‘It’s RatBird Week’: Steelers and Ravens are on course for monumental clash

Throw out the records when the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers face off in another installment of the NFL’s most electrifying rivalry of the 21st century. This season’s edition will take place amid the filming of December’s in-season Hard Knocks and while Pittsburgh is one game ahead of Baltimore so much for control of the AFC North.  In the annals of these two teams, these circumstances point to another classic waiting to happen.

The Steelers lead the all-time series 32-24. But the rivalry isn’t defined quantifiably or through Super Bowl trophies. Both fan bases and teams feel each matchup at a visceral level. 

The rivalry’s roots stem from Art Modell moving the Browns from Ohio to Baltimore, and the residual animosity has never dissipated. Every year it’s a rock fight. In 28 years, the Steelers and Ravens have created a revered institution defined by its grit, muck, and mutual contempt. As one Steeler fan corrected me this week, ‘Time to take out the ratbirds.’

Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh’s staying power has created an added continuity which has raised the stakes. Since 2008, Harbaugh and Tomlin have played 35 times.  The Steelers have averaged 19.6 points during that span to the Ravens 19.9. Twenty-six of those games were decided by one possession.

In the earliest classic in Week 5 of Pittsburgh’s 1997 campaign, Bill Cowher’s Steelers recovered from a 21-point lead and Kordell Stewart buried the Ravens with an 80-yard touchdown scamper. I remember Jamal Lewis eclipsing 2000 yards in a Week 17 win over the Steelers. The only consolation prize was that the Steelers kept Lewis from picking up the ground yards he needed to break Eric Dickerson's single-season record.

Ben Roethlisberger’s 92-yard drive late in the 2008 season culminated in a touchdown pass against Baltimore’s No. 2 defense. Big Ben’s improvised touchdown to Santonio Holmes was remarkable for a couple of reasons. For one, Holmes’ feet were a yard deep into the endzone, yet he may or may not have crossed the ball over the goal line by a hair giving Pittsburgh the AFC North crown. A few weeks later, Holmes would make another toe-tapping touchdown grab that brought Pittsburgh its most recent Super Bowl. 

The 2009 AFC Title Game was decided by Troy Palomalu pick-sixing a pass from Joe Flacco and ending the Ravens' comeback bid in crunch time. It wasn’t the only time Palomalu bested Flacco. During the first quarter of a December 2010 showdown, Haloti Ngata’s hand broke Roethlisberger’s nose. Big Ben had the last laugh four quarters later when Palomalu’s strip-sack of Flacco with 3:20 remaining. A few downs afterward, a Roethlisberger touchdown pass hammered the nail into Baltimore’s coffin.  

Earlier that season, TJ Houshmandzadeh’s game-winning catch in the final moments of a Week 4 victory, secured Baltimore early season bragging rights against the Steelers. During the ensuing postseason, Houshmandzadeh went from zero to hero after dropping a laser from Joe Flacco on 4th and 18, which resulted in Baltimore's elimination.

Terrell Suggs’ thigh interception in the fourth quarter of Baltimore’s AFC Wild Card win isn’t even Suggs’ greatest contribution to the rivalry. It’s somewhere behind the countless licks he took on Roethlisberger and his immortal quote, “Big Ben, you know, he’s a great quarterback. God can have his soul, but his ass belongs to me.”

Lamar Jackson has yet to leave his imprint on the Steelers. He is inevitable against nearly every team in the league — except Pittsburgh. At this point though, Jackson hates to see a Black and Gold uniform coming. In four career starts against Pittsburgh, his 66.3 quarterback rating is his lowest against any team in the league. He’s also only pieced together a 59 percent completion rate, 214 yards per game, four touchdowns, and seven interceptions. In Week 8 of the 2020 season, he ran out of time to lead a game-winning drive. Twice last season, they beat the Ravens by putting the Ravens in a blender.

The Steelers have had the two-time MVP’s number. This will be his chance to break the cycle in Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, the Steel City’s finest will be pushing to continue the trend and more importantly, put distance between themselves and Baltimore at the top of the division.