The Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 18 win against the Baltimore Ravens is being featured in a new exhibit at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH. That game will be remembered for more than just the torrential downpour and cold temperatures that caused eight total fumbles as the Steelers got the crucial win to secure their spot in the playoffs. Now, it will be remembered in Canton as the game that Mike Tomlin passed Bill Parcells on the NFL’s all-time win list. The new display is his headset and game ball from that game, as posted on the HOF’s account on X.
In a way, the headset from that Ravens game is a perfect relic of the 2023 season. It wasn’t a pretty win, but the Steelers found a way in the inclement weather to advance into the playoffs.
Tomlin entered the season with 163 wins, in 18th place all-time, but the ten-win season moved him all the way up to a two-way tie with Jeff Fisher for the 11th most all-time wins. He has the second-most of any active coaches behind Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid with 258 wins. Tomlin has the third-most wins of any coach to stay with one franchise behind Chuck Noll and Tom Landry.
Don’t expect that kind of movement on the leaderboard next season, as Tomlin would need 13 wins to tie Chuck Knox for the 10th most all-time. There are also a few active coaches close behind Tomlin with Mike McCarthy at 167 wins and John Harbaugh in a tie with Sean Payton at 160 wins. These win totals do not guarantee you a spot in the Hall of Fame down the line, as four people ahead of Tomlin have not been inducted. Five if you count Bill Belichick who is not yet eligible and will certainly get in.
This exhibit is opening on the heels of another Steelers-related display which opened in early January. Fifty years after the Steelers’ first Super Bowl victory, there is a temporary display honoring the franchise and its history.
