There was no booing of “Renegade” this time.
Mike Tomlin, too, was spared from targeted derisive chants.
It was far from pretty, but the Pittsburgh Steelers prevailed — somehow — in Sunday night’s thrilling de facto AFC championship game. As a result, Acrisure Stadium will host at least one more game this season.
This time, in the playoffs.
Holding on for a 26-24 win against the Baltimore Ravens earned the Steelers their first division title in five years and set up the first home postseason game in front of fans in eight seasons.
The Steelers will host the Houston Texans at 8 p.m. next Monday in a wild-card round game. That right to host a playoff game was earned Sunday night by way of three times overcoming deficits, including twice in the fourth quarter.
“It just takes a little belief at this point in the season,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “There are 14 teams that will be left (competing for the Super Bowl); 18 will be in the offseason.
“It’s good to be a part of the 14.”
The win officially extended the career of the 42-year-old Rodgers, who in the spring was openly contemplating retirement and even at one point said this season would be his last. While he has since walked back such talk, there is no guarantee he will play a 22nd NFL season.
A four-time NFL MVP, Rodgers was signed by the Steelers in June for the expressed purpose that he could lead them to wins in January. While the idea was that Rodgers would help the franchise get over the hump and prevail in a postseason contest for the first time since a divisional round victory at the end of the 2016 season, Sunday’s winner-take-all, loser-go-home game just to get into the postseason also qualified.
Rodgers delivered with 294 passing yards, including 26 on what proved to be the winning touchdown pass to Calvin Austin III with 55 seconds to play. It was one of two go-ahead touchdown drives Rodgers engineered over the final 9 minutes.
“This was the vision in the spring when we pursued him,” Tomlin said. “That’s why you do business with a 41, 42-year-old guy — a been-there, done-that guy with a resume like his. He’s not only capable, man, he thrives in it. I think you saw him put that on display tonight.”
Sunday’s win also extended the tenure of Tomlin, who in his 19th season has encountered angst from a fanbase tiring of the playoff wins drought and five consecutive similar-looking seasons that have ended with either nine or 10 wins.
It was only two home games prior to Sunday when during a listless Nov. 30 loss to the Buffalo Bills, a significant number of fans chanted “Fire Tomlin” at times in the fourth quarter. Those same fans likewise booed the unofficial anthem of Steelers Nation, the “Renegade” pump-up video played during each game in advance of a second-half defensive series.
On Sunday night, the video was met with cheers — albeit, when Baltimore scored four plays later, the boo birds came out.
A portion of the announced crowd of 65,400 also booed after the Ravens scored just 4 minutes, 6 seconds into the game. And again during other portions of the first quarter as the Steelers struggled, falling behind 10-0.
All was forgiven after Ravens rookie Tyler Loop missed a 44-yard field goal as time expired. And furthermore, the near-miss of the playoffs and of a dispiriting late-season collapse will be a distant memory if the Steelers beat the Texans — winners of nine straight — next week.
“We’re AFC North champions,” Tomlin said. “And that sounds good and it feels good — but we didn’t come here for that. We came here for what lies ahead (in the playoffs). So we’re excited for that. And thankful.”
