Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said this week that he expects a “rough and tumble” game against the Ravens on Sunday because the two teams have a long history of games that have gone that way.
The last 24 of those regular season games have been coached by Tomlin and John Harbaugh, which has set the stage for the two coaches to make some history this Sunday. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, Harbaugh and Tomlin will be the first coaches in the modern era to match up against each other 25 times in the regular season.
Tomlin also faced off with Marvin Lewis 24 times when Lewis was the head coach of the Bengals. Sid Gillman and Hank Stram also reached that mark.
“I think in moments like this or in the offseason and things of that nature, you get an opportunity, maybe, to appreciate it,” Tomlin said of his history with Harbaugh. “But I think much like him, in the moment, they’re nameless, gray faces on the other sideline, man. You’re just so caught up in the strategy or the decisions that need to be made. When you’re playing good people, it’s paramount that you play [well].”
Harbaugh and the Ravens have a 13-11 edge in the regular season while Tomlin’s Steelers have won two of the three postseason games between the coaches.