At the height of their rivalry, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens could be defined by two players. QB Ben Roethlisberger and OLB Terrell Suggs. Sure, other players were just as important. WR Hines Ward and LB Ray Lewis. Safeties Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu, two of the best ever at what they did. But it was Roethlisberger and Suggs always squaring off with each other. Now that both are retired, they can appreciate the rivalry they shared.
Suggs will be inducted into the Ravens’ Ring of Honor this weekend when Baltimore hosts the Detroit Lions. In the lead-up to the event, the Ravens’ team site spoke to Roethlisberger about Suggs, the Ravens, and their classic battles.
“You could outsmart a lot of guys, but not him,” Roethlisberger told Ravens.com’s Clifton Brown. “When I had to go up against him, I had to stress my brain. Only he can answer if I raised his game, but I know he always raised mine. He was a special player.”
The two entered the NFL at nearly identical times. Suggs in 2003, Roethlisberger in 2004. Both had long and terrific careers. Suggs played 17 years, Roethlisberger 18. They were tough, physical, and always looking to one-up the other. Both had their share of successes and failures. Suggs sacked Roethlisberger 17 times throughout his career, probably more than any other defender. Roethlisberger went 17-10 in his career against the Ravens, breaking their hearts multiple times, none bigger than the 2008 AFC Championship Game that sent Pittsburgh to a Super Bowl and Baltimore packing.
The rivalry was defined by respect, not hate. But Roethlisberger admits it was fun – and also terrible – to face Suggs and the Ravens twice a year.
“I loved playing against him because of the competitors we both are, the battles that we would have, the mutual respect that we had for each other,” Roethlisberger said. “And I absolutely hated it because he was either intercepting a pass, knocking passes down, sacking me – something that just made my day miserable.”
Perhaps no moment defined their battles more than the team’s 2010 13-10 regular season win over the Ravens. With a chance to win the game and Baltimore looking for a stop, Suggs beat Steelers LT Jonathan Scott and attempted to rip the ball out of Roethlisberger’s hands instead of just sacking him. Roethlisberger – whose nose was broken earlier in the game – protected the ball, stayed on his feet, flipped his hips and flung the ball away out of bounds to avoid the sack. It’s one of the greatest incompletions you’ll ever see, and Roethlisberger’s said it’s one of his favorite moments.
Roethlisberger would go on to throw the game-winning touchdown to Isaac Redman. That game had everything. A close finish, a brutally physical demeanor, all under primetime lights.
For Suggs, the feeling is mutual.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Ben Roethlisberger,” Suggs said. “I don’t have nothing bad to say about the guy. He broke my heart a lot of times, but I probably broke his sometimes, too.”
Now that their careers are over, they wait to see what comes next. Roethlisberger is a lock for the Hall of Fame and almost certainly will be a first-ballot inductee. He believes Suggs should be the same.
“There’s no doubt he’s a Hall of Famer, first ballot in my opinion…if you ask that question about Suggs, it’s a no-brainer for anybody who played against him,” Roethlisberger said. “He’s special.”
With seven Pro Bowls, two Super Bowl rings, and 139 sacks, Suggs has a great case to make. That answer will come in time and rest with the voters. But if Roethlisberger could cast a ballot, Suggs’ name would be on it. No matter what, this was one Hall of Fame rivalry.
Be sure to check out the entire interview over on the Ravens’ team site. There are tons more great quotes from Roethlisberger and Suggs on playing against each other.
