Mike Tomlin Wins Off-Field Duel Over Fired Ravens HC

The AFC North was up for grabs, but neither of the presumed-contenders in position to potentially advance to the playoffs struck anyone as particularly-worthy postseason entrants entering Week 18.

Fans of both the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers had each seen enough; there was a reason that these two teams had been treading water all season long. The Ravens, backed by an even 8-8 record, had disappointed in attempting to parlay their exciting roster into a championship favorite, while the 9-7 Steelers looked like their usual unexciting selves, and older than ever at that with the 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers calling the shots on the field.

Whoever won the regular season finale wouldn't just win the final spot in the AFC's playoff bracket. There was a general sentiment that both of these head coaches were proving themselves one more time to respective fan bases who'd grown sick of their respectively-underwhelming brands of football, and Baltimore was quick to address John Harbaugh's losing the final duel to Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin.

Baltimore Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh shakes hands with Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin — Jan 11, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh shakes hands with Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin after an AFC wild card game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

As if losing to his rival wasn't enough, Harbaugh was let go from his head coaching post just two days into the early offseason, ending an 18-year run as Baltimore's shot-caller. Tomlin, who already held a slight edge in experience after 19 years on the job, will only add to his records in preparing for this weekend's Wild Card Round, the first game he'll coach without Harbaugh employed in nearly two decades.

The End of an Era

The Ravens and Steelers bumped heads 44 times with these two guys leading the way, and Tomlin's survivability is backed by the 23-17 record that his side mounted over the years.

Harbaugh may have lost the playoff-deciding matchup and, ultimately, his job, but he did hold a small advantage over Tomlin entering this one. Even though the Steelers had prevailed in their previous Week 14 showdown, the former Ravens coach evened the scales by defeating the Steelers in the first round of last season's playoffs, tying their head-to-head postseason record at 2-2.

John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin faced each other 44 times in the storied Steelers–Ravens rivalry:

🏈Steelers went 23–17 in regular-season meetings

🏈They split the postseason 2–2 pic.twitter.com/5FqPjmsbAr
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 6, 2026

Now, for just the fourth time ever, Baltimore management has to locate a head coach for the following season. Reports continually imply that Harbaugh's methods and messages wore out in the Ravens' locker room, a natural byproduct of such an underwhelming season. Directly on the heels of two years that included a run to the AFC Championship Game and back-to-back First Team All-Pro nods for Lamar Jackson, here was a losing season with innumerable big-game fumbles.

Tomlin will keep coaching, like always, in preparing his Steelers to host the Houston Texans, but he'll realize first-hand upon the start of the next regular season that his long-standing rivalry with the Ravens won't ever be quite the same.

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