Ravens-Steelers is No Longer the Premier AFC North Rivalry

[salamander]

For the first time since 2006, the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers will not be playing in a primetime game. With the Ravens now missing the playoffs in two of the past three seasons and both teams recently losing future Hall of Famers to retirement, the rivalry has arguably lost some of its luster. Gone are the days where it was guaranteed that these two teams would slug it out for the AFC North title.

more: http://profootballspot.com/nfl/news/nfl/afc-north/baltimore-ravens/ravens-steelers-is-no-longer-the-premier-afc-north-rivalry-r1540/

[polamalubeast]

It can change very quickly.I would not be surprised if the Ravens bounced back next season.

[pczach]

It can change very quickly.I would not be surprised if the Ravens bounced back next season.

That's for sure. The only reason they are saying that is because there are three strong teams in our division. The Bengals have been winning consistently for a few years now, so they are now considered the main rival to the Steelers from the outside.

You never hear them saying that about the Packers/Bears games where Chicago has been a dumpster fire off and on for a while now because the rest of the division has mostly sucked for a decade.

[Edman]

Yeah, that's what people said going into Week 16 last year.

The Ravens have 8 of the last 11 and actually swept the Steelers last season. The second game won without Flacco, Forsett, or Suggs.

Now they're more than likely going to be a stronger team next season with those three coming back. Plus Harbaugh has Tomlin's number.

You would think people around here would know better to never write off Baltimore, but they do.

The Bengals are nothing more than an illusion and will be until proven otherwise.

[polamalubeast]

The Steelers have more trouble to win against the Ravens that the Bengals.....Since 2011, the Steelers are 3-8 against the Ravens and 8-3 against the bengals.Also, on the road Ben Roethlisberger is 12-2 in his career in Cincinnati.

The reason why many say that the Bengals are now our rivals this is because of one or two games last year and that the ravens had a down year.

I do not like the ravens but I respect them.This is not the case for the Bengals.

[Psycho Ward 86]

hog wash. the bengals are the premier rival to the steelers as much as Carthage was to Rome. Sure, you pose a "threat," but all you do is keep losing when it matters

[vasteeler]

The Steelers have more trouble to win against the Ravens that the Bengals.....Since 2011, the Steelers are 3-8 against the Ravens and 8-3 against the bengals.Also, on the road Ben Roethlisberger is 12-2 in his career in Cincinnati.

The reason why many say that the Bengals are now our rivals this is because of one or two games last year and that the ravens had a down year.

I do not like the ravens but I respect them.This is not the case for the Bengals.


3 - 8 in the last eleven?!?!?....that is a stat that somehow i have overlooked...need to change that and soon

[st33lersguy]

And if the Rats bounce back when they get healthy and the Bungals take a step back, what will this writer say then? The Bungals are the little brothers to the Steelers that once in a while get Pittsburgh to dislike them more than usual by talking a lot of shit that they can't back up then make an illusion of a threat to Pittsburgh by racking up easy wins to bad teams. Baltimore is a rival to be respected because while I hate their guts, they are a team that can handle adversity and usually will win at least 1-2 games they should lose a year and always surprises people who have low expectations. The Bengals on the other hand, every time they play in a big game or have to deal with adversity, they fold at a snap of a finger. Pittsburgh owns Cinci, has since the beginning of the rivalry

[teegre]

FWIW:
The NFL made the schedule... not this writer.

[st33lersguy]

The only reason this rivalry even got heated to begin with was that Vontaze Barfass kept injuring high profile Steelers and Pacman's incoherent ramblings

[Born2Steel]

Is a one sided rivalry really a rivalry? The Bengals have ZERO Lombardis, and ZERO playoff wins since forever. Has Marvin Lewis ever won a playoff game as a head coach? The Browns are still a bigger rivalry than the Bengals, IMO. The Bengals games are very tough, black and blue, knock some teeth out type of games. But we ALWAYS beat them. It's not a rivalry for Steeler fans, at least not as big as the Ravens.

[86WARD]

Yeah it is.

[Crow-Magnon]

Let's face facts. I'm a huge Ravens fan, but I'm also a realist. In the TV ratings world, a 5-7 Steelers team headed into Week 13 will draw bigger ratings than a 8-4 Ravens team. That's just the way it is. So as Baltimore has been a little down lately, the powers-that-be decided not to feature a Steelers-Ravens game in prime time when they could schedule another team.

Well, eff 'em I say. Both teams could be 3-9 and they would still beat the hell out of each other on game day. That means little to producers and bean counters.

And while the exposure is always nice, I vastly prefer a 1:00 pm game on Sunday. To me, that's football. 4:00 pm starts are ok, but when you gotta get up at 4:30 am, those late-ending prime time games suck.

How many of you remember the 2:00 pm starts at old Memorial Stadium?

[Psycho Ward 86]

Let's face facts. I'm a huge Ravens fan, but I'm also a realist. In the TV ratings world, a 5-7 Steelers team headed into Week 13 will draw bigger ratings than a 8-4 Ravens team. That's just the way it is. So as Baltimore has been a little down lately, the powers-that-be decided not to feature a Steelers-Ravens game in prime time when they could schedule another team.

Well, eff 'em I say. Both teams could be 3-9 and they would still beat the hell out of each other on game day. That means little to producers and bean counters.

And while the exposure is always nice, I vastly prefer a 1:00 pm game on Sunday. To me, that's football. 4:00 pm starts are ok, but when you gotta get up at 4:30 am, those late-ending prime time games suck.

How many of you remember the 2:00 pm starts at old Memorial Stadium?

i still consider you guys the premier rival for the reasons i posted above. you guys are having an outstanding draft btw

[pczach]

Let's face facts. I'm a huge Ravens fan, but I'm also a realist. In the TV ratings world, a 5-7 Steelers team headed into Week 13 will draw bigger ratings than a 8-4 Ravens team. That's just the way it is. So as Baltimore has been a little down lately, the powers-that-be decided not to feature a Steelers-Ravens game in prime time when they could schedule another team.

Well, eff 'em I say. Both teams could be 3-9 and they would still beat the hell out of each other on game day. That means little to producers and bean counters.

And while the exposure is always nice, I vastly prefer a 1:00 pm game on Sunday. To me, that's football. 4:00 pm starts are ok, but when you gotta get up at 4:30 am, those late-ending prime time games suck.

How many of you remember the 2:00 pm starts at old Memorial Stadium?


To me, as long as the organizations are still run the way they are now, this is always going to be a premier matchup. Both organizations conduct themselves in a similar manner, and build their teams the same way with the same philosophies.

I think they will always be dogfights no matter the records.

Your team had a very good day at the draft with a ton of picks and talent added to the roster. You are definitely coming back strong.

I look forward to the battles to come.

[pepsyman1]

there is NOTHING like being at Heinz field for a prime time Ravens game....nothing. The explosion that Hines Ward ran through in the Dark Knight Rises wouldn't even be noticed in the 4th quarter lol

[Crow-Magnon]

To me, as long as the organizations are still run the way they are now, this is always going to be a premier matchup. Both organizations conduct themselves in a similar manner, and build their teams the same way with the same philosophies.

I think they will always be dogfights no matter the records.

Your team had a very good day at the draft with a ton of picks and talent added to the roster. You are definitely coming back strong.

I look forward to the battles to come.

I think the Ravens had a good draft. They need a long-term LT and hopefully they got on in Stanley. They haven't drafted a OL that high since Ogden. And they addressed the lack of pass rushing (I hope) with Correa and Kaufusi.

[polamalubeast]

The Ravens will often be a threat....Last year, it was not the real ravens.

They had a bad season because of injuries, the tough schedule to start the season and several close losses.

[st33lersguy]

The Ravens will often be a threat....Last year, it was not the real ravens.

They had a bad season because of injuries, the tough schedule to start the season and several close losses.

Yeah as big of a crybaby as he is, John Harbaugh is a good coach that gets the most out of his team. They will probably be back over .500 and at least in the playoff race late December/early January if they don't make it in.

[Steelermania]

Agree with all of this. I won't write the Ravens off until they lose 10 games 2 or 3 times in a row. I'm actually looking forward to the Ravens-Bengals games. That's turned into a pretty solid rivalry lately. I really love this division. It's very compact geographically, which makes it easy for fans to travel.

[Vis]

I trust the Raven's front office to get them back on top than I do the Bengals to stay there

[fansince'76]

I trust the Raven's front office to get them back on top than I do the Bengals to stay there

This right here. Last year was an aberration and I fully expect the Ravens to be back to winning 10+ games this year.

[katmandu]

Is a one sided rivalry really a rivalry? The Bengals have ZERO Lombardis, and ZERO playoff wins since forever. Has Marvin Lewis ever won a playoff game as a head coach? The Browns are still a bigger rivalry than the Bengals, IMO. The Bengals games are very tough, black and blue, knock some teeth out type of games. But we ALWAYS beat them. It's not a rivalry for Steeler fans, at least not as big as the Ravens.I'll tell you this having lived here in Bungholeland since 1986.

Bunghole fans are the most annoying, obnoxious, uneducated (about EVERYTHING) fukktards that ever graced this planet ! LOL !

Some are actually fun to talk shit with since they have a few more brain cells to know to NOT take NFL smack talk PERSONALLY ! Those Bunghole fans are in the extreme minority !

I can not wait to move out of this area !!