Tonight they face each other for the 38th time. And the loser of the recent showdown between Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and Ravens coach John Harbaugh will immediately face the consequences of a missed opportunity to win in the postseason.

It creates a strange atmosphere. The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since 2016. The Ravens still narrowly missed the Super Bowl. Is it time for a change in the losing city – for the team or for the coach?

The Steelers shouldn’t even be here. Entering the season, they were the consensus last place in the AFC North. But then the season began and the Steelers won 10 of 17 games, continuing a last-place streak that began in 1989.

However, the Steelers would end the season with a loss for the fifth time in a row. We’re told that from Tomlin’s perspective, he’s not going away.

And it’s hard to imagine the Steelers changing anything. First of all, they don’t fire buses. Second, if Tomlin leaves (and is quickly snapped up by another team), he would immediately be coveted by any team with openings. Heck, some teams without vacancies might consider firing their current coach to have a chance at Tomlin.

Still, last January after another one-off postseason, owner Art Rooney had this to say: “We’ve had enough of it. 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 will be much harder to even make the playoffs next year without Tomlin.

As for the Ravens, who haven’t been to the Super Bowl since the last time they were in New Orleans (thanks to the back end of the Patriots dynasty and the front end of the Chiefs dynasty), a loss is also highly unlikely for Harbaughs 17-year term is ended. The team will not be moving on and there is currently no reason to believe Harbaugh wants a fresh start.

There is a potential downside to all of this. What if someone looking for a team called the Steelers or Ravens and offered a few first-round picks? The fact that this is rare makes it unlikely. But with multiple teams reportedly interested in trading 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 change something, it won’t happen. And that seems to be the only way for tonight’s loser to move on and be eliminated.