Ravens, Steelers Coaches Add To History

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin meet yet again.

Oct 6, 2019; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh (left) talks with Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin before a game at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images / Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin have been facing off for a long time now, and it doesn't look like they'll be stopping any time soon.

Tomlin is the longest-tenured coach in the league in his 18th season with the Steelers, and Harbaugh is close behind in his 17th season with the Ravens. As division rivals for that entire time, they've obviously faced each other quite a lot.

Sunday's meeting in Pittsburgh marks the 36th time the two coaches have faced off, including three meetings. That's the most in the Super Bowl era and second-most in NFL history, trailing only George Halas and Curly Lambeau with 49 matchups between 1921 and 1953.

However, it's important to note that Halas and Lambeau coached in a league with as few as six and as many as 12 teams, so there's naturally going to be a lot more matchups between the clubs. Halas' Chicago Bears and Lambeau's Green Bay Packers played each other three times in a single season on multiple occasions, so while their longevity was incredibly impressive, it needs to be put in the context of the era.

In the modern NFL, the longevity of Tomlin and Harbaugh is incredibly impressive. Only a handful of coaches have been with a single team as long as they have, and they're usually at the top of the sport.

This season is no exception, as with Baltimore sitting at 7-3 and Pittsburgh at 7-2, Sunday's showdown is for the AFC North lead. They'll meet again on Dec. 21 in a game with possibly even higher stakes.

No matter how many times these two teams and coaches see each other, there's never a dull moment in the rivalry

"We're highly familiar with them," Tomlin said. "But you know, we don't seek or find comfort in that, because we know that they're highly familiar with us," Tomlin said. "It's Steelers-Ravens. And so let's get at it."

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