By Tim Clark / / Column, Tim's Two Cents
Two

Steelers.

Ravens.

Craziness.

Count on it.

This rivalry —the best in the NFL— is hard hitting, sometimes nasty, always competitive, and has produced some unbelievable moments.

In 2010, Ben Roethlisberger once played —and won— a game against the Ravens after having his nose broken by a  Haloni Ngata hit. With his nose pointing in an awkward direction Roethlisberger was able to orchestrate a 13-10 victory.

The Ravens stopped a two point conversion in 2013 to hold on to a 22-20 victory. That game was more known for Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin “accidentally” tripping Ravens kick returner Jacoby Jones as he was on his way to returning a kick for a touchdown.

Christmas Day of 2016 saw Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown reach the ball across the goal line while being held back by Ravens defenders. The play happened with 9 seconds and pushed the Steelers to an AFC North title.

Roethlisberger threw for an astounding 506 yards in a 39-38 shootout in 2017.

My favorite memory from this rivalry happened way back in 2008, and put the Steelers in the Super Bowl where they would beat the Arizona Cardinals. In the AFC Championship, Joe Flacco was trying to orchestrate a late comeback when Troy Polamalu made a leaping interception and turned into the Tasmanian Devil as he bobbed and weaved his way to the end zone for a game clinching touchdown.

The Polamalu play is the most consequential play in the rivalry from the Steelers side of things. This past Sunday night we may have seen the most stunning ending to one of these Steelers/Ravens soirées.

As I mentioned in last week’s column, I didn’t think it really mattered what happened in last Sunday night’s game. It may still become a moot point if the Steelers, once again, lose in the playoffs.

Obviously the players and coaches are trying like hell to win the game. As it turns out, the same sentiment is held by fans. Steelers fans are tired of treading water, always finishing in the middle of the pack. But when that ball is kicked off against the hated Ravens, winning is the only thing that matters.

Truth be told, after the Steelers flatline performance in Cleveland a week ago I saw little hope for a Steelers victory. So did the mainstream NFL media, as many reports were put out there indicating Tomlin could possibly step down with a loss and take a year off. Or maybe he would get into TV.

Then they kicked off.

The first half gave Steelers fans little hope as they trailed 10-3, frittering away several opportunities score. Then the Steelers scored a touchdown on the first possession of the second half to tie it up, and from there all hell broke loose.

The Steelers scored. The Ravens scored. The Steelers defense had botched coverages. The Ravens had slips and slides on defense. The Steelers tossed away all three timeouts for various reasons. The Ravens took advantage by scoring the go ahead touchdown with 2:20 left in the game. Stunningly, 42 year old Aaron Rodgers marched the Steelers down the field sans timeouts and scored the go ahead touchdown with 55 seconds.

In one of two stunning kicking outcomes, the always reliable Chris Boswell clanked the extra point off the right upright. This would allow the Ravens to win the game with a field goal.

To those who have followed the Steelers all year, it should have come as no surprise that they allowed a long Ravens kick return. Just when the defense looked like it would save the day for once, the Ravens hit a long pass down to the Steelers 25 yard line with time nearly gone. It would set up a field goal for the win by Tyler Loop, a kicker that has quickly allowed Ravens fans to forget legendary kicker Justin Tucker.

In one last stunning moment Sunday night, this happened.

 

Steelers win and get a home playoff game. They even get it on Monday night, a day where they have won 23 straight home games.

The Ravens go home and ponder the futures of head coach John Harbaugh and quarterback Lamar Jackson.

I am not going back on any of the things I wrote last week, or the other times I’ve shared similar sentiment about Mike Tomlin and the direction of this franchise. He never hires quality assistant coaches, makes head scratching in game decisions, and hasn’t won a playoff game in what seems like forever.

I would be remiss to not admit that Tomlin continues to be the best rally the troops coach in the NFL. From Patrick Queen to Patrick Friermuth, the players once again sang his praises Sunday night. Aaron Rodgers says he has loved the experience playing for Mike Tomlin. Those sentiments can’t simply be brushed under the rug.

Here is an astonishing stat. Tomlin has gone 10-7 three years in a row with the likes of Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, Mitch Trubisky, Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, and 42 year old Aaron Rodgers playing quarterback. I am not sure any other coach would have been able to do that.

Of course, finishing like that each year has not allowed the Steelers to be in the running for any of the top quarterbacks in the draft. Therein lies another problem with Tomlin’s trajectory.

Regardless, Sunday night was the most fun I have had watching a Steelers game in a long time. Winning next Monday still seems mandatory for Steelers fans to feel like this season was truly a success. A win Monday may mean a whole lot more of this.

 


I love it.

It is, after all, okay to find some enjoyment amongst all of the complaining.

Tweet of the Week

The Packers can say they wanted to avoid the shutout, but the optics of this certainly leave conspiracy theorists salivating.

 


The Weekly Shiny Penny

On my podcast I raved about —rightfully so— about Sean McDonough. Let’s not forget just how good Mike Tirico is at calling big moments. 

 


A Penny For My Final Thought…

This will have a similar feel to my main column.

The college playoff system —and the sport in general— is a mess. Still, having four different teams in the final four is quite refreshing. No Alabama. No Georgia. No Ohio State. Instead we have the biggest loser program in the sports history, a team that has never won a championship in their history, a team without its original coach, and a former powerhouse that has been in witness protection for a couple decades.

It would be nice to get more than one good game per round, but the end results are entertaining.

Ole Miss has become America’s darling mainly because their former coach is universally hated for how he handles his business. They have a real charmer playing quarterback. Trinidad Chambliss is class personified, and may only have one other player as classy.

That player would be Fernando Mendoza, quarterback of Indiana. The Hoosiers are easy to root for as well. A team that was not on anyone’s radar forever has sprung front and center with the hire of no nonsense Curt Cignetti. Indiana was happy when they would make a bowl game nobody has heard of. Now, they are two games away from winning it all.

Oregon remains the least likable of the teams still playing. The four thousand uniform combinations are annoying as is head coach Dan Lanning. Lanning is good, and he has a quarterback —Dante Moore— that continues to get better. And let’s face it, the Duck is a great mascot.

Miami would be more likable if Michael Irvin wasn’t constantly on my camera looking like a crack addict. I’m not saying he is on crack, but he could play the role without much acting. If Miami keeps their coach from making any decisions, they have a great chance. Rating these teams strictly on talent, the Hurricanes are well out in front.

Hopefully we get a couple good semifinal games this week, and then a competitive championship game next week. The sport sure could use that kind of ending.

Nobody —and I mean nobody— should want my picks, but here they are:

  • Indiana 27 Oregon 21
  • Miami 38 Mississippi 21
  • Miami 27 Indiana 24

Party on South Beach, while Notre Dame continues to cry about being left out of the playoffs.

Just my two cents…