The Pittsburgh Steelers will welcome the attention that comes with being under the floodlights as they take on the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday in his weekly press conference at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
It was announced on Sunday that the AFC North rivalry matchup was flexed into the prime time slot, replacing a clash between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Los Angeles Rams.
“It’s just good to be in significant games,” Tomlin said. “When I got the call the other night that the game was flexed, man, I didn’t hate that. I loved that. If your games are not getting flexed this time of year, you’re not doing it right. You’re not in significant ones. We don’t run from that, we run to that, although we do respect their environment and the hostility of that environment on Sunday Night Football. We’re not going to hate the fact that we’re there. We’re going to embrace that and smile in the face of the adversity that those variables create.”
The Steelers have played three prime-time games so far this season. They lost to Cleveland on Thursday Night Football in September, then beat Indianapolis on Monday Night Football in Week 12. On Saturday night, they downed Las Vegas in an emotional and chilly setting. The Steelers were set to play Cincinnati on Sunday Night Football in November, but that home matchup was flexed out of that slot.
This will be the first time since 2018 that the Steelers and Ravens butt heads in prime-time. In a 18-year span, they met in that slot 14 times.
“I think we’re all familiar with being in significant games,” Tomlin said. “The new Steeler, the young Steeler, we’ll kind of educate them as I’m sure they will the new or the young Raven. I think this is the 10th time that Harbs (Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh) and I have played Sunday night ball together. He’s an awesome dance partner, they’re an awesome dance partner.”
In the last 15 meetings between the teams, it’s been almost completely even. The Ravens have won eight of those contests and Pittsburgh seven.