Unsurprisingly, the NFL chose to flex the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens' Week 18 showdown to Sunday Night Football. It's a matchup between two storied franchises that share one of the richest rivalries, not just in the league, but in American sports. What's better than that?
The 65th Ravens-Steelers duel will shockingly mark their first winner-take-all regular-season finale despite jostling for AFC North supremacy annually, further adding to the anticipation. They're set to go toe-to-toe in the national spotlight with everything at stake, and it all comes down to a single game.
Whoever prevails will be able to call themselves division champions and host their first-round playoff opponent, while the loser gets sent packing. This is what it's all about -- Ravens Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh knows it.
John Harbaugh sets the stage for Baltimore Ravens-Pittsburgh Steelers winner-take-all AFC North showdown
Harbaugh addressed the media as he and the Ravens kicked off their preparation for a pivotal clash in Pittsburgh. A reporter asked him about facing a well-chronicled nemesis on a grand stage in a monumental moment for both sides, and his response was perfect.
"It's what you want. Nobody was disappointed [to hear] that we're playing Sunday Night. ... It's probably the way it should be. We respect the Steelers, their organization, and we respect the AFC North. "John Harbaugh, Ravens' official YouTube
Pittsburgh and Baltimore have butted heads for what feels like forever; they have a genuine dislike for one another. Nevertheless, at the core of their friction is immense admiration, as Harbaugh alludes to. With that in mind, he's wearing the historic feud as a badge of honor ahead of a seismic primetime contest versus the Steelers.
While the Steelers and Ravens have a deep-rooted connection, Harbaugh and Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin are the most common denominator. They're the league's longest-tenured active head coaches. The upcoming encounter will mark their 40th head-to-head meeting, which trails only football royalty: Curly Lambeau and George Halas.
Tomlin has a slight edge, improving to 22-17 against Harbaugh when the Steelers beat the Ravens in Week 7 (h/t ESPN Insights). Their long-standing power struggle shouldn't be overlooked. Who knows how many more times we'll see them duke it out as the leaders of their respective squads?