https://sports.yahoo.com/dont-expect-coach-steelers-ravens-203030119.html
They’ll face each other for the 38th time tonight. And the loser of the latest showdown between Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and Ravens coach John Harbaugh will be dealing instantly with the aftermath of a missed opportunity to win in the postseason.
It creates an odd vibe. The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since 2016. The Ravens continue to sputter short of the Super Bowl. In the losing city, will it be time for a change — for the team or for the coach?
The Steelers weren’t supposed to even be here. Entering the season, they were the consensus last-place team in the AFC North. But then the season started, and the Steelers won 10 of 17 games, continuing a no-last-place streak that started in 1989.
That said, a loss will give the Steelers five in a row to end the season. We’re told that, from Tomlin’s perspective, he’s not walking away.
And it’s hard to imagine the Steelers making a change. First, they don’t fire coaches. Second, if Tomlin goes (and is quickly snatched up by another team), he would be instantly coveted by all teams with vacancies. Hell, some teams without vacancies might think about firing their current coach to have a shot at Tomlin.
Still, owner Art Rooney had this to say last January, after another one-and-done postseason: “We’ve had enough of this. It’s time to get some wins; it’s time to take these next steps.”
Even if they don’t take the next step tonight, it’ll be a lot harder to even get to the playoffs next year without Tomlin.
As to the Ravens, who haven’t been to the Super Bowl since the last time it was in New Orleans (thanks to the back end of the Patriots’ dynasty and the front end of the Chiefs’ dynasty), a loss also is highly unlikely to bring about an end to Harbaugh’s 17-year tenure. The team won’t move on, and there’s currently no reason to think Harbaugh wants a fresh start.
There’s one potential wrinkle to all of this. What if someone looking for a team calls the Steelers or Ravens and offers a couple of first-round picks? The fact that this rarely happens makes it unlikely. But with multiple teams reportedly interested in trading for Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, wouldn’t those same teams also be interested in two of the best coaches in NFL history?
Unless someone calls and makes a big offer and the coach wants to make a change, it’s not happening. And that seems to be the only way the loser of tonight’s game will be moving on, and moving out.
https://sports.yahoo.com/dont-expect-coach-steelers-ravens-203030119.html
