The Wild Pittsburgh-Lions finish was a “dream” for Joey Porter Jr.

It was in Detroit, but Pittsburgh Steelers came out on top survived a chaotic finish to beat the Lions 29-24 in Week 16. After an extended official end-play conference, an offensive pass interference penalty against Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown ended the game and gave the Steelers their third straight win.

Detroit, trailing by 12 points twice in the fourth quarter after two 45-yard touchdown runs by Jaylen Warren, made a strong run at the end. On fourth-and-goal from the nine-yard line, quarterback Jared Goff threw to St. Brown at the goal line. The 26-year-old caught the ball, but it was in the hands of two Pittsburgh defenders before he returned the lateral to Goff, who raced into the end zone. At first it appeared to be the game-winning touchdown, officials ruled the touchdown valid, but it was overturned due to a pass interference penalty against St. Brown for pushing Jalen Ramsey earlier in the route. Since the penalty was awarded with no time remaining, the game was immediately over.

Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. was directly involved in the game-changing moment that brought St. Brown’s opening goal close to the goal line. Had the officials ruled that St. Brown’s drive had been stopped instead of a penalty being taken, Porter’s goal-line kick would have decided the game.

“When we heard the ball play at the end. I knew it didn’t go in,” he said Porter Jr. after the win. “You dream about those moments, the fact that I got to play it, it was dope. I’ll be thinking about it all night.”

Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. on the crazy ending to that win pic.twitter.com/uKv3aPZuVS

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) December 22, 2025

The win improved Pittsburgh to 9–6 and kept them atop the AFC North. Under head coach Mike Tomlin, the Steelers have now finished at least .500 in all 19 of his seasons, extending a franchise streak that dates back to 2003. Pittsburgh also went undefeated when leading by 12 or more points in the fourth quarter, moving that record to 104-0-1.

The defense decided the day for Pittsburgh as they held the Lions to just 15 yards. Jamir Gibbs had seven carries for two yards, while David Montgomery finished with 14 yards on four carries. Detroit’s ineffectiveness on the ground contributed to a rough afternoon for Goff through three quarters, though he ultimately finished 34-of-54 for 364 yards, three touchdowns and a safety.

The Steelers offense produced 481 total yards, including 230 rushing yards. Jalen Warren led all rushers with two 45-yard touchdown runs in the fourth quarter, finishing with 143 yards on 14 carries. Those scores helped Pittsburgh build separate 12-point leads at 22–10 and 29–17. Kenneth Gainwell contributed 50 yards rushing on nine carries and caught five passes for 78 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown with two seconds left in the first half on an off-balance reception.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 27 of 41 passes for 266 yards and one touchdown, posting a 92.1 passer rating with no turnovers. The Steelers controlled the clock with a 34:06 to 25:54 advantage in time of possession and outscored the Lions 481–361 overall.

For the Lions, the loss dropped them to 8–7 and significantly reduced their playoff chances. Detroit will need wins over Minnesota on Christmas Day and Chicago in the regular season finale, along with help elsewhere, to stay in contention.

meanwhile, Pittsburgh is now on the verge of winning the AFC North. With the Baltimore Ravens losing to the New England Patriots, the Steelers need just one more win or loss from Baltimore to clinch the division. A Ravens loss to the Green Bay Packers would crown Pittsburgh division champions before their Week 17 matchup with the Cleveland Browns. If Baltimore wins and the Steelers lose to Cleveland, the division would come down to a winner-take-all showdown in Week 18 in Pittsburgh.