Division games have a reputation for producing an environment in which anything goes, so to speak. A “bad” team that knows an opponent very well is much more likely to be able to beat a “good” team, for example. You hear expressions like “throw the records out the window”.
For the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens, however, there hasn’t been much mystery. In the one area that matters most, the Steelers have dominated for the past four years. With yesterday’s win, they are now 7-1 against their fiercest divisional rival over the past four years. They’ve swept the Ravens three out of the past four seasons, the 2022 season being the only exception.
That’s not without a series of caveats, of course. Tyler Huntley and Robert Griffin III were the starters of record in four of those losses, though Jackson is 1-3 in that time as well. Multiple games were season finales in which the Ravens had less, if nothing, at stake.
And then there was that unusual game earlier this season in which Baltimore had the dropsies, including multiple potential dropped touchdowns in the end zone by TE Mark Andrews and WR Rashod Bateman, among other miscues. It was one of the sloppiest games I’ve ever seen from a great offense that wasn’t affected by the weather.
But that doesn’t change the record. The fact is the Ravens are 1-7 against the Steelers over a four-year period. And the Steelers are 11-4 over their last 15 games against the Ravens as well. Pittsburgh has clearly been in control of the rivalry in recent years. Yet this run was preceded by a 6-1 run by the Ravens from 2013-2016.
Mind you, the wins don’t come easy. Their last win that didn’t come in a one-possession game was in 2017 when a Ben Roethlisberger-led squad beat Joe Flacco and company 26-9 in Baltimore in the early portion of the season. It was 19-0 by halftime. WR Mike Wallace scored a touchdown in that game—for the Ravens.
We’ve already discussed the Steelers’ earlier win over Baltimore this season, but we can also look back to last year and the last-minute comeback win. QB Kenny Pickett found RB Najee Harris for the go-ahead touchdown after escaping pressure with under a minute to play. And earlier this year, it was a daring 41-yard dagger to WR George Pickens on 2nd and 9 with 1:25 to play that put them over the top.
No, just by looking at the record over the past four years you would have no idea how competitive these games have been. Pickett was knocked out of the game in the Steelers’ one loss over the past four years with Mitch Trubisky coming in and throwing three interceptions, but it was still a two-point game in the end.
As long as you come out on top when the clock strikes triple zeroes, however, it doesn’t matter how you come by the score. Last night, the Steelers found their way, often on the ground, but with a big strike in the passing game when called for. Never mind that the Ravens were resting starters. It’s not like Pittsburgh wasn’t starting a quarterback who entered the season as the third-string player.
