BALTIMORE RAVENS VS PITTSBURGH STEELERS--THE NASTIEST RIVALRY IN SPORTS
Evolution of the Ravens-Steelers Rivalry
by Shane Cray
It is a rivalry that has been talked about more than any other NFL rivalry and perhaps even any sports rivalry in general in the past half decade. When you talk about the Ravens and Steelers, bloodbath, attrition, and grit is what comes to mind for the fans. It is a rivalry that has boasted heavy animosity not only amongst the players but the fanbases as well. Ever rough is a Baltimore-Pittsburgh game on a Sunday afternoon. It is the two games almost every Ravens and Steelers fan marks on their calendars, and hope that a sweep will be in the making of their respective rival. At the end of each season, if both teams have become playoff eligible, we can then only hope that a heaven sent request will be fulfilled and that a playoff matchup between the two will happen, the game in which the winner can truly grab bragging rights regardless of their regular season record against their adversaries.
Defense is what fans favor, the Steelers were known for the impenetrable force that was known as the Steel Curtain in the seventies, that featured memorable players such as the likes of Jack Lambert, Jack Hamm, Joe Greene, and Mel Blount. The seventies were the golden age of football for Pitt, in which their defense anchored them to four Super Bowl titles, though Terry Bradshaw was also nothing short of spectacular.
The Ravens entered the league in 1996, and in 2000 they won the franchise’s first championship on the heels of the greatest rushing defense of all time. The line was spear-headed by 330 pound defensive tackle Tony Siragusa, which allowed their linebacking corp lead by emotional leader Ray Lewis to flow freely to the football seemingly untouched by any opposing offensive lineman. Their secondary was led by a former Steeler, Rod Woodson, who went down as one the greatest DB in Ravens history.
As we very well know, rivalries are not made over night, they take years to develop, often ignited by late hits, extraneous trash talk, and team brawls among other factors. The Ravens did not begin playing the Steelers twice a year until the central division was removed from the league. Even at that, by the time they were playing each other twice a season I believe this rivalry did not begin to take it’s true shape until the 2008-09 playoffs when the teams met in the AFC championship game. Ben Rothlisberger had already led the Steelers to a Super Bowl victory in their 2005-06 campaign under Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin was just his second year in as the head coach.
RAVENS VS STEELERS TRASH TALK
“I've always cherished it my whole career. It's pure hatred. If I make a big hit, or say something, or make a play for my team, it irks the crap out of them. I get so many curse words thrown at me and people flipping the bird at me. But the more the fans hate me, the more I look at is as respect." ---Hines Ward
"I was glad we broke his nose..." ---John Harbaugh after Haloti Ngata broke Ben Roethlisberger on a hit during a 2010 Monday night matchup
"God can have his soul. His @#$ belongs to me. He knows there are only a few players who can bring him down and I'm one of them." ---Terrell Suggs speaking about Roethlisberger
"My suggestion is if you see someone with black and gold on, follow them in the bathroom and take care of business yourself. There's no cameras in the bathroom." ---Tony Siragusa, on Steeler fans at Ravens home games
“That's like saying, "Dude, Where's My Car" is just as good as "Titanic." At some point in time, you've got to be realistic! I don't mean no disrespect to Takeo, because Takeo Spikes is a great football player, but he's not Ray Lewis. Let's not fool ourselves.” ---Shannon Sharpe, responding to comments by Jerome Bettis that Spikes was as good as Lewis.
"If Hines Ward would have said that, as physical as he plays the game, OK, I could lend some credence to that. But 'Plexiglass?' No." ---Sharpe responding to comments made by Plaxico Burress that the Ravens had been physically beaten by the Steelers
"If a ref throws a flag of personal foul or illegal hitting, I think he's robbing the fans and he's robbing both teams. Let us play football. Let us all go in a room and lock the door." ----Terrell Suggs on playing Pittsburgh
"The coaches hate each other, the players hate each other... There's no calling each other after the game and inviting each other out to dinner. But the feeling's mutual: They don't like us, and we don't like them. There's no need to hide it, they know it, and we know it. ---Hines Ward
"There's guys on both sides that generally just don't like each other." ---Ben Roethlisberger
“It felt good to hear the air leave his body.” ---Courtney Upshaw on a devastating hit on Roethlisberger
“Everybody wants to knock that guy out.” ---Jarret Johnson, after de-cleating Hines Ward
"It's just pure hatred – just like two old-fashioned bullies meeting in an alley. I tried to tell young guys, 'When its Baltimore week, you tend to stay in the weight room longer because it's going to be a hard-fought, physical battle. Terrell Suggs still hates me. I take it as a sign of respect. Because there's a level of respect between these teams, too." ---Hines Ward
"It's the best rivalry in football. Hatred is a very strong word, but it seems fitting. But there's a lot of respect going there. Because the two teams are so similar." ---Terrell Suggs
Suggs on Roethlisberger injury in 2016---“Don’t fall for that. You’ve got to understand, I saw this movie before. He’s going to act like, ‘Oh, I’m not playing. I don’t know. I did individual today, I threw a little bit. I don’t still know,’” Suggs said. “And then he’s going to walk his big ass out there and I’m going to be like, ‘How are you doing, Benjamin?’ And he’ll be like, ‘What’s up Sizzle?’ And then it’s on. Don’t fall for that though. I’m telling my boys No. 7 is playing and not only that, he’s going to try and light our asses up.”
"Every loss hurts, but losing to those guys (Ravens) hurts even more" ----James Harrison
The years that followed exhibited that quote in gracious fashion. It grew to the point where it was almost as if each team’s ultimate goal was to beat the other, and not just on the scoreboard, but physically and psychologically as well. The mind games were ever present, the hate signs, the raven hanging from a noose. The fans had just as much fire between them as the players, fights in the venues and venue parking lots were not uncommon. Ravens-Steelers week on social media and networking sites are colorful in every way. There is even a location in Pennsylvania dubbed, “The Ravens-Steelers Battleground,” where every Ravens game is shown at a local bar in which a throng of Steelers fans flock every Sunday during the regular season and ferociously root against Baltimore. Name another rivalry that has that.
Despite both teams dwindling in quality last year, both games were excellent tilts that were decided by less than four points each. The animosity was there as always, and Mike Tomlin’s sideline antics in the Thanksgiving game was talked about more than the games themselves. This is the type of rivalry that not matter how much each team will shine or flaunt in play quality, the two times they meet each season will be games even Vegas gambling experts would be compelled to bet on. The common sports notion that pertains to rivalries as, “Throw out the record books,” is invalid when mentioned in the same sentence as Ravens-Steelers. Season sweeps by either team are very rare, the last coming in 2011-12 in the Ravens’ favor.
This is a rivalry that took the sports world by storm, and it will only continue to get better. Even with all of the original figures starting to leave, the Baltimore and Pittsburgh coaching staffs will undoubtedly make it clear that they hate one another and that losing to them is something that can absolutely not happen. As for us, the ever enthusiastic fans, aside from who wins and who has one each game since this rivalry took off, even in our angst of defeat and elation of victory, we will have known that we have been given the gift of a damn good sixty minutes of football.
 Ravens 24 |
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 ravens 35 |
The Ravens featured a rookie head coach and QB, John Harbaugh who had spent a good amount of years in Philly as the special teams coach was in his first year at the helm of an NFL franchise. Then there was Joe Flacco, who up until playoff time was barley known by anybody who was not affiliated with Baltimore’s football team at the time, found himself one win away from being able to contend for a Super Bowl title his rookie season.
While new faces were found on the offenses, familiar sights were seen on the defensive side of the ball were found. The same players were on both defensive teams, just with different names, jerseys, and numbers. Ngata and Kiesel. Lewis and Harrison. Reed and Polamalu. In every aspect of the game they were virtually the same players, just different in name and team.
The game was won by Pitt, 23-14, but it was not the initial defeat that started what would become an unprecedented rivalry. It was Ryan Clark’s hit on Willis McGahee. It was the hit heard ’round the NFL that night. McGahee left on a stretcher, from that point forward, I knew every game regardless of what was at stake would be a war.
A tension as high as any grew quickly, and it was commonplace to see scuffles after whistles multiple times during games. What added to it was the individualism that certain figures took upon themselves to fuel the hate. Terrell Suggs made a point of saying it was his job to destroy Rothlisberger, Hines Ward continued to dish out punishing blocks on Ravens defensive backs. A sound bite captured by NFL Films described the hostility in simplistic beauty, “They don’t like use, and we sure as hell don’t like them.”
RAVENS/STEELERS RIVALRY HIGHLIGHTS
1996: Pittsburgh handed Baltimore their first loss in franchise history in a 31-17 win in Pittsburgh on Sept 8. The Ravens, led by former Steeler running back Bam Morris, returned the favor in the rematch in Baltimore on December 1 by an identical 31-17 score.
1997: After falling behind 21-0 in Baltimore in an early season match up in 1997, Kordell Stewart's five total touchdowns and 137 rushing yards by Jerome Bettis sparked Pittsburgh's 42-34 victory in a game that would come to define the Steelers' 1997 season. The rematch that year wasn't even close; Pittsburgh won 37-0 on Sunday Night Football in what is the largest margin of victory for either team in this series.
1998: The Steelers ruined the Ravens first game in their brand new Camden Yards stadium, winning 20-13. This was the third of five straight wins by Pittsburgh in the series.
1999: December 12 saw the first win for the Ravens in Pittsburgh, 31-24. Ravens wide receiver Qadry Ismail scored three touchdowns (all at least 54 yards) with 258 receiving yards, the all-time record at Three Rivers Stadium.
2000: The Ravens opened their Super Bowl winning season by shutting out the Steelers 16-0 in their final game at Three Rivers Stadium. Mired in an offensive slump, the Ravens lost in the October rematch 9-6. From there, the Ravens ran the table to win Super Bowl XXXV with former Steeler great Rod Woodson earning his first championship ring.
2001: On Nov 4, the Ravens handed Pittsburgh their first loss ever at Heinz Field, 13-10. The Steelers got the last laugh in their first ever playoff matchup and it was no contest, as a swarming Steelers defense and a potent offensive attack slammed the door on the Ravens championship hopes in a 27-10 Pittsburgh victory.
2003: Baltimore snapped another five-game losing to Pittsburgh with a 13-10 win, the first overtime game in series history.
2004: Ben Roethlisberger made his NFL debut on Sept 19 at M&T Bank Stadium and it was a rude welcoming as the Ravens drubbed the Steelers 30-13.
2005: The two closest games in this bitter rivalry happened here with the Steelers edging the Ravens 20-19 at Heinz Field and Baltimore taking the 16-13 overtime rematch at M&T Bank Stadium.
2006: The Ravens enjoyed their first season sweep of their hated rivals; blanking the Steelers 27-0 at home and then trouncing them again 31-7 at Heinz Field.
2007: After suffering two embarrassing losses to Baltimore the year before, the Ravens/Steelers rivalry got even more intense. In a 38-7 Nov. 5 Steelers win, Ward cemented his reputation as one of the most punishing blocking receivers when he knocked safety Ed Reed out for the rest of the night with a crushing hit. Ward also leveled linebacker Bart Scott, who said afterward he wanted to "kill'' Ward. The Ravens earned some revenge in the December home rematch, 27-21.
2008: The Joe Flacco era began in Baltimore, but Pittsburgh swept the season series; including a 23-14 playoff win sealed by a pick-six of Flacco by safety Troy Polamalu. The intensity of the rivalry reached warp speed as Terrell Suggs claimed he had a bounty out on Heinz Ward and Steeler running back Rashard Mendenhall before their September contest. Mendenhall, who boasted earlier that he was going to have a big game against the Ravens in, got blasted by Ray Lewis on a hit that broke his collarbone and also injured his shoulder. The brute force hits continued in the playoff game as safety Ryan Clark knocked Ravens running back Willis McGahee unconscious with a clean but vicious hit after McGahee caught a pass from Flacco. McGahee stayed motionless on the field for several minutes before getting carted off with a concussion.
2009: The Ravens won their third overtime game in series history 20-17 at M&T Bank Stadium on a 29 yard field goal by Billy Cundiff; which was set up by a Paul Kruger interception.
2010: Pittsburgh ended Baltimore’s eight game home winning streak on Dec 5 with a 13-10 win. The lazer hits continued as Steeler tight end Heath Miller left the game with a concussion after getting drilled by Jameel McClain. Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata broke Roethlisberger's nose during a sack. Big Ben stopped the bleeding with a towel and stayed in the game.The two rivals met again in the AFC Divisional playoffs and down 21-7 at halftime, Ben Roethlisberger engineered an amazing second half comeback. He connected with Antonio Brown on a 58 yard TD and Rashard Mendenhall took it in from two yards out to seal the victory.
2011: Baltimore avenged the previous year’s playoff loss in a big way as they buried Pittsburgh 35-7 behind Joe Flacco’s three touchdown passes and the defense’s record setting seven turnovers. The Ravens also took the rematch at Heinz Field 23-20 in Ray Lewis’ final game against the Steelers.
2012: Neither Ray Lewis nor Ben Roethlisberger would face each other in 2012 as the road team split the series. Charlie Batch filled in at quarterback and helped snap the Ravens 15-game home winning streak.
2013: In their first-ever Thanksgiving Day matchup, Baltimore edged Pittsburgh 22-20 with Justin Tucker kicking five field goals for the Ravens. Adding yet another chapter to this rivalry’s lore, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was fined $100,000 for interfering with Jacoby Jones's possible 101-yard kickoff return touchdown. Tomlin, who watches returns on the end-zone video board, had his back to Jones and drifted toward the field as the Ravens returner raced along the sideline. Tomlin stepped back at the last instant forcing Jones to alter his path as he was tackled.
2014: The Ravens kept the Steelers out of the end zone and took the home opener 26-6. Bernard Pierce gained 96 yards rushing in place of Ray Rice, who had been suspended and released due to domestic battery. In the November rematch, Ben Roethlisberger tossed six touchdown passes to secure a 43-23 Pittsburgh win. The Ravens finally got the Steeler playoff monkey off their back as it was Joe Flacco who was the comeback kid this time with touchdown passes to Torrey Smith and Crockett Gillmore. Roethlisberger threw for 334 yards but was intercepted twice and sacked five times.
2015: The Ravens suffered through a dismal, injury plagued season to finish 5-11 but two of those wins came against the hated Steelers. Baltimore took a 23-20 overtime win at Heinz Field and later in the year and down to their fourth quarterback Ryan Mallett, the Ravens pulled off a 20-17 win.
2016: The AFC North title came down to a Christmas day showdown at Heinz Field. In what may be called “The Stretch”, Antonio Brown caught a Roethlisberger pass at the Ravens 1-yard line and as he was getting hit by Ravens safety Eric Weddle, Brown managed to extend his arm enough to cross the plane with nine seconds left to give Pittsburgh a 31-27 come-from-behind win. Brown had 10 catches to reach 100 for the fourth time in his career. In their earlier matchup in November, Baltimore took a 21-0 lead into the fourth quarter and outlasted a Steeler comeback to hold on to a 21-14 win at M&T Bank Stadium. Former Steeler receiver Mike Wallace led the Ravens with 124 yards and Baltimore’s stifling run defense held Le’Veon Bell to just 32 yards rushing.
