The rivalry between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens runs quite deep. Though there is plenty of respect there, the two teams simply do not like each other.
The Steelers signing linebacker Patrick Queen away from the Ravens in free agency certainly added to the rivalry this offseason. Then, on Friday night, former defensive tackle Haloti Ngata sent some serious shade to Pittsburgh.
Announcing the Ravens’ pick of Penn State EDGE Adisa Isaac at No. 93 overall, Ngata — on stage with his three sons — stated that they were raised to know one thing:
“The Steelers suck!” the Ngata family shouted.
Check out the video from ABC.
Well then!
Ngata has an important place in the Steelers-Ravens rivalry.
The nose tackle played for the Ravens from 2006-2014 coming out of Oregon. He is most infamous for breaking Steelers’ star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s nose in 2010.
During his retirement press conference in 2019, Ngata even recalled that moment as one of his favorites during his time with the Ravens.
“Breaking Ben’s nose,” Ngata said of his favorite play in his career, according to baltimoreravens.com. “I didn’t do it on purpose but it kind of just happened.”
Ngata is referencing him unfortunately breaking Roethlisberger’s nose during a sack early in a 2010 Week 13 Sunday Night Football matchup in Baltimore. Ngata’s sack happened on a 3rd-and-8 from the Baltimore 44-yard line with 12:24 left in the first quarter, and Ngata shared the sack with linebacker Terrell Suggs, another thorn in the side of the Steelers throughout his career.
Roethlisberger, to his credit, had the nose reset by the medical team, put a visor on his helmet and went back in to finish the game. The Steelers’ quarterback went on to complete 22-of-38 passes that night against the Ravens, throwing for 253 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception.
It was just another example of the physicality in the rivalry that was the pinnacle of the NFL during the mid-2000s and early 2010s.
