If Tyler Loop's 44-yard field goal had gone through the uprights on Sunday night, everything might be reversed right now.
The Baltimore Ravens would be going to the playoffs. And most importantly, John Harbaugh would still be their head coach. Questions would exist for the Pittsburgh Steelers, with rumors having swirled that Mike Tomlin might be on his way out if they collapsed out of the playoffs.
In the end, the Steelers won, 26-24. They won the AFC North. They advanced to the postseason. Tomlin still has a job.
And on Tuesday night, the Ravens parted ways with Harbaugh, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. It's as consequential a decision as has been made so far in this week of change.
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Harbaugh and Tomlin have been linked almost since the beginning.
Tomlin became the Steelers' coach one year before Harbaugh took over in Baltimore. That made this Tomlin's 19th season at the helm, and the 18th for Harbaugh.
They may have a chance to be linked now in a different way. Schefter is reporting that Harbaugh will become a top candidate for other teams to interview in this cycle.
But in all seriousness, it could've been 180 degrees the opposite if that kick goes through.
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Tomlin may have been fired. And he would've become the top candidate for every other team.
It's a wild story about the fickleness of sports.
Harbaugh put in 18 years of work leading the Ravens. He won a Super Bowl.
Tomlin has put in 19 years of work leading the Steelers. He, too, has won a Super Bowl.
And on Tuesday night, one of them still has a job. The other doesn't. All because a rookie kicker sliced a makeable field goal just a bit wide to the right.
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