The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens will meet in Week 18, continuing a rivalry that began in 1996. The Steelers currently lead the series 37-27, including five playoff games. Their most recent encounter was in Week 14, where Pittsburgh won in Baltimore. Mike Tomlin has a record of 23-18 against the Ravens, while John Harbaugh is 17-22 versus the Steelers. The two coaches have faced each other 39 times, which is the second most between head coaches in NFL history.
This season, the Steelers are 4-3 at Acrisure Stadium and hold a divisional record of 3-2. The Ravens are also strong on the road with a 5-2 record and stand at 3-2 within the AFC North. Historically, Pittsburgh has performed well in regular season finales since 2000, with a record of 20-5 overall and an impressive 11-1 at home.
Turnover differential favors Pittsburgh (+11) over Baltimore (-2), with the Steelers recording more takeaways and fewer turnovers than their rivals. The Steelers have scored 98 points off turnovers this season, ranking behind only Chicago and Jacksonville.
Baltimore’s offense leads the league in blitz rate faced (37.7%), while their defense allows an average starting field position that ranks fourth worst in the NFL. Both teams struggle to force punts or three-and-outs per drive compared to other defenses.
When Pittsburgh has possession, they rely heavily on short passes; their average depth of target is just 5.9 yards downfield—the lowest in the league—with most passing yards coming after the catch. DK Metcalf remains crucial for their receiving game, accounting for over a quarter of team receiving yards this season.
On defense, Baltimore allows significant yardage to running backs as receivers and struggles to generate sacks; no player on their roster has more than four sacks this year.
For Baltimore’s offense, they run the ball more than any other team—throwing on just under half of their snaps—and lead the league with over 2,500 rushing yards at an average of 5.26 yards per carry. Derrick Henry is central to this success, having rushed for more than twice as many yards as any teammate and leading all NFL players historically in rushing yards per game during December and January.
Pittsburgh’s defense has allowed just ten rushing touchdowns this season but gave up over 200 rushing yards to Baltimore earlier this year.
Special teams play may also be a factor: Pittsburgh averages nearly 24 yards per kickoff return while Baltimore leads the league with a net punting average of over 47 yards.
One memorable moment from this rivalry came during the AFC Championship on January 18th, 2009 when Troy Polamalu intercepted Joe Flacco late in the game to secure a Super Bowl appearance for Pittsburgh—a franchise that has achieved six Super Bowl championships throughout its history according to its official website.
The Steelers have recognized key contributors such as Terry Bradshaw and Joe Greene through their Hall of Honor program (source). The organization preserves its legacy with initiatives like historical celebrations and maintains exhibits at Acrisure Stadium’s Hall of Honor Museum (source). Established by Arthur J. Rooney Sr. in 1933 (source), the franchise continues its tradition both on and off the field as part of the National Football League (source).
Key matchups for Week 18 include Ravens left tackle Ronald Stanley facing Steelers edge rusher Alex Highsmith and quarterback Aaron Rodgers matching wits with Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton.
The outcome could influence playoff positioning for both teams as they look to add another chapter to one of football’s most competitive rivalries.
