Steelers Catch Wild Stray From Ravens' John Harbaugh During Training Camp

The Pittsburgh Steelers are known for playing hard-nosed, gritty football. It makes perfect sense for them to be the cornerstone franchise of the AFC North, where they take on teams like the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, and Cincinnati Bengals at least twice a season. There are rivalries with all three teams, but the best rivalry in the NFL is between Pittsburgh and Baltimore. The franchises always seem to play close games, no matter what the difference in talent is on the field. They are often some of the best games of the season, and they usually have both fan bases on the edge of their seats.

There are always big storylines heading into each matchup between the Ravens and the Steelers, and those are usually headlined by the two head coaches. Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin is the longest-tenured head coach in the league, while Baltimore's John Harbaugh is right behind him. The two are rare cases of longevity and loyalty at the coaching spot, and there is a large amount of respect between the two and their respective organizations.

On Wednesday, Harbaugh was in an interview with the Barstool Sports' podcast Pardon My Take, and the subject of the rivalry was brought up. The two hosts spoke with Harbaugh about how the games always seem to close and are decided by a single possession, which is where Harbaugh had to make a slight correction.

"There's been a few blow outs." Harbaugh said. "Tons of close games, but the blow outs have always been one way. But there's been very few of them."

Harbaugh is insinuating that while the games between Pittsburgh and Baltimore are typically close, there have been some blowouts, and those usually go the Ravens' way. There be a touch of recency bias due to his statement as Baltimore took down Pittsburgh by a score of 28-14 during the playoffs, and the game was much further apart than the score indicates.

Pittsburgh leads the all-time series between the two organizations with a record of 36-27, but the Ravens have been the better team in recent years. On paper they have one of the better rosters in the NFL, with a consistent MVP candidate at quarterback in Lamar Jackson. They should be expected to blow the Steelers out consistently, yet Pittsburgh has still had more success against Baltimore in recent years.

The Ravens have one the last two matchups, including the game in the postseason, but the Steelers went on a stretch of winning eight out of nine games against the Ravens from 2020 through the first half of the 2024 season. Harbaugh can boast about having an occasional blowout against the Steelers, but he has found his team searching for answers more often than not when facing the Steelers.

Steelers' Mike Tomlin And John Harbaugh Have A Strong Mutual Respect

Despite Harbaugh's little jab at Pittsburgh, the two sides have an enormous amount of respect for one another. This is seen by the way Tomlin and Harbaugh are always seen talking before games, and how the two typically speak about each other in the media. The two are amongst the coaching hierarchy in the NFL, and both are sure fire Hall Of Famers. 

Tomlin and the Pittsburgh front office have retooled their roster heading into the 2025 season, and the team should be able to be more competitive against Baltimore. The two sides won't face each other until Week 14, and then again in the regular season finale. 

The regular season finale could have some major stakes as both sides will hopefully be competing for playoff positioning, and maybe even a division title. The Ravens have dominated when it comes to winning the AFC North, as Pittsburgh is searching for its first divisional title since the 2020 season.

What do you think about Harbaugh's comments towards the Steelers? Let us know in the comments below!

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