Ravens–Steelers rivalry

Baltimore Ravens–Pittsburgh Steelers
Teams Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers
First contested September 8, 1996
Pittsburgh 31, Baltimore 17
Most recent meeting January 3, 2015
Baltimore 30, Pittsburgh 17
Next meeting October 1, 2015
Statistics
Number of meetings 42 meetings
All-time series PIT: leads 24–18–0
Postseason results
Current win streak BAL: 1 win
Championship success

Super Bowl Championships (8)

Conference Championships (10)

Divisional Championships (25)

The Ravens–Steelers rivalry is an American football rivalry between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers. It is considered to be one of the most intense rivalries in the National Football League. Both teams are members of the 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.

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. Sports Illustrated has ranked the rivalry #2 on a list of "Top 10 New NFL Rivalries".[1]

"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. It's going to be one of those black and blue games."

—Hines Ward, Steelers WR[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.[3] 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.[4] 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 includes 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, but once the AFC Central was restructured into the AFC North in 2002, the rivalry became more competitive and fierce.

The rivalry reached a new height of intensity during the 2008 NFL season, when the Steelers and Ravens played three times, the last match being the AFC Championship. The Steelers won all three games, by close margins; the margins were so close that in the regular season just under two yards would have shifted from a Steelers sweep to a Ravens sweep. In Week 15, the Steelers won with a controversial score late in the game. In the playoff game, a personal foul by the special teams player Daren Stone cost the Ravens 25 yards. The last play was an interception that was returned for a touchdown by Troy Polamalu. 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 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 went 9–7, 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. 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 a division playoff loss to the Steelers on January 15, 2011.[5] 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 were instead forced 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 game 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.[6] In the 2012 NFL season, the Ravens and Steelers split their games; the road team won both meetings 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. The two teams met at M&T Bank Stadium in 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 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.

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:

Ravens Victory Steelers Victory Post Season Meeting Overtime Result

1990s (Steelers 6-2)

Year Date Winner Result Loser Location Notes
1996 September 8 Pittsburgh Steelers 31–17 Baltimore Ravens Three Rivers Stadium First game played between the teams; first Steelers victory over the Ravens.[7] Also the first official loss in Ravens history.
December 1 Baltimore Ravens 31–17 Pittsburgh Steelers Memorial Stadium First Ravens victory over the Steelers.
1997 October 5 Pittsburgh Steelers 42–34 Baltimore Ravens Memorial Stadium
November 9 Pittsburgh Steelers 37–0 Baltimore Ravens Three Rivers Stadium First season sweep by either team and largest margin of victory in series history. Also the first shutout in the rivalry.
1998 September 6 Pittsburgh Steelers 20–13 Baltimore Ravens M&T Bank Stadium First loss for the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.
October 18 Pittsburgh Steelers 16–6 Baltimore Ravens Three Rivers Stadium
1999 September 19 Pittsburgh Steelers 23–20 Baltimore Ravens M&T Bank Stadium
December 12 Baltimore Ravens 31–24 Pittsburgh Steelers Three Rivers Stadium First win for the Ravens in Pittsburgh. 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.[8]

2000s (Steelers 13–9)

Year Date Winner Result Loser Location Notes
2000 September 3 Baltimore Ravens 16–0 Pittsburgh Steelers Three Rivers Stadium First shutout the Ravens handed the Steelers.
October 29 Pittsburgh Steelers 9–6 Baltimore Ravens M&T Bank Stadium Last loss for the Ravens for the remainder of the season, en route to the team's victory in Super Bowl XXXV.
2001 November 4 Baltimore Ravens 13–10 Pittsburgh Steelers Heinz Field First loss for the Steelers at Heinz Field.
December 16 Pittsburgh Steelers 26–21 Baltimore Ravens M&T Bank Stadium
January 20, 2002 Pittsburgh Steelers 27–10 Baltimore Ravens Heinz Field AFC Divisional Playoff. First playoff game between the Ravens and Steelers.
2002 October 27 Pittsburgh Steelers 31–18 Baltimore Ravens M&T Bank Stadium
December 29 Pittsburgh Steelers 34–31 Baltimore Ravens Heinz Field
2003 September 7 Pittsburgh Steelers 34–15 Baltimore Ravens Heinz Field
December 28 Baltimore Ravens 13–10 (OT) Pittsburgh Steelers M&T Bank Stadium First overtime game between the Ravens and Steelers.
2004 September 19 Baltimore Ravens 30–13 Pittsburgh Steelers M&T Bank Stadium The Ravens wore white jerseys against the Steelers in their home opener. Debut of Ben Roethlisberger after Tommy Maddox was injured. The game also marked the only loss of the Steelers' 2004 regular season.
December 26 Pittsburgh Steelers 20–7 Baltimore Ravens Heinz Field
2005 October 31 Pittsburgh Steelers 20–19 Baltimore Ravens Heinz Field Closest margin of victory by either team in the rivalry.
November 20 Baltimore Ravens 16–13 (OT) Pittsburgh Steelers M&T Bank Stadium
2006 November 26 Baltimore Ravens 27–0 Pittsburgh Steelers M&T Bank Stadium
December 24 Baltimore Ravens 31–7 Pittsburgh Steelers Heinz Field First season sweep by the Ravens.
2007 November 5 Pittsburgh Steelers 38–7 Baltimore Ravens Heinz Field
December 30 Baltimore Ravens 27–21 Pittsburgh Steelers M&T Bank Stadium
2008 September 29 Pittsburgh Steelers 23–20 (OT) Baltimore Ravens Heinz Field Debut of Joe Flacco.
December 14 Pittsburgh Steelers 13–9 Baltimore Ravens M&T Bank Stadium
January 18, 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers 23–14 Baltimore Ravens Heinz Field AFC Championship. First AFC Championship game between the Ravens and Steelers.
2009 November 29 Baltimore Ravens 20–17 (OT) Pittsburgh Steelers M&T Bank Stadium
December 27 Pittsburgh Steelers 23–20 Baltimore Ravens Heinz Field

2010s (Ravens 7–5)

Year Date Winner Result Loser Location Notes
2010 October 3 Baltimore Ravens 17–14 Pittsburgh Steelers Heinz Field
December 5 Pittsburgh Steelers 13–10 Baltimore Ravens M&T Bank Stadium Ended the Ravens' 8-game home win streak that started with the previous Steelers game. Ravens' only home loss since November 2009. The Ravens wouldn't lose another home game until the two rivals played in Baltimore again in 2012.
January 15, 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers 31–24 Baltimore Ravens Heinz Field AFC Divisional Playoff.
2011 September 11 Baltimore Ravens 35–7 Pittsburgh Steelers M&T Bank Stadium Largest margin of victory for the Ravens in the rivalry.
November 6 Baltimore Ravens 23–20 Pittsburgh Steelers Heinz Field This would be the last time Ray Lewis would play against Ben Roethlisberger (and the Steelers) as both were injured during the 2012 season and Lewis would retire from football following Super Bowl XLVII.
2012 November 18 Baltimore Ravens 13–10 Pittsburgh Steelers Heinz Field Pittsburgh wore throwback uniforms. Neither Ben Roethlisberger or Ray Lewis played.
December 2 Pittsburgh Steelers 23–20 Baltimore Ravens M&T Bank Stadium Charlie Batch started in place of the injured Ben Roethlisberger; he ended the Ravens' 15-game home win streak and also a 3-game slide by the Steelers against the Ravens. Ray Lewis was also out.
2013 October 20 Pittsburgh Steelers 19–16 Baltimore Ravens Heinz Field
November 28 Baltimore Ravens 22-20 Pittsburgh Steelers M&T Bank Stadium Thanksgiving Day game; first Thanksgiving game played between the teams. The game marked the closest margin of victory for the Ravens in the rivalry as well as the first time no turnovers were committed on either side.
2014 September 11 Baltimore Ravens 26-6 Pittsburgh Steelers M&T Bank Stadium First game since 2011 that the Steelers did not score a touchdown.
November 2 Pittsburgh Steelers 43-23 Baltimore Ravens Heinz Field Ben Roethlisberger threw 6 touchdown passes in the game, and had also done so the week before - a new record of a combined 12 total TDs in two consecutive games.
January 3, 2015 Baltimore Ravens 30-17 Pittsburgh Steelers Heinz Field AFC Wild Card Playoff. First playoff victory for the Ravens over the Steelers.

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ "Top 10 New NFL Rivalries". SI.com. December 15, 2005. p. 9 (No. 2: Ravens-Steelers). Retrieved June 2, 2013.
  2. ↑ Bouchette, Ed (November 23, 2006). "Steelers Notebook: Steelers, Ravens thrive on hatred". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
  3. ↑ Garber, Greg (2009-01-15). "Want nasty? Check out Ravens-Steelers". ESPN. Retrieved 2012-11-23.
  4. ↑ Dulac, Gerry (January 16, 2009). "Cover story: Steelers vs. Ravens latest in a long tradition of football feuds". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  5. ↑ Varley, Teresa (September 29, 2010). "A true rivalry". Steelers.com. Retrieved 2012-11-23.
  6. ↑ Carpenter, Les (September 24, 2012). "Support from Ravens, rival players help lift Torrey Smith on day of family tragedy". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Boxscore finder: Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  8. ↑ "Remember when? Ravens' first victory in Pittsburgh". Chicago Tribune.

Further reading

External links