Carolina
Panthers
4-6
38
FINAL
51
Pittsburgh
Steelers
7-2
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 16 showdown, the Pittsburgh Steelers topped the Carolina Panthers with a final score of 51-38, solidifying their position in the playoff race. With the stakes high, both teams battled fiercely, but it was the Steelers' high-powered offense that ultimately prevailed.
Quarterback Joe Milton of the Panthers threw for an impressive 368 yards and three touchdowns, showcasing his talent despite the loss. However, it was Pittsburgh's Quinshon Judkins who stole the show on the ground with 110 rushing yards, while Darnell Washington made a significant impact in the air, racking up 224 receiving yards. Their combined efforts provided crucial scoring opportunities that kept the Steelers ahead.
Defensively, Pittsburgh made key plays that shifted momentum in their favor. Nick Herbig led the Steelers with five total tackles, while Robert Spears-Jennings made two critical interceptions that halted Carolina's drives at pivotal moments. The turning point came late in the third quarter when Spears-Jennings picked off a pass, setting up a touchdown that pushed Pittsburgh's lead to two scores, ultimately sealing their victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Milton | QB | 36 | 21 | 58% | 368 | 3 | 4 | 81.4 |
| Taylen Green | QB | 21 | 14 | 67% | 317 | 2 | 1 | 121.6 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinshon Judkins | HB | 8 | 110 | 13.8 | 7 | 2 | 70 | 0 |
| Jaydon Blue | HB | 7 | 88 | 12.6 | 10 | 1 | 65 | 0 |
| Taylen Green | QB | 5 | 50 | 10.0 | — | 1 | 19 | 2 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Joe Milton | QB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Darnell Washington | TE | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darnell Washington | TE | 8 | 224 | 28.0 | 34 | 1 | 42 | 0 |
| Chris Brazzell II | WR | 9 | 181 | 20.1 | 47 | 1 | 40 | 0 |
| Darren Waller | TE | 3 | 72 | 24.0 | 14 | 0 | 37 | 0 |
| Xavier Legette | WR | 3 | 65 | 21.7 | 17 | 1 | 37 | 0 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 1 | 42 | 42.0 | 2 | 1 | 42 | 0 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 3 | 40 | 13.3 | 7 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Quinshon Judkins | HB | 4 | 34 | 8.5 | 25 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 1 | 17 | 17.0 | 12 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Jaydon Blue | HB | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Spears-Jennings | SS | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Nick Herbig | REDG | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Jackson | CB | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Lee Hunter | DT | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Payton Wilson | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Daylen Everette | CB | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Derrick Brown | DT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamel Dean | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaelan Phillips | LEDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Bobby Okereke | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah Simmons | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lathan Ransom | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Ramsey | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Nick Scott | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Princely Umanmielen | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Terell Smith | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lewis Cine | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Alex Highsmith | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Pitre | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rayshawn Jenkins | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaycee Horn | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Tre'von Moehrig | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Devin Lloyd | WILL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Fitzgerald | K | 3 | 3 | 3 | 54 |
| Chris Boswell | K | 1 | 1 | 6 | 52 |

