Steelers-Ravens rivalry extends to coaches Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh
PITTSBURGH 鈥� Barring some really unforeseen circumstances, Joey Porter isn鈥檛 going to challenge Ray Lewis to fisticuffs in the Heinz Field parking lot. Ryan Clark isn鈥檛 going to attempt to decapitate Willis McGahee. Hines Ward? He isn鈥檛 about to crack-back anyone.
Not that it would come as a great surprise if something similar happened.
When it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, nothing is sacred. Not even on Christmas. Peace on Earth and goodwill toward man? Forget it.
鈥淚t is going to be joy, not a lot of peace,鈥� predicts Baltimore wide receiver Steve Smith Sr.
Players have come and gone over the years, but Steelers-Ravens 鈥� 鈥渟till the best rivalry in football,鈥� according to Baltimore鈥檚 Mike Wallace, who has spent time on both sides of it 鈥� endures. Namely, through the two men who lead the respective teams: Pittsburgh鈥檚 Mike Tomlin and Baltimore鈥檚 John Harbaugh.
Hired exactly 362 days apart in 2007 and 鈥�08, Tomlin and Harbaugh are the NFL鈥檚 fifth and sixth-longest tenured coaches, respectively. Also, they are among the most successful, two of just seven current coaches to win a Lombardi Trophy. Tomlin鈥檚 .633 win percentage, playoffs included, is the third-best among active coaches, while Harbaugh is fifth at .605.
Think Steelers-Ravens doesn鈥檛 mean something to Tomlin? He鈥檚 the guy who was docked $100,000 for famously trying to trip a Baltimore kick returner three years ago. Of course, that was only on Thanksgiving.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like growing up in the Cold War, you just don鈥檛 like Russia,鈥� Steelers safety Mike Mitchell said.
Today inside the friendly confines of Heinz Field, the Steelers will write another chapter in their long-running feud with the hated Ravens. Though technically not a postseason game, it is. A win today will give the Steelers their fifth AFC North championship in 10 years under Tomlin. A loss would all but hand the division to the Ravens and leave the Steelers looking for help to qualify as a wild card. It would also raise a whole bunch of questions about their coach鈥檚 ability to beat his, and the Steelers, biggest rival.
During their current five-game winning streak, which matches their longest under Tomlin, the Steelers have done a fair job disproving narratives about winning on the road and playing down to the level of their competition. All that remains is for Tomlin to beat his Baltimore counterpart. That is something he hasn鈥檛 done lately. Tomlin鈥檚 Steelers have lost nine of their last 12 to Harbaugh鈥檚 Ravens, including the last four in a row.
In a game that features the Steelers鈥� dynamic offense against Baltimore鈥檚 second-ranked run defense, perhaps the most intriguing matchup is the one on the sidelines where Tomlin will match wits with Harbaugh.
鈥淛ust two great coaches,鈥� said Wallace, who played for Tomlin from 2009-12 and Harbaugh this season. 鈥淪imilarities? Both fire you up all the time. Coach Harbs is always fired up. Coach Tomlin used to be the same way. Both are players鈥� coaches and both believed in us. Some coaches, I don鈥檛 know if 鈥� they believe in the team. I think these guys really believe in their players and believe in the abilities of their players.鈥�
It鈥檚 in the big games, and today鈥檚 game certainly is, where Harbaugh has the edge. Tomlin is 6-5 in the postseason, while Harbaugh is 10-5. The Steelers鈥� wild-card win over Cincinnati last January was Tomlin鈥檚 first playoff win since 2010, when Pittsburgh last advanced to the Super Bowl by first beating the Ravens in the divisional round.
The Steelers have missed the postseason three times under Tomlin with a 9-7 record in 2009 and a pair of 8-8 seasons in 2012 and 鈥�13. A victory today over Baltimore or a win next week against hapless Cleveland would give the Steelers 10 on the season. In its 80-plus seasons, Pittsburgh has never missed the playoffs with 10 wins. That nightmare scenario would be a bitter pill to swallow for the Steelers, who entered the season as favorites to win the AFC.
Tomlin isn鈥檛 about to get fired, but you can imagine the backlash locally, where you鈥檙e only as good as your last Super Bowl win. Just two weeks ago, Tomlin notched his 100th regular season win at Buffalo, doing so in fewer games than Chuck Noll and becoming only the eighth head coach in NFL history to reach the century mark within their first 10 seasons.
Outside the Steelers locker room, it was met with little fanfare with Le鈥橵eon Bell rushing for a franchise record 236 yards.
鈥淣ot many coaches have done that with one organization,鈥� said veteran guard Ramon Foster. 鈥淭here鈥檚 always talk about should we replace him: Is he too hard? Or not hard enough on guys? That鈥檚 all BS. You look at a guy鈥檚 body of work and what he鈥檚 done. Not many coaches can do that. A lot of organizations are in and out of coaches or they鈥檙e always on the hot seat. There鈥檚 definitely not a lot of credit given.鈥�
Much the same criticisms was heard last season in Baltimore, which had its first losing season in eight years. With Joe Flacco, Terrell Suggs and Smith Sr., among others injured, the Ravens limped to 5-11 and missed the playoffs for just the second time under Harbaugh, and second in three years. Thanks to their dominant run defense, the Ravens are poised to win the AFC North this year beginning with a win today over the Steelers.
While many predicted Pittsburgh and the Cincinnati Bengals to be the ones vying for the AFC North, the Steelers say they aren鈥檛 surprised that it鈥檚 them and the Ravens today for the division crown.
It鈥檚 Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh teams, says Steelers tackle Marcus Gilbert, what did you expect?
鈥淭hey get their players prepared for big-time games,鈥� Gilbert said. 鈥淓ven when they had a down year last year, they still found a way to beat pretty good teams, which was us twice last year. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e playing the Ravens, you know you鈥檙e going to get two tough-nosed groups. You have to have your chinstraps buckled and ready to go. If you鈥檙e not walking off the field, saying 鈥楧amn, I gave it all and I鈥檓 not hurting,鈥� then I don鈥檛 think you played a part in the game. This is going to be a helluva football game. It鈥檚 going to be one to remember.鈥�