Carolina
Panthers
10-4
24
FINAL
35
Pittsburgh
Steelers
7-7
AI Recap
AI RECAPThe Pittsburgh Steelers secured a crucial victory over the Carolina Panthers, winning 35-24 in Week 16 of the 2026 season. With playoff implications on the line, the Steelers showcased their resilience and offensive firepower to outlast their opponents.
Bryce Young had a standout performance for the Panthers, throwing for 274 yards and two touchdowns, while Velus Jones Jr. emerged as his primary target, racking up 122 receiving yards. However, it was the Steelers' Jaylen Warren who kept the chains moving on the ground with 74 rushing yards, contributing significantly to Pittsburgh’s offensive rhythm.
Defensively, the Steelers made key plays that shifted the momentum of the game. Jamel Dean's interception proved pivotal, halting a potential scoring drive from the Panthers and allowing Pittsburgh to extend their lead. Additionally, T.J. Watt's single sack kept pressure on Young throughout the contest, disrupting Carolina's offensive flow and helping the Steelers maintain control.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce Young | QB | 37 | 19 | 51% | 274 | 2 | 4 | 54.1 |
| Aaron Rodgers | QB | 28 | 17 | 61% | 258 | 2 | 2 | 85.1 |
| Xavier Legette | WR | 0 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 12 | 74 | 6.2 | 30 | 1 | 15 | 0 |
| Bryce Young | QB | 2 | 51 | 25.5 | — | 1 | 34 | 0 |
| Adam Randall | HB | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Velus Jones Jr | HB | 5 | 5 | 1.0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Trevor Etienne | HB | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Velus Jones Jr | HB | 8 | 122 | 15.3 | 100 | 0 | 35 | 0 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 3 | 93 | 31.0 | 67 | 1 | 52 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 5 | 65 | 13.0 | 37 | 0 | 34 | 0 |
| Chris Brazzell II | WR | 4 | 64 | 16.0 | 38 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 6 | 62 | 10.3 | 16 | 1 | 21 | 0 |
| Anthony Smith | WR | 2 | 43 | 21.5 | 35 | 1 | 30 | 0 |
| Michael Pittman | WR | 3 | 38 | 12.7 | 4 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Xavier Legette | WR | 3 | 22 | 7.3 | 12 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Jalen Coker | WR | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 9 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jalen Ramsey | FS | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Jaquan Brisker | SS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tre'von Moehrig | FS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamel Dean | CB | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rayshawn Jenkins | FS | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyrel Dodson | WILL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Devin Lloyd | WILL | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Lathan Ransom | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandin Echols | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Queen | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Mike Jackson | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Smith | SAM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Bobby Okereke | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaycee Horn | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaelan Phillips | REDG | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DeShon Elliott | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cole Holcomb | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Scott | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robert Spears-Jennings | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Harmon | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Alex Highsmith | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tershawn Wharton | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ Johnson | LEDG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Fitzgerald | K | 1 | 1 | 1 | 28 |
| Chris Boswell | K | 1 | 1 | 2 | 34 |