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Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers rivalry is still relevant

By Phil Naegely

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The Baltimore Ravens-Pittsburgh Steels rivalry is one of the most talked about each season when the two AFC North foes battle twice a season. Each season there are always memorable moments wether for positive (or negative) reasons during these games. Despite the retirement or relocation of key players, this rivalry will still be relevant during the 2015 season.

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2015 will be the 20th season of the Ravens-Steelers rivalry; In 1996 owner Art Modell moved the Cleveland Browns, who were and still are a rival of the Steelers, to the Baltimore area 12 years after the Colts moved in the middle of the night out of town. As a result, a rivalry was born and it has been the most competitive than ever in recent years.

The first year of the then AFC Central rivalry saw the Steelers and Ravens split the two games by identical 31-17 scores. Since those first two meetings, the Steelers hold the advantage all-time, but the Ravens have found success in the latest decade. Listed below is the all-time record by decade.

1990’s – 6-2 Steelers

2000’s – 13-9 Steelers

2010’s – 7-5 Ravens

As seen above, the games from 2010 to present have been the most competitive. This is partly due to the Ravens becoming more competitive since Joe Flacco took over as starting quarterback and the defense continues to be one of the NFL’s best.

However, the 2015 matches will have a different feel to them. For the Steelers, they will be without defensive stalwarts Troy Polamalau and Ike Taylor who both announced their retirements after 12 years. On the other hand, the Ravens won’t have their second-best pass rusher in Haloti Ngata. He signed with the Detroit Lions in the offseason to replace Ndamukong Suh.

These absences of top players add onto Hall of Fame worthy individuals Ed Reed and Ray Lewis, who both showed their passion and leadership every time they faced their bitter rivals from the Steel City. Reed now plays for the Texans, while Lewis retired after the Ravens Super Bowl-winning season in 2012 and currently works for ESPN providing analysis during various NFL programming.

Despite these absences and their respective teams needing to fill their shoes, the rivalry is still relevant and remains a physical battle to the death (or final whistle in this case). For instance, the three games between the rivals in 2014 each provided a historic moment. The September 11th match was the first time the Steelers didn’t score a touchdown since 2011. Their second matchup of 2014 saw Ben Roethlisberger throw for six TDs for the second week in a row.

Lastly during the AFC Wild Card round, Baltimore took the advantage for the season. This game saw the Ravens win against the Steelers for the first time in a playoff game (0-3 in the previous three playoff matchups) by a 30-17 margin, which was the lowest scoring margin of the rivalry for the season; the previous two games saw the winner defeat their opponent by 20 points.

NFL games always bring the unexpected and crazy moments. The Ravens-Steelers rivalry is a great example of expecting the unexpected. Each team has a chance to beat up on their rival no matter how each is doing in the current season. Another added aspect to the rivalry is television markets. Harrisburg, PA is a secondary market of the Ravens and most show all road games when they play on Sunday afternoons. Pittsburgh and Harrisburg are about two hours away and the Harrisburg, PA area has a mix of Steelers and Ravens fans in addition to Eagles fans.

Oct 14, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; Trent Dilfer (left) and Ray Lewis on the ESPN Monday Night Football Countdown set before the game between the Indianapolis Colts and the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

On the field, the rivalry always features physical play and hatred. While most of the games are played with great sportsmanship and classy play, there’s always a chance things can get chippy and out of hand. Neither team likes each other on the field and it’s known how much they hate the players on the other side of the field. This adds to the physicality of the matches, and the many cringe-worthy tackles fans hear in person and on television.

No matter which players are or aren’t playing, the Ravens-Steelers rivalry will be relevant. It’s one of the best NFL rivalries that has had its fair share of nail bitters. For a third-party observer with no rooting interest, these rivalry games keep them on the edge of the seat. While the dates for the next edition of the Ravens-Steelers rivalry are not public yet, they will be two dates circled on every Ravens and Steelers players, coaches, and fans.

Those games will be talked about for ages no matter the result or margin of victory due to the nature of the rivalry. The Steelers won the AFC North in 2014 and the Ravens will use that as motivation from training camp through the final 2015 regular season match.

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