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Ravens–Steelers rivalry

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Baltimore Ravens-Pittsburgh Steelers
Baltimore Ravens
Pittsburgh Steelers
First meetingSeptember 8, 1996
Pittsburgh Steelers 31, Baltimore Ravens 17
Latest meetingDecember 10, 2017
Pittsburgh Steelers 39, Baltimore Ravens 38
Next meetingTBD
Statistics
Meetings total48 meetings
All-time seriesPIT: leads 27–21–0
Postseason results
List
Longest win streakBAL: W4 (2015–2016)
PIT: W5 (1997–1999), (2001–2003)
Current win streakPIT: 3 wins
Championships (since 1996)
Super Bowl Championships (4)

Conference Championships (5)

Divisional Championships (14)

The Ravens–Steelers rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since the 2000s, it has widely been considered to be one of the greatest and most intense rivalries in the National Football League.[1][2] Both teams are members of the American Football Conference North division (formerly the AFC Central). Since the Ravens' inception in 1996, they have played 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 Central/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. Both teams have won two Super Bowls since the rivalry began.

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 in return for taking his players and personnel to Baltimore. The inter-divisional rivalry carried over with both teams remaining in what was then the AFC Central Division. On September 8, 1996, Pittsburgh handed Baltimore its first loss as a franchise, 31–17 in Baltimore. In December, Baltimore defeated the playoff-bound Steelers by the same score in Pittsburgh. The Steelers would dominate the rivalry early on, winning six of the first seven meetings. However, since the AFC Central was restructured into the AFC North in 2002, the Ravens and Steelers have mostly dominated the division, whilst battling to a 17–16 record. In 2005, Sports Illustrated ranked the rivalry #2 on a list of "Top 10 New NFL Rivalries".[3] By 2015, Bleacher Report had ranked it the #1 rivalry in all of the NFL.[4] 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.

"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[5]

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.[6] 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.[7] 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.

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 (including a Divisional Playoff game) before the AFC Central was restructured into the AFC North in 2002. From 2002 to 2007, the rivals split their games 6–6, signaling a more competitive and fierce era for the rivalry.

The rivalry reached a new height of intensity during the 2008 NFL season, when the Ravens and Steelers played three times, the final match being the AFC Championship game. The Steelers won all three games by close margins. In Week 4 at Pittsburgh, the Steelers won on a 46–yard field goal in overtime. In Week 15 at Baltimore, the Steelers beat the Ravens with a controversial score late in the game, also winning the AFC North championship that 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 bitter 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 Ravens and the Steelers finished the season with 9–7 records, but Baltimore won a Wild Card slot over Pittsburgh due to a better division record. The Ravens 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.[8] 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 mark 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.

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. 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.[9] The Ravens captured their second consecutive AFC North championship in 2012 (having also won the division in 2011), and won Super Bowl XLVII against the San Francisco 49ers at the end of the season.

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. 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 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 had beaten the other by 20 points at their respective home fields in the regular 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 upset victory.

In the ninth week 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. In the rematch at Heinz Field on Christmas Day, the 9–5 Steelers prevailed over the 8–6 Ravens in a back-and-forth game 31–27, snapping a four-game losing streak to the Ravens. The win secured the AFC North championship for Pittsburgh and eliminated Baltimore from playoff contention. On October 1, 2017, the Steelers beat the Ravens 26–9 at M&T Bank Stadium, which gave the Steelers their first win in Baltimore since 2012. The Steelers completed a sweep of the Ravens in the 2017 NFL season with a 39-38 victory at Heinz Field on December 10, 2017.

Game results

The following is a list of results from all of the meetings between the Ravens and 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.[10] Also the first-ever 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 First win for the Steelers in Baltimore.
November 9 Pittsburgh Steelers 37–0 Baltimore Ravens Three Rivers Stadium First season sweep by the Steelers 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.[11]

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 Ravens' last loss 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; Steelers kicker Kris Brown misses four field goals
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 game. First playoff game between the Ravens and Steelers; first playoff victory for the Steelers over the Ravens.
2002 October 27 Pittsburgh Steelers 31–18 Baltimore Ravens M&T Bank Stadium First meeting under new AFC North alignment.
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. With the victory, the Ravens snapped a five-game losing streak to the Steelers and beat them in Baltimore for the first time since 1996.
2004 September 19 Baltimore Ravens 30–13 Pittsburgh Steelers M&T Bank Stadium Debut NFL game for Ben Roethlisberger after Tommy Maddox was injured. The game marked the only loss of the Steelers' 2004 regular season.
December 26 Pittsburgh Steelers 20–7 Baltimore Ravens Heinz Field Jerome Bettis rushes for 117 yards, his fifth 100+ game in the rivalry and the most by any player against Baltimore
2005 October 31 Pittsburgh Steelers 20–19 Baltimore Ravens Heinz Field
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 in the rivalry.
2007 November 5 Pittsburgh Steelers 38–7 Baltimore Ravens Heinz Field
December 30 Baltimore Ravens 27–21 Pittsburgh Steelers M&T Bank Stadium Final NFL game for Ravens' head coach Brian Billick.
2008 September 29 Pittsburgh Steelers 23–20 (OT) Baltimore Ravens Heinz Field Debut of Joe Flacco in the rivalry.
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 Playoff game. The Steelers went on to win Super Bowl XLIII in their next game.
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 10–8)

Season 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 game.
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.
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 game. First playoff victory for the Ravens over the Steelers; also the first playoff game won by the visiting team in the rivalry.
2015 October 1 Baltimore Ravens 23–20 (OT) Pittsburgh Steelers Heinz Field First overtime game won by the visiting team in the rivalry. Michael Vick started in place of the injured Ben Roethlisberger.
December 27 Baltimore Ravens 20–17 Pittsburgh Steelers M&T Bank Stadium Ravens started their fourth QB of the season, Ryan Mallett, after the injury of Joe Flacco and poor performances from Matt Schaub and Jimmy Clausen.
2016 November 6 Baltimore Ravens 21–14 Pittsburgh Steelers M&T Bank Stadium
December 25 Pittsburgh Steelers 31–27 Baltimore Ravens Heinz Field Christmas Day game; first Christmas game played between the teams. By winning, the Steelers won the division and eliminated the Ravens from playoff contention.
2017 October 1 Pittsburgh Steelers 26–9 Baltimore Ravens M&T Bank Stadium First win for the Steelers in Baltimore since 2012.
December 10 Pittsburgh Steelers 39–38 Baltimore Ravens Heinz Field Highest-scoring contest in the rivalry (77). Roethlisberger threw for 500 yards for the third time in his career (506). The Steelers won AFC North for the second consecutive season.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Top 10 New NFL Rivalries". Sports Illustrated. December 15, 2005. p. 9 (No. 2: Ravens-Steelers). Retrieved June 2, 2013.
  2. ^ "The Best Rivalries in the NFL Today". BleacherReport.com. June 11, 2015. p. 9 (No. 1: Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers). Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  3. ^ "Top 10 New NFL Rivalries". Sports Illustrated. December 15, 2005. p. 9 (No. 2: Ravens-Steelers). Retrieved June 2, 2013.
  4. ^ "The Best Rivalries in the NFL Today". BleacherReport.com. June 11, 2015. p. 9 (No. 1: Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers). Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  5. ^ Bouchette, Ed (November 23, 2006). "Steelers Notebook: Steelers, Ravens thrive on hatred". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
  6. ^ Garber, Greg (2009-01-15). "Want nasty? Check out Ravens-Steelers". ESPN. Retrieved 2012-11-23.
  7. ^ Dulac, Gerry (January 16, 2009). "Cover story: Steelers vs. Ravens latest in a long tradition of football feuds". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  8. ^ Varley, Teresa (September 29, 2010). "A true rivalry". Steelers.com. Retrieved 2012-11-23.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ "Boxscore finder: Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  11. ^ "Remember when? Ravens' first victory in Pittsburgh". Chicago Tribune.

Further reading

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