.

The heartbreaking conclusion was punctuated by rookie Tyler Loup missing a 44-yard field goal as time expired. After a miss, the head coach John Harbaugh was seen comforting the young shooting guard on the way to the locker room.

The organization now enters an evaluation period where every aspect of the team, from special teams execution to defensive depth, will come under intense scrutiny.