Although there were other factors involved, I don’t think it can be denied that one of the motivations behind the NFL making the decision to flex the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens into this past Sunday’s primetime slot was the attention the rivalry itself generates.
They took a gamble with the decision, as there was a possibility that the Steelers could have been mathematically eliminated from the postseason before the game even kicked off, sapping some intrigue from the proceedings. It didn’t play out that way, and it proved to be a good old-fashioned game, a chapter worthy of the rivalry, of which now even the rookies are a part.