Ravens–Steelers rivalry

Baltimore Ravens-Pittsburgh Steelers

Baltimore Ravens Pittsburgh Steelers
First meeting	September 8, 1996 Pittsburgh 31, Baltimore 17
Latest meeting	November 6, 2016 Baltimore 21, Pittsburgh 14
Next meeting	December 25, 2016
Statistics
Meetings total	45 meetings
All-time series	PIT: leads 24–21–0
Postseason results	List January 20, 2002 Pittsburgh 27, Baltimore 10 January 18, 2009 Pittsburgh 23, Baltimore 14 January 15, 2011 Pittsburgh 31, Baltimore 24 January 3, 2015 Baltimore 30, Pittsburgh 17
Current win streak	BAL: 4 wins
Championship success since 1996
Super Bowl Championships (4) PIT (2) – 2005, 2008 BAL (2) – 2000, 2012 Conference Championships (5) PIT (3) – 2005, 2008, 2010 BAL (2) – 2000, 2012 Divisional Championships (13) PIT (9) – 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2014 BAL (4) – 2003, 2006, 2011, 2012

The Ravens-Steelers rivalry is an American football rivalry between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers. It is widely considered to be one of the most intense rivalries in the National Football League (NFL). Both teams are members of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division, and play at least twice a year, often for divisional supremacy. Both teams are known for fielding tough, hard-hitting defensive squads, giving their games an extra element of physical intensity.

The two teams have met in the postseason four times, with the Steelers owning a 3–1 advantage. They are the only two teams in the AFC North to have won the Super Bowl, and possess a combined 8–2 record in the game, with the Ravens being 2–0 and the Steelers being 6–2.

History

In 1996, NFL football returned to Baltimore, 12 years after the original Baltimore Colts moved to Indianapolis. In a strange twist of fate, Art Modell, former owner of the Steelers' traditional rival, the Cleveland Browns, agreed to suspend the Browns franchise (it was revived in 1999) in return for taking his players to Baltimore. The inter-divisional rivalry carried over with both teams remaining in what was then the AFC Central Division. Since the AFC Central was restructured into the AFC North in 2002, the Steelers and Ravens have dominated the division, winning at least a share of almost every division title.

In 2005, Sports Illustrated ranked the rivalry #2 on a list of "Top 10 New NFL Rivalries".^[1] By 2015, Bleacher Report had ranked it the #1 rivalry in all of the NFL.^[2]

In Baltimore, it has the added element of a small number of former Colts fans in the area becoming Steeler fans after the Colts moved, then retaining their affiliation with the Steelers after the Ravens moved to Baltimore and assumed the Cleveland Browns' spot in the AFC Central with the Steelers. In Pittsburgh, it is considered the spiritual successor to the Browns–Steelers rivalry due to the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy as well as the "reactivated" Browns having a poor record against the Steelers since returning to the league in 1999.^[4] Due to its physical nature, it has received comparisons to the rivalry the Steelers had with the Oakland Raiders in the 1970s, when those two teams were among the most physical teams in the league.^[5] Both teams have also handed each other their first loss in their current stadiums; the Steelers handed the Ravens their first loss at PSINet Stadium (now M&T Bank Stadium) in 1998, while the Ravens returned the favor by handing the Steelers their first loss at Heinz Field in 2001.

One of the rivalry's most memorable moments was Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs being quoted as saying that a "bounty" was put out on the head of Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward. The bounty controversy was cleared up when Suggs insisted his words were just meant as a joke. The NFL investigated, and Suggs was cleared of any wrongdoing.

A notable battleground for the rivalry is the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania market area. Harrisburg is officially a secondary market for the Ravens, and so WHP-TV must show all Ravens road games (if played on Sunday afternoon). The Steelers also have a significant fan base in the area, so when the Ravens are at home, the Steelers are shown instead. The Harrisburg area also has a significant fan base for the Philadelphia Eagles, who also have Harrisburg as a secondary market (but are in the NFC as opposed to the Ravens and Steelers being in the AFC, and so the Fox affiliate usually shows the Eagles). The Colts had a number of fans in Harrisburg as well during their stay in Baltimore.

The Ravens and Steelers first met on September 8, 1996, at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which resulted in a 31–17 win for the Steelers. Later in the 1996 NFL season, on December 1, the Ravens beat the Steelers by the same score of 31–17 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland. After splitting the games in their first season together, the Steelers would go on to mostly dominate the series in the early years, winning nine of thirteen meetings before the AFC Central was restructured into the AFC North in 2002.

The rivalry became more competitive and fierce and reached a new height of intensity during the 2008 NFL season, when the Steelers and Ravens played three times, the final match being the AFC Championship. The Steelers won all three games, by close margins. In Week 15, the Steelers won with a controversial score late in the game. In the playoff game, a personal foul by special teams player Daren Stone cost the Ravens 25 yards. The game's last score was an interception that was returned for a touchdown by Troy Polamalu, sealing a 23–14 victory for Pittsburgh. In that same game the Steelers' Ryan Clark delivered a concussion-inducing, but legal hit on the Ravens' Willis McGahee that left Clark briefly out cold and forced McGahee to spend the night in a Pittsburgh hospital. The Steelers went on to win Super Bowl XLIII against the Arizona Cardinals.

The rivalry continued in the 2009 NFL season; the Ravens won 20–17 at M&T Bank Stadium and the Steelers won 23–20 at Heinz Field. Both the Steelers and the Ravens finished with 9–7 records, but Baltimore won a Wild Card slot due to a better division record. Baltimore won the Wild Card game by defeating the New England Patriots 33–14, but lost to the Indianapolis Colts the following game.

In 2010, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin called the Ravens–Steelers rivalry the best rivalry in football during a press conference and on the ESPN show Pardon the Interruption. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh later agreed with this assessment. The Ravens and Steelers met three times again in the 2010 NFL season, with the Ravens winning the first game and the Steelers winning the last two, including the divisional playoff game. On the opening Sunday of the 2011 NFL season, the Ravens forced seven turnovers and routed the Steelers 35–7 at M&T Bank Stadium to avenge their divisional playoff loss to the Steelers from January.^[6] During Week 9 of the season, the Steelers were on the verge of winning their game against the Ravens at Heinz Field. The Steelers were ready to potentially increase their lead with a 47-yard field goal kick by Shaun Suisham, but a five-yard delay of game penalty put them out of field goal range and they instead decided to punt the ball to the Ravens. In the end, Joe Flacco threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Torrey Smith in the end zone with just eight seconds remaining, giving the Ravens the win and a season sweep of the Steelers. This would also be the last time Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis would play against the Steelers, as he was injured during the teams' two meetings in 2012 and retired following his win in Super Bowl XLVII.

The rivalry saw a rare moment of peace on September 23, 2012, when Ravens receiver Torrey Smith received news that his brother died in a motorcycle accident early in the morning. Following an inspired, two-touchdown and 127-yard performance in a 31–30 win over the New England Patriots, Smith noted that several players across the NFL, including members of the Pittsburgh Steelers, had contacted him to express their condolences.^[7] In the 2012 NFL season, the Ravens and Steelers split their games; the road team won each meeting with a Ravens win at Heinz Field and a Steelers win at M&T Bank Stadium.

On October 20, 2013, at Heinz Field, the Steelers won 19–16 on a Shaun Suisham field goal as time expired after Ben Roethlisberger drove the Steelers into field goal range. With the win, Roethlisberger continued his dominance against the Ravens by extending his record to 10–4 against them, and 7–2 since Flacco became the Ravens quarterback, including 2–0 in the playoffs. Later that year, the two teams met at M&T Bank Stadium for a prime-time match-up on Thanksgiving Day, giving the Ravens their second Thanksgiving game in three years and the Steelers their first Thanksgiving game since the infamous Jerome Bettis coin-toss fiasco in 1998. It was also the first time the two teams played each other on Thanksgiving. The Ravens won the game 22–20 in a nail biter, preventing a last-minute 2-point conversion, and forcing a split between the rivals in the 2013 NFL season. The game also included an infamous moment when Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin interfered on the sidelines with what would have possibly been a return touchdown by Jacoby Jones, eventually resulting in a $100,000 fine.

In Week 2 of the 2014 NFL season, the Ravens beat the Steelers 26–6 at M&T Bank Stadium, which marked the first time since 2011 that the Steelers did not score a touchdown in a game. In Week 9, the Steelers defeated the Ravens 43–23 at Heinz Field. Unlike the typical, close games of the rivalry, each team beat the other by 20 points at their respective home fields in the season. At halftime during the Week 9 game, the Steelers retired Jersey No. 75 in honor of defensive tackle Joe Greene, who had helped lead the legendary "Steel Curtain" defense of the 1970s. Though the Steelers went on to win the AFC North with an 11–5 record in the 2014 season, the 10–6 Ravens would earn their first playoff victory over their rival on January 3, 2015, with a 30–17 win at Heinz Field in the Wild Card round.

The 2–1 Steelers hosted the 0–3 Ravens at Heinz Field for a prime-time game in Week 4 of the 2015 NFL season. With Roethlisberger injured, the Steelers started Michael Vick in the contest. The Steelers built a 20–7 lead by the third quarter, but the Ravens were able to rally and bring the game into overtime 20–20, with 13 unanswered points by the offense and two missed field goals by Steelers' kicker Josh Scobee. Ravens' kicker Justin Tucker won the game on a 52-yard field goal to give the Ravens their first win of the year, also improving the Ravens' record to 4–1 against the Steelers in overtime games. The two teams met again at M&T Bank Stadium in Week 16 for their second meeting of the season. The Ravens started Ryan Mallett in the game since Joe Flacco had suffered a season-ending injury several weeks before. Despite being big underdogs due to injuries and a subpar record, the Ravens were able to complete a sweep of the Steelers with a 20–17 victory.

In Week 9 of the 2016 NFL season, the 4–3 Steelers and 3–4 Ravens met at M&T Bank Stadium, each team having an opportunity to gain control of the AFC North. Behind a defense that shut out the Steelers for the first three quarters, the Ravens emerged victorious 21–14, taking the lead in the division and evening the teams' records at 4–4.

Game Results

The following is a list of results from all of the meetings between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, from their first meeting on September 8, 1996, to the present:

1990s (Steelers 6–2)

2000s (Steelers 13–9)

2010s (Ravens 10–5)

Gallery

• 
  Najeh Davenport tries to escape from the Ravens defense, 2006.
• 
  Ben Roethlisberger getting sacked by the Ravens, 2006.
• 
  Roethlisberger hands off to Willie Parker, 2006.
• 
  Captains from both teams meet for the coin toss, 2006
• 
  Tyrone Carter (23) and Anthony Madison (37) prepare to tackle a Raven runner, 2006.
• 
  Ben Roethlisberger, Trevor Pryce (90), and Terrell Suggs (55) in 2006.
• 
  Hines Ward makes a catch for the Steelers, 2006.
• 
  Parker running against Ravens players (left to right) Haloti Ngata, Ray Lewis, and Terrell Suggs, 2006.
• 
  Ray Lewis (52) and Terrell Suggs (55) of the Ravens chase down Steelers runningback Parker, 2006.
• 
  The Ravens walking off the field after beating the Steelers, 2006.
• 
  A game in 2008. For the Ravens, CB Fabian Washington is #31, and OLB/DE Jarret Johnson is #95. For the Steelers, WR Santonio Holmes is #10.
• 
  A game in 2008. Visible for the Ravens are CB Corey Ivy (35), LB Bart Scott (57), and CB Chris McAlister (21). Ben Roethlisberger takes the snap.
• 
  A game in 2008. Visible for the Steelers are LB Larry Foote (50), LB Lawrence Timmons (94), and DE/LB James Harrison (92). For the Ravens, TE #86 Todd Heap, FB #33 LeRon McClain, and QB #5 Joe Flacco can be seen.
• 
  A view of Heinz Field during a September, 2008 game.
• 
  A coin toss in 2009.
• 
  A game at M&T Bank Stadium in 2012.

References

Further reading

• Hick, Damon (September 19, 2011). "Adapt Or Die: Infusing new blood into the league's fiercest rivalry, the Ravens demolished the Steelers and changed the balance of power in the AFC. Evolution? In the NFL, you'd better believe". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2011-11-23. 

External links

• Gallery of game images at baltimoresun.com