Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin will be facing each other for the 40th time in those roles on Sunday night and the winner of the game will get to celebrate a division title and a playoff berth.
The fallout for the loser has been the subject of a lot of speculation since it became clear in recent weeks that only one of the teams would have a chance of advancing to the postseason. Both coaches have fielded questions about their job security and Harbaugh was asked at a Monday press conference about whether the Sunday night game will be “a kind of referendum” on two coaches nearing the end of their second decade in their current roles.
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“I really just don’t have the space for that,” Harbaugh said, via a transcript from the team. “It’s just not something that you have the ability to think about. It’s not important. If it was important, and it had an impact and a bearing, then I think you’d think about it, because it’s always that way. . . . And I know there’s always pressure. There’s always pressure, but I think it was Billie Jean King who said that pressure is a privilege, right? Was it Billie Jean King who said that? And that’s something that is earned. So, we feel like it’s something very worthwhile to be in games like this. And if those are the things that are being talked about along with that, that’s OK. That’s a privilege, too. So, let’s get to work, and let’s go try to play our best game and try to coach our best game.”
There’s been plenty of disappointment on both sides of the long-standing AFC North rivalry this season and the winner of Sunday’s game won’t be able to evade questions about their overall direction, but they’re going to be a lot faster and a lot more pointed for the team whose season ends this weekend.
