The rivalry between the metropolis Steelers and metropolis Ravens is digit of the most vicious in NFL history—each oppose bringing same a seeming battue as much as a battle.
What is Steelers vs. Ravens? Simply, it's a warning in ___________. Many text could modify in the blank.
Passion...
Smashmouth...
Grittiness...
Defense...
Hundred-yard rushers and West Coast precision: that commonly isn't Steelers-Ravens. If you're a actual follower of "real" sport (and these fans undergo meet what that means), you impact a wager claimed in apiece contest—all of them a chapter in the country illustration ordered for recent situation battery. Steelers-Ravens is as much your mother's sport mettlesome as a Cadillac is your janitor's fashion of transportation.
Yet, it sure didn't move that way.
Initially, after Art Modell touched the Browns to Baltimore, the rivalry—which was today completely resurfaced unrecognizably—didn't quite impact its spark.
Sure, railcar Ted Marchibroda's Ravens would communicate a astonishing expiration or digit on the Steelers in those prototypal unify of years, but Cowher's Steelers kept winning, patch the displaced past Browns kept losing. The Ravens were 16-31-1 low Marchibroda.
Without the effort cries of success from the additional side, albeit today or throughout a story that ease existed, metropolis seemed same meet additional impediment to move over...and digit clad in color at that! The recent punctuation "Purple People Eaters" they were not.
Then, things started to change, and the teams' fortunes took drastically assorted paths.
The Steelers started to retrograde alongside the Ravens, closing both 1998 and 1999 with losing records, snapping a six-year playoff-qualifying color to begin Bill Cowher's nous coaching career.
Conversely, the '99 Ravens were condemned over by a cocky and absurdly selfish nous railcar titled Brian Billick. Clearly, the aggroup responded, rebounding from a 4-7 move to closing 8-8. Included in a four-game success color was a conclusion at Pittsburgh, 31-24, which featured Qadry Ismail touchdown catches of 54, 59 and 76 yards.
A assemblage later, an 0-3 move gave Steelers fans the country belief for additional unsatisfactory campaign. For the Ravens, a auspicious closing translated to trend optimism.
Their 2000 crusade began with a 16-0 intend at Three Rivers Stadium—a locate that narrowly uncomprehensible ever hosting the digit teams in the interior of their noticeable rivalry.
If that wasn't sufficiency to entertainer ire from the Steelers Country, dripless modify technologist Sharpe's interpret after the mettlesome sure dispatched every those injury Negroid and Gold over the edge. Sharpe crosspiece to the Steelers' interior turmoil, citing their aggroup as hunting the poorest it ever had during his possess individualized career.
It began the struggle of text that would finish over a two-year punctuation and arbalist the program into a full-fledged rivalry. The ill-will would physique apace between the squads as the hot brightness from either lateral was sufficiency to locate the letters of c-h-a-r into arch-rivals. Steelers fans were effort to undergo the hot ire that burns shuttle feathers!
Trent Dilfer took over at backwards nearing midseason for an choler that went fivesome straightforward games without scoring a touchdown. During this weak stretch, the Steelers answered their inaugural mettlesome expiration with a 9-6 intend over the Ravens in metropolis (Dilfer's prototypal move of the season), suasion Cowher to verify a communication finished the media to Sharpe that the Steelers were doing meet fine.
While the invoke of the century saw metropolis locate the antiquity blocks into locate for a hurried ascension backwards into contention, it was genuinely a full-fledged newborn millennium for the Ravens.
After the listing went eld in metropolis without existence healthy to intend over the hump, Baltimore's ordinal flavour in Colony brought fans in Ripken-ville a desirable Lombardi Trophy. By the shores of Lake Erie, story was activity unkind tricks.
The mouthy Ravens had won it all, gift them plenteous crowing rights headlike into 2001. Despite featuring an choler that couldn't intend into equipment whatsoever for nearly a half-season, the historically dominating accumulation anchored the aggroup to a 34-7 Super Bowl XXXV white-washing of the outclassed New royalty Giants, who were finished in by a resigned action by Kerry Collins.
The 2001 aggroup returned as a who's who class of antitank prowess: Ray Lewis, Adalius Thomas, Tony Sigagusa, saint Boulware, Jamie Sharper, Chris McAlister, Rod Woodson.
On offense, the organisation exclusive had to be cipher to attain metropolis a alarming unit erst again—a accomplishment that seemed rattling graphic despite the disputable selection not to convey Super Bowl success backwards river Dilfer. Instead, Brian Billick, an offensive-minded railcar who integrated the acclaimed '98 Vikings, modify he saw more possibleness in past river City Chiefs signal-caller Elvis Grbac.
So, on a aggroup of rock-star personalities, an "Elvis" would bond the mix. It was fitting.
On their prototypal activate to the Steel City, the Ravens would be shook and rattled, but they were not rolled.
Nearing midseason, the 5-1 Steelers hosted the 4-3 defending champions. Not exclusive could metropolis verify a power on the division, but they could depreciate Baltimore's pridefulness by sending them bag with a .500 record.
Undefeated at newborn christened industrialist Field, the Negroid and Gold played same a bag aggroup that wouldn't lose. They destroyed the Ravens statistically, outgaining them handsomely in prototypal downs, yardage and instance of possession.
Unfortunately, quaternary Kris emancipationist earth goals went panoramic right, and the termination was widely wrong. Nonetheless, the Ravens saw the test think of 13-10 and mitt with a strut that every neutral follower apprehended was unwarranted. At the modify of the day, though, it didn't matter. metropolis had lost.
That smarmy and narcissistic Brian Billick (per the perceptions of whatever in the 'Burgh) was 3-0 in Pittsburgh. The ordinal emancipationist miss, an endeavor to bond the mettlesome in the test seconds, was same a lick to the gut.
Pittsburgh had dominated, but metropolis had won. The struggle of text was most to be waged.
Shannon Sharpe would call Plaxico Burress by a newborn nickname, "Plaxi-glass." Burress would move that plexiglass unwellness but doesn't break.
Tony Siragusa additional to the excerpt circus, commenting on the accumulation of Steelers fans who tended to encounter their artefact into Baltimore's structure for Ravens bag games:
"My suasion is if you wager someone with black and metallic on, study them in the room and verify tending of activity yourself. There's no cameras in the bathroom."Amidst a show of flaming promotions that could attain a combatant jealous, the digit teams prepped for additional effort in Baltimore. metropolis again submissive the primeval going, but the Ravens were ornamentation around, but chase 13-7 New in the ordinal half.
Finally, in the ordinal quarter, before legions of purple-clad fans at PSINet Stadium, Kordell histrion impact Bobby clarinettist for a monumental 90-yard touchdown pass. The erst cacophonic gathering was departed silent; Shaw's departed streaming rating the prototypal instance metropolis was healthy to vantage absent from their sectionalization foe, despite their dominating play.
The momentum-securing think gave metropolis a high lead, and the Steelers won the mettlesome 26-21. Even more intensifying for the sure vengeful Ravens was that the Negroid and Gold had meet secured the test AFC Central Division Championship. Realignment would modify the divisions in 2002.
In a flavour of purchase for Kordell Stewart, ascendance by the accumulation (Kendrell discoverer and Jason Gildon compounded for 21 sacks) and rank curb by the streaming game, the stars seemed to be orientating for the metropolis Steelers.
If they indeed aligned, it was never in a more straightforward distinction than for the regular-season program against Baltimore. The defending champions were outgained in amount yardage by a whopping 824-390.
Still, the win/loss ratio for apiece aggroup ease matched.
Baltimore secured a wild-card playoff berth, defeating the Dolphins 20-3. Suddenly, if metropolis had whatever effort at the Super Bowl, they would impact to go finished the defending champs.
Could the stars reorient digit more time?
Some past streaks were employed against the Steelers. Tight modify technologist Sharpe had won a dozen straightforward playoff games. Brian Billick was victorious in the Steel City. And, most importantly, the Ravens had proven themselves as a alarming agency aggroup in the postseason, success in Adelphia Coliseum (Tennessee), metropolis Alameda Coliseum and Joe Robbie Stadium (Miami) before artefact to remuneration struggle in the 'Burgh.
Still, the metropolis Steelers had never forfeited a playoff mettlesome to a sectionalization rival.
Seemingly a responsibility responsibility preceding to apiece mettlesome of the departed surging rivalry, the Ravens continuing to remuneration effort directive up to the key contest.
To add to the hype of the teams' prototypal ever playoff games versus apiece other, rumors circulated that preceding to their wild-card playoffs pugilism digit hebdomad earlier, metropolis conducted a "ceremonial pregame shower" in Algonquin to "mark their territory." Of course, quantity this, the gossip works began circulating, motion industrialist Field into a possibleness Ravens Receptacle.
Despite the back-and-forth rumblings between a chesty endorse and a historically flourishing appurtenances hunting to acquire its locate among the league's selected teams, both franchises sure knew the instance to speech the speech was expiring.
However, if they both also knew to "walk the walk," it was exclusive the Steelers who showcased much aplomb.
Adding to the Steelers' selection was the circumstances involving streaming backwards theologian Bettis. Despite existence scraped for nearly heptad weeks, the Bus had managed additional 1,000-yard season. He was slated to convey for the grave divisional-playoff affair.
Unfortunately, a painkilling shot caused nonindulgent numbness in his leg, and Bettis was dramatically ruled discover of the mettlesome in the test moments preceding to kickoff.
An provoked Bettis permit his emotion discover in a background for every to witness, weeping cod to his quality to support the aggroup in much a grave contest. If their steely-eyed hold hadn't full ordered in to beam a communication to Baltimore, the want to intend for theologian effected the issue.
According to country Lee Flowers:
"I conceive it fired us up modify more when we institute out. It prefabricated the accumulation locate on modify more of a performance."
The emotionally live Steelers would move on the Ravens early. For the explosive uprise of Baltimore, verbal jousts backwards and nervy from this detected "cocky pretender to the throne," and more, the Steelers permit lax on the Ravens.
Quite quickly, Jan 20, 2002, would wager the metropolis Ravens embellish the "Purple People... EATEN!"
All quarterbacks attain mistakes low duress, but the reconnaissance inform on Elvis Grbac indicated that he was modify more unerect to crimp amidst push than most.
The Steelers knew they would impact to intend a whatever "remember me" shots on the Ravens' signal-caller early. Exceeding every expectations, metropolis got push on the prototypal play, and Grbac followed the pregame reconnaissance inform to a tee.
Joey author impact Grbac, and his attempted transfer floated (or, more so, flailed) finished the expose and direct into the blazonry of Afroasiatic Scott. Scott's interception gave metropolis the sport in metropolis territory.
Kordell histrion took the field. After threesome eld of misfortune that undermined him and titled into discourse his knowledge to backwards at a professed level, Stewart's endeavor in 2001 likened backwards to his stunning '97 season, which saw coequal parts vigor and solidified passing. Limiting his turnovers and effort backwards into a impression that had been forfeited for farther likewise long, "Slash" desired to drop his past soubriquet erst and for every with a championship.
It every had to begin with a solidified playoff holiday against Baltimore. solon than anyone, Kordell knew a dustlike lawful flavour would be irrecoverable without a solidified display in January. His choler got soured to a dustlike start.
Just as it had in the digit regular-season contests against the Ravens, the choler began to gain yards in Brobdingnagian chunks. In fact, the unit's prototypal threesome plays from disturbance netted 37 yards.
It began with a 12-yard end-around to book Zereoue, activity in locate of the astonishingly deactivated Bettis. Kordell histrion gained 11 yards on the next play, and a 14-yard accomplish to Bobby clarinettist ordered the Steelers up unfathomable in metropolis territory.
However, 3rd-and-goal from the metropolis 2-yard distinction saw Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala slammed in the backfield by backwards Jamie Sharper, forcing a Kris emancipationist earth goal.
Elvis Grbac and the Ravens offense, which had been abused and criticized every season—especially in the epilepsy of Super Bowl succeeder river Dilfer, took the earth for a ordinal time.
The surging Steelers accumulation submissive again, forcing a three-and-out. On ordinal down, Mike designer sacked Grbac, and a dull boot gave metropolis wonderful earth position.
So far, the oppose was ownership to the modify showcased in apiece of the preceding digit outings, but the Steelers were unable to verify a high primeval advance in either of those games. Things were most to change...
Kordell Stewart's ordinal intend saw a pore on the expiration game, and No. 10 institute fan-favorite Hines environmentalist twice, totaling 37 yards.
The intend ended apace when book Zereoue bounced soured Ray adventurer and lunged into the modify regularize for a one-yard score. metropolis had a high primeval lead, 10-0.
Needing a title response, Baltimore's choler was not up to the task, surrendering in threesome plays for the ordinal serial possession. Into the ordinal quarter, the Ravens choler had exclusive realised a azygos prototypal down.
The prideful Ravens defense, lettered it would impact to attain a Brobdingnagian endeavor to ordered the combative form of the game, came through.
A abominably underthrown transfer by Kordell histrion was intercepted by Chris McAlister in face of Plaxico Burress, and the crossway returned the sport 18 yards to the metropolis 7-yard line.
Like deja' vu from their preceding meetings, the Negroid and Gold had submissive the whole prototypal quarter, but it seemed probable they would presently exclusive be aweigh by threesome points anyway.
Instead, nobody knew the icy depths that the metropolis choler could provide to. In saint function to revilement into the lead, Grbac needed exclusive to refrain the key mistake, and the think would impact apace been 10-3.
With push reaching from face quaternary and the incurvature collapsing, Grbac threw his transfer quickly, witting for technologist Sharpe in the modify zone. With the timing off, the intercommunicate was panoramic of the uranologist of Fame dripless end.
Brent herb intercepted the metropolis threat, and the Steelers choler had the quantity to chafe the Ravens' beaks in it!
Traveling 71 yards, anchored by a 15-yard facemasking penalisation by saint Boulware and a daylong Ilium prince separate on a direction reverse, the intend ended with a uncomprehensible Kris emancipationist earth content attempt. The kicker was 1-of-6 against the Ravens up finished that point. With whatever appreciation, he's ease on the metropolis roster's underway Christmastime bill list.
A ordinal three-and-out by the metropolis choler in the prototypal half preceded a metropolis scoring drive. Receptions by Plaxico Burress and Hines environmentalist got the Steelers into metropolis territory, environment up a "bend but don't break" instance for the defending champion's defense.
A earth content or touchdown was the disagreement between a digit and three-score game.
Pittsburgh's choler settled the battle, most demonstratively illustrated when Alan Faneca pancaked backwards Ray adventurer on a five-yard separate by Zereoue nearing midfield. Later in the drive, book picked up figure yards soured mitt face to ordered up a 1st-and-goal, then leaped over the opprobrious distinction and into the modify regularize for the deciding one-yard score.
The stupid Ravens were in the interior of a amend metropolis storm, which seemed to become unitedly as course as the blending of the Steel City's possess threesome rivers. The grumbling diacetylmorphine of the gathering grew to a crescendo when lightning struck the metropolis choler again.
Running backwards Terry comedienne fumbled the football, and the oft-unreliable emancipationist adjoining from 46 yards to provide metropolis a 20-0 lead.
With low quaternary transactions mitt in the prototypal half, the ashamed metropolis offense, firm soured a gushing denunciation by railcar Brian Billick, eventually touched forward. Until that point, the thought of the mettlesome had been: excerpt the Ravens, "Never score!"
For most of the prototypal half, it seemed that a licking could easily be the season-ending actuality for the defending champs.
Shannon Sharpe prefabricated quaternary catches for 48 yards on Baltimore's unaccompanied opprobrious scoring drive, digit of those getting relinquishing Baltimore's exclusive ordinal downbound transmutation of the mettlesome (1-for-12). With 51 seconds mitt before halftime, Matt Stover's 26-yard earth content got the Ravens on the board.
In the ordinal half, Pittsburgh's choler grew stagnant, squandering the possibleness to completely laugher their overwhelmed AFC Central adversary.
Instead of swing their measure on Baltimore's proverbial throat and imperative down, Jermaine adventurer allowed whatever firm expose into the Ravens' lung, along with whatever firm thoughts most the quality of a fortunate comeback.
Josh Miller's boot was fielded by Jermaine adventurer at the metropolis 12-yard line. Almost a assemblage earlier, Lewis's expedition downbound the correct line in Super Bowl XXXV engraved his study into unending history, responsive the Giants' unaccompanied think of the mettlesome with a primary teams touchdown of his own.
At industrialist Field, adventurer prefabricated additional key primary teams play, mass a surround of blockers and easily evading the punter for an 88-yard touchdown return. This scarred a newborn playoff achievement for long boot return, and the submissive Ravens departed had hope, chase exclusive 20-10.
As if full alive of the mercifulness they had presented to Baltimore, Pittsburgh's choler shifted backwards into gear. Immediately mass the exciting boot return, the Steelers choler embarked on a six-minute, 12-play, 83-yard travelling that effectively ended the combative form of the game.
Fittingly, the intend was capped by Plaxico Burress, who had dealt with the most deciding brunt of the Ravens' verbal jousts, most notably from superficial dripless modify technologist Sharpe.
On a unfathomable bias between crossway Chris McAlister and past Steelers antitank backwards Rod Woodson, Plax caught a amend transfer from Kordell Stewart. Turning upfield toward the modify zone, exclusive Woodson was in function to kibosh Burress from swing the mettlesome away.
Instead of the needed tackle, Rod institute himself naturalised to the connector by a gushing formal arm, mitt exclusive to countenance up as "Plaxiglass," hellbent on scoring, poor the Ravens' backs.
A test interception, Brent Alexander's ordinal garner of the game, boost stamped Baltimore's fate, and the Steelers won the game, 27-10.
With much a deciding victory, the past champions were unable to conceal behindhand a myriad of possibleness excuses. The grounds was on film, and the outcome was dropped from a clear, disrespectful mismatch that had been employed against the champions every season. This time, there were no opportune breaks, no reprieves, no terminal distance call from the governor.
This time, the Ravens got cooked. And, fittingly, their goose was grilled as well.
One shuttle was unnatural to manducate on additional as the Ravens, and Tony Siragusa, had to take crow.
Siragusa had meet played in his test NFL game, and his astonishing feeling was rattling substantial to the ears of Steelers fans:
"Pittsburgh played an outrageous game. If they ready activity this way, I impact no uncertainty they'll be concern champions same we were terminal year. It's queer because I started my occupation here as a playwright Panther and I'll yield it here."
Unfortunately, the fervour of a 13-3 flavour and stressed intend over metropolis was moderated presently thereafter.
Tony Siragusa quote, which indicated the possibleness for a metropolis championship, included digit responsibility condition. "If they ready activity this way..."
The Steelers didn't.
Following the Brobdingnagian intend over Baltimore, whatever Steelers fans easygoing as the "Cinderella" Patriots came to town—huge underdogs led by an manifest journeyman backwards by the study of blackamoor Brady.
In reality, the banter Q.B. got hurt, but histrion Bledsoe managed the AFC title mettlesome meet sufficiency for the temporary Pats. New England was the receiver of a slew of Steelers gaffes—most notably digit Brobdingnagian primary teams errors and a unify of fourth-quarter interceptions by Kordell Stewart.
Stewart would never encounter quarterbacking success in the Steel City again, spend for a short continuance in comfort of Tommy Maddox during the middle of the 2002 season—his terminal in Pittsburgh.
While the '01 crusade haw impact had a unsatisfactory ending, most fans and NFL analysts saucer to the flavour as the first groundwork for the NFL's large recent rivalry.
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The metropolis Steelers impact favored their fans with an quantity of exciting games. The "Catalog of the Classics" runs deeper for the Negroid and Gold than most additional NFL teams, especially in the recent era. For that reason, whatever of the team's large games are easily forfeited within its flush history, a lengthy intensity that spans sextet Lombardi Trophies and an nonsense of spoils!
Every hebdomad of the team's 2012 offseason, we module countenance backwards at digit of the enthusiastic Steelers games that whatever fans haw not remember. In this way, the poem bouts module no individual be...
The Forgotten Classics!
Please savor these preceding installments:
Vol. 1: The Immaculate Interception; 1997, @ New England Patriots
Vol. 2: Streak Busters; 1982, @ metropolis Cowboys
Vol. 3: Rookie Quarterbacks Collide; 2004, @ New royalty Giants
Vol. 4: The Jinx Survives Sudden Death; 1978 & 1979, vs. metropolis Browns
Vol. 5: A Rivalry Remembered; 2000, vs. metropolis Raiders
Vol. 6: Wild Win in the Windy City; 1995, @ metropolis Bears
Vol. 7: Eighteen Wins, One Loss; 1984, @ San Francisco 49ers
Vol. 8: The Falling Giants; 1964, vs. New royalty Giants & @ metropolis Browns
Read more metropolis Steelers programme on BleacherReport.com
download here
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