The Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers have a rich history of one of the best rivalries in all of sports. Whenever the two teams face off, there is heightened intensity and physicality on both sides, and usually whatever either squad is going through that season can be tossed out the window, as the games are always close and hard fought.
Baltimore cornerback Jimmy Smith was asked about what makes the Ravens’ rivalry with the Steelers such a strong one, the veteran pointed to the defensive side of the ball and talked about some of the great players and defensive units to face off against one another.
“I truly believe it’s because it was two physical defenses, probably the best defenses back in the day. You had Ray Lewis, and they had [Troy] Polamalu. You had all these guys and these great names on those two teams. The one thing that never escapes this game is physicality. Every team is not the same, but in the AFC North, there are going to be some physical games. I think that Steelers-Ravens is the most physical game, because there’s never a time where we don’t leave that game bruised and beat up pretty good.”
Smith also talked about the importance of the rivalry in Baltimore.
“…When I came here originally, that’s the first team we talked about, because it does matter. It’s a red dot game; it’s the Steelers. But the culture here before, it was just how they talked about the rivalry coming in and how they spoke of it to the rookies. You’re not even a Raven until you make a play against the Steelers. So, it was just like we put them up here, (raises his hand to the top of his head) because that’s the team in our division that we looked at as our clash. That’s who we had to go against. So, I think over the years, it’s become such a big game. Coming into it, you want to just keep that juice flowing and that rivalry going. I don’t know, it’s just one of those games in the NFL that everybody is going to click on whether they like to watch football or not.”
One of the key storylines for the Ravens’ Week 18 matchup with Pittsburgh is the fact that it will likely mark the final game of the career of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Smith was asked about if Roethlisberger’s likely departure marks the end of an era in the rivalry, the cornerback said it “definitely” does.
“Definitely. When ‘Sizz’ [Terrell Suggs] left, it was kind of an end of an era, because Roethlisberger and ‘Sizz’ are more in their age group coming in. There are only a couple guys left that Ben [Roethlisberger] has even played against numerous times on our squad. I wouldn’t say it’s the end of the rivalry era, but it’s definitely the end of those big-name guys, and it has to start anew. I guess a little bit of it right now may be the Bengals, since they’re getting hot and all of that. That might be the new thing, but I think the Steelers rivalry will always remain the most physical game in the AFC North.”
The rivalry between Baltimore and Pittsburgh has had many chapters, and Week 18 will mark another one. However, it will also likely be the end of Roethlisberger’s NFL career, and potentially even Smith’s, as the cornerback’s future is currently uncertain.