Full Pittsburgh Steelers vs Detroit Lions match player stats from NFL Week 16, December 21, 2025. Pittsburgh won 29–24. Scoring plays, team stats, and key performance highlights including two 45-yard rushing touchdowns by J. Warren.
Pittsburgh’s defense produced a first-half safety, Cameron Boswell hit a 59-yard field goal on the opening drive, and J. Warren ran for two 45-yard touchdowns in the fourth quarter to give the Steelers a 29–24 victory over the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on December 21, 2025. Detroit’s Jared Goff threw for 364 yards and 3 touchdowns but was sacked 3 times and took a safety in the third quarter. Pittsburgh ran for 230 yards on 27 carries — an average of 8.519 yards per carry that gave the Steelers’ offense an entirely different dimension from their usual aerial attack. Aaron Rodgers completed 27 of 41 passes for 266 yards with 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions, and Pittsburgh won the possession time battle 34:06 to 25:54.
Final Score
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 3 | 7 | 2 | 17 | 29 |
| Detroit Lions | 0 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
Scoring Plays
Q1 — 9:26 Cameron Boswell 59-yard field goal. (DET 0 – PIT 3)
Q2 — 10:13 J. Bates 36-yard field goal. (DET 3 – PIT 3)
Q2 — 2:00 Jared Goff pass deep left complete. Catch made by I. TeSlaa for 20 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Bates PAT good. (DET 10 – PIT 3)
Q2 — 0:11 Aaron Rodgers pass deep right complete (DPI declined). Catch made by K. Gainwell for 45 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Boswell PAT good. (DET 10 – PIT 10)
Q3 — 9:47 Jared Goff sacked in the end zone for -5 yards (K. Dugger). SAFETY. (DET 10 – PIT 12)
Q4 — 15:00 Cameron Boswell 23-yard field goal. (DET 10 – PIT 15)
Q4 — 12:32 J. Warren rushed left end for 45 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Boswell PAT good. (DET 10 – PIT 22)
Q4 — 8:45 Jared Goff pass short right complete. Catch made by K. Raymond for 27 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Bates PAT good. (DET 17 – PIT 22)
Q4 — 6:50 J. Warren rushed left tackle for 45 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Boswell PAT good. (DET 17 – PIT 29)
Q4 — 4:15 Jared Goff pass short right complete. Catch made by J. Gibbs for 4 yards. TOUCHDOWN. Bates PAT good. (DET 24 – PIT 29) — FINAL
Team Stats Comparison
| Stat | Pittsburgh Steelers | Detroit Lions |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 481 | 361 |
| Passing Yards (net) | 251 | 346 |
| Rushing Yards | 230 | 15 |
| Plays | 70 | 69 |
| Avg Gain Per Play | 6.9 | 5.2 |
| Time of Possession | 34:06 | 25:54 |
| First Downs | 23 | 23 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Sacks Allowed | 2 | 3 |
| Penalties | 8 (89 yds) | 7 (40 yds) |
| Touchdowns | 3 | 3 |
| Field Goals | 2/3 | 1/1 |
| Safety | 1 | 0 |
| Rushing Avg Per Carry | 8.519 | 1.25 |
| QB Hits Taken | 1 | 9 |
Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Stats
Passing
Aaron Rodgers completed 27 of 41 passes for 266 yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions, finishing with a 92.1 passer rating. He was sacked twice for 15 yards and threw 5 poor passes, but his timing on the critical K. Gainwell 45-yard touchdown catch in the final seconds of the second half — which tied the game heading into halftime — was his best throw of the night. Rodgers did not turn the ball over and delivered clean pocket performances despite Detroit generating 9 QB hits on the night.
- Completions/Attempts: 27/41 | Yards: 266 | TDs: 1 | INTs: 0
- Sacks: 2 (15 yards) | Passer Rating: 92.1 | Long: 45 yards (TD — Gainwell)
- QB Hits Taken: 1 | Poor Throws: 5
Rushing
Pittsburgh’s ground game was the story of this game — 27 carries for 230 yards at an extraordinary 8.519 yards per carry, with 2 touchdowns. J. Warren provided the two most explosive plays of the game: consecutive 45-yard touchdown runs in the fourth quarter — at 12:32 and 6:50 — that gave Pittsburgh an insurmountable lead both times Detroit threatened to get back into it. The longest rush of 45 yards coming twice from the same player in back-to-back scoring drives was the individual highlight of the night for either side.
- Attempts: 27 | Yards: 230 | Avg: 8.519 | TDs: 2 | Long: 45 yards (TD — twice, Warren)
- Redzone Attempts: 5 | Yards After Contact: 61
Special Teams
Cameron Boswell made two of three field goal attempts — a 59-yarder on the opening drive that set the tone and a 23-yarder to open the fourth quarter. He missed from 39 yards. His 59-yard field goal was the longest field goal attempt converted in the game and reflected Pittsburgh’s aggressive approach on special teams in favorable wind conditions.
- Field Goals: 2/3 (59 yd made, 23 yd made, 39 yd missed) | Extra Points: 3/3
Detroit Lions Offensive Stats
Passing
Jared Goff completed 34 of 54 passes for 364 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions, finishing with a 101.2 passer rating. He was sacked 3 times for 18 yards — including the critical third-quarter safety in the end zone — and threw 7 poor passes with 4 dropped by receivers. His three touchdown passes went to I. TeSlaa (20 yards), K. Raymond (27 yards), and J. Gibbs (4 yards). Detroit’s receivers posted 174 yards after the catch — the most of either team — reflecting how often Goff was finding short targets that turned into big plays.
- Completions/Attempts: 34/54 | Yards: 364 | TDs: 3 | INTs: 0
- Sacks: 3 (18 yards, including safety) | Passer Rating: 101.2 | Long: 27 yards (TD — Raymond)
- QB Hits Taken: 9 | Poor Throws: 7 | YAC: 174
Rushing
Detroit ran only 12 times for 15 yards — a 1.25-yard average that was one of the worst team rushing performances in the 2025 NFL season. Five tackles for loss cost the Lions 13 yards and reflect how decisively Pittsburgh’s defensive front won the physical matchup on the ground. Without a functional run game, Detroit was forced to throw on almost every possession.
- Attempts: 12 | Yards: 15 | Avg: 1.25 | TDs: 0 | Long: 17 yards
Special Teams
Jake Bates made his only field goal — 36 yards — and all 3 extra points. His 3-for-3 on extra points kept Detroit in the game but the missed opportunity was the game-tying and later lead-taking drives that Detroit’s offense could not manufacture through the third quarter.
- Field Goals: 1/1 (36 yards) | Extra Points: 3/3
Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive Stats
Pittsburgh’s defense recorded 3 sacks, 1 safety, 9 QB hits, 7 tackles for loss, 6 passes defended, and forced 3 three-and-outs. The third-quarter safety — K. Dugger sacking Goff in the end zone — was the single biggest defensive play of the game, giving Pittsburgh a 12–10 lead and the momentum heading into the fourth quarter.
- Tackles: 34 solo, 21 assists (55 combined) | Sacks: 3 (18 yards)
- QB Hits: 9 | TFL: 7 (27 yards) | INTs: 0 | PDs: 6
- Safety: 1 (Dugger) | Three-and-Outs Forced: 3 | Missed Tackles: 4
Detroit Lions Defensive Stats
Detroit’s defense held Pittsburgh to 0 interceptions and forced 1 fumble and 2 sacks, but the 230 rushing yards against them — and specifically the two 45-yard Warren touchdown runs — was impossible to overcome. Detroit generated only 3 QB hits and 4 tackles for loss in a defensive performance that simply could not contain Pittsburgh’s ground game.
- Tackles: 37 solo, 28 assists (65 combined) | Sacks: 2 (15 yards)
- QB Hits: 3 | TFL: 4 (18 yards) | INTs: 0 | PDs: 5
- Forced Fumbles: 1 | Fumble Recoveries: 1 | Missed Tackles: 7
Key Takeaways
- Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Detroit Lions 29–24 at Ford Field on December 21, 2025, in NFL Week 16 — a game defined by J. Warren’s two identical 45-yard touchdown runs in the fourth quarter and a third-quarter safety that gave Pittsburgh the momentum they never relinquished.
- Cameron Boswell’s 59-yard opening field goal set the tone immediately — the longest field goal of the game — and he finished 2-of-3 on the night with all three extra points converted.
- J. Warren’s two 45-yard rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter — at 12:32 and 6:50 — were the two biggest plays of the game, both coming on identical 45-yard gains left end and left tackle that gave Pittsburgh leads of 22–10 and 29–17 respectively.
- Pittsburgh ran for 230 yards on 27 carries at 8.519 yards per carry — one of the most dominant individual team rushing performances of the 2025 NFL regular season — against a Detroit defense that allowed just 1.25 yards per carry in their own rushing game.
- Jared Goff threw for 364 yards and 3 touchdowns with 0 interceptions and a 101.2 passer rating — an excellent statistical line that still came up short against Pittsburgh’s balanced attack and the game’s defining safety.
- The third-quarter safety — K. Dugger sacking Goff in the end zone — was the game’s most consequential defensive play, giving Pittsburgh a 12–10 lead and all the momentum heading into the fourth quarter.
- Detroit’s receiving corps posted 174 yards after the catch — the most of either team — as Goff consistently found short targets that his receivers turned into significant gains, reflecting the Lions’ offensive philosophy of creating space after the catch.
- Detroit’s ground game was effectively neutralised — 12 carries, 15 yards, 1.25 average — as Pittsburgh’s defensive front dominated the trenches and generated 7 tackles for loss to cancel out any Detroit rushing threat.
- Pittsburgh committed 8 penalties for 89 yards — nearly double Detroit’s 7 for 40 — but the penalty yardage did not prevent them from controlling time of possession (34:06 to 25:54) or generating 481 total yards.
- Aaron Rodgers threw for 266 yards with 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions in a game where Pittsburgh’s rushing attack took primary responsibility — a rare game-plan where the ground game did most of the work and the veteran quarterback managed the situation efficiently.
