The Ravens And Steelers Made A Mess At The Classic Factory

If the NFC South got the ending it deserved, then so too did the AFC North. The division's season finale couldn't quite match the pathetic reality of two 8-9 teams sitting at home rooting for two other losing teams to send them to playoffs, but it perfectly captured that which defined this division throughout the season: the perception of prestige undermined by the cold hard reality of badly played football.

Take a quick glance at the result of Sunday night's winner-goes-to-the-playoffs game between the Steelers and Ravens, and you might think we just saw a classic unfold. Here were the two doyens of the division locked in a battle for survival, adding a new chapter to their rivalry that concluded with the Steelers claiming a division title with a 26-24 victory that came down to the last play. Look a little closer, though, and you'll see what this game actually was—one fuck-up crashing into the next.