The Week 18 matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers was always going to be another heated clash between division rivals. But the stakes have grown even higher heading into Sunday Night Football.
This won’t be a typical AFC North showdown. The January 4 game will decide the division champion — the winner moves on to the playoffs, while the loser’s season comes to an abrupt end. For the Steelers, though, it was never supposed to come down to this.
Pittsburgh was expected to have the division — one it hasn’t won since 2020 — wrapped up back in Week 17. Instead, that plan unraveled with a 13-6 road loss to the Cleveland Browns in what was one of the team’s ugliest performances of the season.
Now, if the Steelers do the unthinkable and let the division slip away on the final weekend, serious questions will follow. That includes renewed scrutiny around head coach Mike Tomlin’s future.
“It is an honor, man, to be in these games, to be in these hotly contested matchups,” Tomlin said, via the Steelers’ team site. “Seems like Baltimore is always a dance partner. I certainly am respectful and appreciative of that relationship and some of the historic things we’ve been able to do when these two teams have come together. This appears to be one of those weekends. It’s humbling and an honor to be a component of it, but to be a component of it is just that. Our job is to win.”
Would Mike Tomlin Move On If Steelers Lose To Ravens In Week 18?
On December 29, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter raised eyebrows while appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show,” suggesting the outcome of the Ravens-Steelers Week 18 matchup could have implications on the future of both head coaches.
“They will have a big say,” Schefter said of both Tomlin and Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. “One of them may go in there and say, ‘It’s been a great run. Might be time to go try something else.’ Whether that’s TV or another job somewhere else, those things are possible. They’re within the realm of possibility for the wide range of outcomes after Week 18.”
While that scenario seems unlikely, it underscores the magnitude of the moment. Coaches of Tomlin’s and Harbaugh’s stature would immediately become top candidates elsewhere if they ever chose to walk away.
Still, not everyone is buying into the idea.
ESPN Insider Downplays Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh Exit Talk
Tomlin and Harbaugh remain two of the longest-tenured head coaches in the NFL. Tomlin is in his 19th season with the Steelers, while Harbaugh is in his 18th with the Ravens. According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, there’s little reason to believe either organization is preparing for a change.
“That chatter is out there,” Graziano wrote, “but I’ve heard nothing from inside either building to indicate either team is contemplating a change. Most of the speculation seems to stem from fan discontent, and neither the Steelers nor the Ravens are the type of organization to make compulsive decisions based on fan discontent.
“…Count me among those who would be extremely surprised if Tomlin and Harbaugh aren’t back in their current jobs next season.”
That said, fan frustration in Pittsburgh is very real. The loud “Fire Tomlin” chants following the Steelers’ 26-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 13 are still fresh. Another loss — especially one that costs the Steelers the AFC North — would only amplify those voices on January 4.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Steelers Unlikely to Make ‘Compulsive Decision’ on Mike Tomlin After Week 18 appeared first on Heavy Sports.