PITTSBURGH — Coach Mike Tomlin said it's "cool" to be involved in the biggest game in the league for the third week in a row when the unbeaten Steelers (6-0) play the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC North showdown on Sunday.
After beating the Cleveland Browns (4-1) and Tennessee Titans (5-0) — two of the top teams in the AFC — in back-to-back weeks, the Steelers will try to match their best start ever when they face the defending division champion Ravens (5-1).
"We're back in the kitchen that is AFC North football," Tomlin said Tuesday at his weekly news conference. "It's cool to be the game of the week for the third week in a row. We're humbly honored."
The Steelers are the only unbeaten team in the NFL, and the Ravens' only loss was to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3. Their rivalry is arguably the most intense in the league and it should only be heightened this year with the success of both teams.
Tomlin is 13-15 against the Ravens since John Harbaugh became head coach in 2008, but he is 2-1 against them in the postseason.
"You should anticipate it will be a rough-and-tumble game because history tells you that," Tomlin said. "And this year is the same."
Tomlin said nickel back Mike Hilton (shoulder) and fullback Derek Watt (hamstring) are expected to practice this week and should be ready to play against the Ravens. But he said defensive end Chris Wormley (knee), a former Ravens player, and safety Jordan Dangerfield (quad) could be limited in practice and might be questionable for the game. Wormley is scheduled to have an MRI.
