Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens: A Historic Rivalry 

One of the factors that makes the NFL such a compelling league is the variety of rivalries that have developed over the decades. 

Some NFL rivalries have existed since the beginning of pro football. Others have grown due to league reorganizations, controversies, or regular meetings between playoff or Super Bowl contenders. These games are more keenly awaited than most, and fans checking out the standings or looking for NFL computer picks often focus on these big matchups. 

One of the fiercest NFL rivalries is that between the Steelers and the Ravens. This rivalry is more than just a clash between two big Eastern cities, it is between two teams with very similar reputations. 

A Rivalry With Roots

Technically, the Steelers v Ravens rivalry only goes back as far as 1996, when the Ravens joined the NFL as an expansion team, but its roots are much older. 

Until 1984, Baltimore’s team was the Colts, but in that year, the Colts moved to Indianapolis. Left with no obvious team to support, some Baltimore fans switched to the Steelers. The Steelers, meanwhile, had an ongoing rivalry with the Cleveland Browns, the nearest franchise geographically to Pittsburgh. In 1995, however, the owner of the Browns, Art Modell, announced he wanted to move the team to Baltimore. The NFL allowed him to move the organization, but not the name and history of the Browns, which was ‘relaunched’ in 1999. 

So, the relationships and rivalries between the football cities of Pittsburgh and Baltimore were already tangled when the Ravens first took to the field in 1996. 

Familiar Foes

Since they joined the league, the Ravens have been in the same Division as the Steelers, initially in the AFC Central, and then the AFC North. This has meant that the two franchises have met at least twice a season every year, and as the Browns were either absent or unsuccessful for much of that time, the attention of Steelers fans was diverted to Baltimore. 

All told, they have met on 58 occasions, with the Steelers leading 33-25. Between them, they have won 18 Divisional titles since 1996, and two Super Bowls apiece, and neither team has been able to establish a long-term dominance. The longest run of success was the five consecutive games that the Steelers won between 2001 and 2003. 

In the playoffs, the Steelers have the edge, winning three of their four games, including the biggest meeting so far, in the 2009 AFC Championship game. The Steelers won all three meetings that season and reached the Super Bowl thanks to a 23-14 win over the Ravens at Heinz Field. 

Battle of the Bruisers

The intensity of the rivalry between Pittsburgh and Baltimore can also be explained by the way that these teams play. The Steelers have always been associated with a tough physical style of football, based on a bruising defense and a strong running game. 

This is despite the fact that both teams have fielded some high-class quarterbacks. For Pittsburgh, Ben Roethlisberger was a giant who led the team to two Super Bowl championships, while Baltimore’s quarterback is the game-changing Lamar Jackson.

Famous Games

For neutrals, matches between these two rivals are often compelling. The 2009 AFC Championship game was an intense physical contest that saw Willis McGahee stretchered off the field in the fourth quarter. In 1997, the Steelers won a 42-34 epic in which they trailed 21-0 early in the second quarter, and the Steelers also won another compelling clash in 1998 when a 92-yard drive led to a controversial winning touchdown in a game that the Ravens had led 9-6 until the final moments. 

The two rivals also served up a special football feast on Christmas Day in 2016. The Ravens led by 20-10 but two touchdowns from Le’Veon Bell turned things around and gave the Steelers the lead. Back came the Ravens to retake the lead with a little over a minute remaining on the clock. Enter Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers quarterback engineered a heroic drive, including seven completions, eventually delivering a game-winning throw to Antonio Brown with only four seconds left in the game.

Conclusion

A combination of geography, history, familiarity, and well-matched playing styles has ensured that the Ravens versus Steelers rivalry is one of the most compelling and intense in the NFL. With both teams having a mixed start to the 2023 season, their two Divisional games are set up to be true battles, including their clash on the last day of the regular season, which could once again settle the fate of the AFC North Division.