In the NFL, nothing can make a regular-season game more intense than a clash between two rivals. Lately, the league has been working to make the game safer, so many rivalries may feel less hot than they once were, but not the battle between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens. Any game between those two teams feels like a meeting of titans, with every player giving everything they’ve got, no matter the situation. Even if some outlets don’t want to recognize the truth, the Steelers and Ravens have the best rivalry in the NFL, and one former offensive lineman believes that Pittsburgh has been dominating the Ravens recently.
Mark Schlereth was an offensive lineman in the NFL from 1989-2000, winning three Super Bowls and making two Pro Bowls. Now, he speaks about the NFL on his Stinkin’ Truth podcast with the subject of rivalries coming up on the latest episode. Schlereth was asked if any rivalry compares to the one between former quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, and his answer was that the only one that comes close is the Steelers and Ravens, praising the matchup for its intensity.
“The one game that is a can’t-miss proposition where the teams legitimately have hate for one another is Pittsburgh and Baltimore,” Schlereth said. “That one still seems like there’s not gonna be trading of jerseys afterward. That one still seems like there’s legitimate angst between those two organizations, and Pittsburgh has certainly gotten the better of those matchups. That one seems like there’s real anger.”
Schlereth is correct that there’s always extra emotion when the Steelers and Ravens play, with some current players fanning the flames even more this offseason. While the days of Haloti Ngata breaking Ben Roethlisberger’s nose in the middle of a game are gone, there’s still an extra level both teams reach when they face off. Since 2019, which is when Lamar Jackson became Baltimore’s full-time starter and Roethlisberger began to seriously decline, nine of their 10 games have been decided by one score, with the only blowout being the Steelers’ pitiful effort against Robert Griffin III to end the 2019 season.
Despite that loss, the Steelers are 7-3 against the Ravens during that stretch. Famously, Jackson’s only win against the Steelers so far came during the game where Mason Rudolph got knocked out and was replaced by Duck Hodges. The other two losses came against Baltimore’s backups. Considering Jackson has now been named NFL MVP twice, and the Steelers’ quarterback situation has spun around more times than a roulette table, that’s impressive. And also shows why Schlereth stated that the Steelers have gotten the better of the Ravens recently.
When Roethlisberger and Joe Flacco were dueling, numerous moments in football history were created. With the Steelers finally beginning to stabilize their quarterback spot, perhaps more moments will be made sooner rather than later. With the Steelers seeing the Ravens both times this season during the most brutal part of their schedule, fans can be sure that the ferocity will be present. If the Steelers want to make the playoffs this year, they’ll need to continue sitting in the driver’s seat of the NFL’s best rivalry.
