The historic rivalry between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens will meet again on the field for the third time this NFL season. This time, it’s particularly special as the Wild Card spot in the Playoffs is at stake. Mike Tomlin knows he’ll be facing one of the toughest opponents in Lamar Jackson and understands that nothing can be left to chance.
In recent comments to the press, Coach Tomlin made it clear what he thinks about his opponent, highlighting above all the key weapons in John Harbaugh’s team: the talent of their quarterback and the power of running back Derrick Henry.
“It’s no surprise they’re one of the hottest teams in football,” Tomlin told reporters Monday. “It’s about No. 8 (Lamar Jackson) and No. 22 (Derrick Henry) for us. Lamar’s play has been spectacular. There’s been very little negativity on their tape in general during the second half of the season.”
The Steelers will travel to Baltimore next Saturday, January 11, and Coach Tomlin himself is already anticipating a highly hostile atmosphere at M&T Bank Stadium, not only due to the weather conditions but also because of the support from the local fanbase.
Derrick Henry #22 and Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates after the win over the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on December 25, 2024 in Houston, Texas.
“I expect it to be a hostile environment,” Tomlin said. “I welcome that to be quite honest with you. It’s important that we smile in the face of that.”
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The goal of winning a playoff game again
Tomlin’s record during his tenure with the Steelers is undoubtedly unquestionable: throughout his 18 seasons as head coach, he has never finished with a losing record. However, since the 2016 season, Pittsburgh has not won a playoff game, and the coach himself takes full responsibility for that.
“What you mentioned is my story, it’s not the collective’s story,” Tomlin said. “Many of those guys involved do not tote those bags. I happily tote those bags. But it’s not something I’m going to project on the collective.
“We’ve been in too many battles and had too much success to be fragile in that way. We can certainly hate our recent performances and the outcome, but I don’t think it reflected on how we feel about ourselves.”
