To the victor goes the trash-talking rights, and Baltimore Ravens ILB Roquan Smith takes that to heart, especially when it comes to the Steelers. During his post-game press conference, he took a friendly shot at former teammates Patrick Queen, now with the Steelers. In so many words, he basically said Queen will be on vacation while the Ravens are still playing.
It turns out, that was a common theme for Smith toward the Steelers after the game. The Ravens had a camera set up in the hallway, and Smith had a message for the Steelers. “Good luck to those guys”, he said. “Good luck in your offseason plans. I’ll see you guys next you”.
Such a comment is both better and worse than it sounds. We know Roquan Smith and the Ravens are ribbing the Steelers, but we also know it’s in good humor. The rivalry over the years has become one of respect, but they still enjoy their bragging rights.
And after losing eight of nine games to the Steelers in the regular season, the Ravens now have the momentum. They have won the last two, including the one that matters—a playoff game. Roquan Smith personally is now 3-3 against the Steelers with the Ravens, with a helpful two-game winning streak.
Many picked the AFC North as the toughest division in football going into this season. That was when people thought the Cleveland Browns might actually be relevant, and nobody anticipated how much the Bengals defense would struggle. The Ravens and Steelers advanced, though, battling for the division title until Week 18. Smith has a lot to do with that as a three-time first-team All-Pro since arriving in Baltimore.
Things don’t go well early for the Steelers. Although they managed a first down on their opening drive, they allowed the Ravens to drive 95 yards for a touchdown. By the end of the first half, they were in a 21-0 hole, and Roquan Smith and the defense didn’t have to do much.
The Steelers only ran 21 plays in the first half, after all, including a kneeldown. Six of those plays came on the opening drive, followed by three three-and-outs mixed in with one five-play, 14-yard possession. Smith only needed to make five tackles during the game, the Steelers running just 45 plays.
In fact, were it not for a couple of chunk plays in the second half, this would have been well and truly a route. Those moonballs helped almost make the Steelers’ numbers look respectable with 280 total yards at 6.2 yards per play. The Ravens, of course, went for 464 yards and 6.4 yards per play. And they owned very nearly a two-to-one advantage in time of possession.
So, sure, Roquan Smith and the Ravens can poke the Steelers for now—that is the right of the victor. He still has a losing postseason record, however. The Bills could easily be saying the same thing to them next week, after all.
