Hall Of Fame Steelers RB Jerome Bettis Calls Out Fans In Pittsburgh After Victory Over Ravens

The Pittsburgh Steelers will host a home playoff game for the first time since the 2020 season on Monday evening. In an absolutely incredible game between two AFC North rivals, Mike Tomlin's group came out on top while the Baltimore Ravens suffered unimaginable defeat in Week 18. This actually ended up leading to the firing of John Harbaugh, something that shocked the NFL world on Tuesday evening. Now, the Houston Texans will come to the Steel City and fans are going to have to be at their very best to fluster CJ Stroud and his offense.

By the looks of it on television, fans from across the league truly would have believed the Acrisure Stadium was loud and proud in Week 18. The reaction to Tyler Loop's missed field goal as time expired seemed to have showed that. However, sometimes watching from home can give someone the wrong interpretation of how something is actually going.

On the most recent episode of the Not Just Football podcast that is hosted by Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, he welcomed Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis on the show. The Super Bowl XL champion expressed sincere displeasure in how the black and gold faithful showed out for the biggest game of the 2025 campaign.

"I thought the crowd in Pittsburgh was a bit iffy," Bettis said. "I say that in a little bit of disappointment because our crowd has been phenomenal for decades, and this is one of those games where I truly felt like a lot of the crowd didn't feel good about us winning the game. A lot of people went into the game like, 'I'm here, but I'm here to see us go down,' and you could feel the energy wasn't a true Pittsburgh Steeler-Ravens, end-of-the-season, winner-take-all game. The energy should have been at fever pitch, and it wasn't that."

This is more than Bettis simply ripping into the fans. It almost seems as if he was challenging the group to be better for the upcoming Wild Card matchup. The Texans are arguably the hottest team in all of football, but coming up from Texas to play in a cold January contest could affect things. A rambunctious crowd could make it even more difficult for DeMeco Ryans and his group.

Home-field advantage can mean absolutely everything to a team, specifically in the playoffs. It is why the expectation is that the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos have the easiest paths to the Super Bowl in their respective conferences. Pittsburgh is only guaranteed one showdown at home, which is why Bettis is trying to make it a point to fire the collective up.

Bettis has experienced some insane fan gatherings in his career. From playing at Notre Dame to then finding a long-term home with the Steelers, it's hard to imagine that there is a better college-professional duo to have as a big part of anyone's career. The fans in Pittsburgh have an opportunity to truly wake up and make the Texans' heads spin. 

It's not that the legendary running back wanted to stir the pot too much, but it seemed as if he definitely wanted to make it a point to call out the fan base for not showing out in full for a win-or-go-home game versus the Ravens in Week 18.

Steelers Will Need The Home Crowd To Be As Loud As Ever

It has been five years since Pittsburgh has hosted this big of a professional football game. Houston is used to playing in a dome and warm weather. This will be the exact opposite of that. Monday night isn't just about the conditions being in the Steelers' favor, but the fans as well. Having the opportunity to shut out any Texans fans in attendance while making it miserable for the visitors will be paramount to success.

Do you think the Steelers' home crowd wasn't up to the task in Week 18? Let us know in the comments below!

#SteelerNation