John Harbaugh Reacts to Ravens vs. Steelers Primetime Treatment

The stakes could not be higher for a regular season game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18.

That's why the NFL is making them wait all day until Sunday night for the 262nd regular season game of the season to finish things off before the playoffs. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh spoke about the magnitude of the game that propelled the league to flex it into Sunday Night Football for the final matchup of the year.

"Yes, it's really awesome," Harbaugh told reporters. "I agree with you. I think it's really cool. It's what you want. Nobody was disappointed that we're playing Sunday night. It's not forefront of your mind, because we have to go play the game. The game could have been at 4 o'clock. It could have been 1 o'clock. It could have been Saturday [or] Saturday night. That would have been fine.

"... We have to wait that much longer to go play, so we have to set our clock accordingly and be ready at 8:20 on Sunday night. But all those things that you're talking about, I think when you take a step back, especially as a Ravens fan or in the organization, you have to take a step back, and you have to nod your head a little bit and go, 'Yes, that's probably the way it should be.'"

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson passes the ball while defended by Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Logan Lee. | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

Ravens vs. Steelers Tabbed For Primetime

This is the Ravens' seventh primetime game of the season, which is a franchise record.

The league still has four of its eight divisions needing to crown a winner in Week 18. The AFC South has the Jacksonville Jaguars in the driver's seat, but the Houston Texans can surpass them with a win and a Jacksonville loss.

The other two divisions have clincher opportunities in prime time on Saturday night. The Carolina Panthers will visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to determine who wins the NFC South, while the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers will meet to figure out who rules the NFC West and the number one overall seed in the NFC playoffs.

However, those games don't scream as much of a rivalry as the Ravens and Steelers. The league wanted one of its premier rivalries in prime time to finish off the regular season, which is exactly why the Ravens and Steelers will have to wait to settle their score until the very final act of the regular season.

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