Steelers coach Mike Tomlin bills Ravens game as 5-star matchup with 'villains on both sides'

The Baltimore Ravens represent not a regular old rivalry to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but one that Mike Tomlin believes has history and texture because of the organizational continuity of their coaches.

What adds another interesting layer is their first meeting this season didn’t arrive until mid-November and serves as the start of an AFC North gauntlet of six divisional games over the final eight weeks for the Steelers.

That brought a shrug of indifference from Tomlin.

“You know I don’t care. I’ll play them whenever they schedule us,” Tomlin said. “We’ve got no control over the schedule. Our goal is to beat everybody. But specifically, week to week, we are singularly focused on this week’s opponent. I’d be making it up if I told you I cared about the schedule or when we faced people. I don’t.”

With the Steelers (7-2) and Ravens (7-3) fighting for first place when they play at 1 p.m. Sunday at Acrisure Stadium, it’s no wonder Tomlin billed the game a “five-star matchup.” Where the Steelers overcame a 10-point deficit for a 28-27 win at Washington on Sunday, Baltimore is coming off a 35-34 win over the Bengals on Thursday night.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is playing like a two-time league MVP, averaging 266.9 passing yards with 24 touchdowns against two interceptions and 53.8 rushing yards per game with a QB rating of 123.2. But Jackson is 2-4 against the Steelers, with a 66.8 QB rating, 59% completion rate, more picks (seven) than touchdown passes (four) and no rushing touchdowns.

The Steelers have won seven of their last eight meetings and lead the all-time series 35-25.

Tomlin shared his respect for the rivalry, noting that it often comes with divisional ramifications. That both teams have coaches with organizational continuity, Tomlin said, adds another angle. Tomlin, in his 18th season with the Steelers, has a 21-16 record against the Ravens. John Harbaugh, in his 17th as coach of the Ravens, is 15-18 against the Steelers.

“It’s really cool to be in these games, not because it’s them but because they’re a good team,” Tomlin said. “This time of year, you want to be leaning in on five-star matchups and being a component of it. You’re in five-star matchups not only because of the quality of people that you’re playing but also what you’ve done. We respect that component of it, and we’re excited about that component of it. We just want to sharpen our sword for these battles, to find a way to prepare ourselves and find a way to win and search for more.”

Tomlin also highlighted the twist that comes with players “flipping sides,” as the Steelers added former Ravens in inside linebacker Patrick Queen, outside linebacker Jeremiah Moon and safety DeShon Elliott, while Baltimore features former Steelers in wide receiver Diontae Johnson, cornerback Arthur Maulet and defensive end Chris Wormley, who is on the practice squad.

“There’s intimacy in this relationship,” Tomlin said. “We’re familiar with their players, they are highly familiar with ours and when you have that level of familiarity, sometimes guys play on both sides.”

Asked about Queen expressing his desire to play the villain against his former team, Tomlin welcomed him to the Steelers side of Ravens week.

“He’s going to have plenty of opportunity for that, I promise you,” Tomlin said. “There’s a lot of villains on both sides of this rivalry.”

Tomlin previewed the matchup with the Ravens and provided updates on injured players during his weekly press conference. Here’s a look at what Tomlin had to say:

Coach Tomlin speaks to the media ahead of our Week 11 game against the Ravens. @PNCBank

????: #BALvsPIT 11/17 at 1 PM ET on CBS https://t.co/tquYmfTpXM

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) November 12, 2024