A meaningful Week 18 game for Mike Tomlin? Who could have seen this coming? When the Pittsburgh Steelers failed to take care of business in their 13-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 17, it instantly made their season finale against the Baltimore Ravens a do-or-die matchup.
With the Ravens stunning the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Saturday night, the Steelers needed a win over the Browns to claim the AFC North division crown. But Tomlin's team had the letdown of the year.
With the Steelers sitting on a 9-7 record and the Ravens at 8-8, it all comes down to this: the team that wins will officially cash their ticket into the playoffs, while the loser will be eliminated.
Because of this, it was easy to figure out when the Steelers-Ravens game would be played in Week 18.
The Baltimore Ravens will host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football in Week 18
Upon the conclusion of NFL games on Sunday, the league announced the official Week 18 schedule (which was previously left 'to be determined'). To no surprise, the Steelers vs. Ravens game will be played on Sunday Night Football. This will include the typical 8:20 pm ET kickoff time on NBC or PeacockTV.
Two NFC games on Saturday have big implications as well. The 7-8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the 8-8 Carolina Panthers for an NFC South title game at 4:30 pm ET on ABC and ESPN, followed by a battle between the 13-3 Seattle Seahawks and the 12-4 San Francisco 49ers at 8:00 pm ET on Saturday night on ABC/ESPN.
But it's the least surprising of all to see the Steelers-Ravens get the primetime Sunday Night Football matchup.
These two teams have a long history, filled with hate and malice toward each other. This matchup is not only for the AFC North title, but it also includes the two longest-tenured head coaches on one team—Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh.
Is this the last time we will see a Tomlin-Harbaugh matchup? Will the loser of this game finally move on from their long-time head coach? Nothing is set in stone for two teams desperate to find playoff success.