Why Pittsburgh/Baltimore is the NFL's best rivalry
September 7th 2011 14:11
First off, I freely admit to bias being that I am a lifelong Steelers fan. But there are compelling reasons that drive this rivalry to the top of the NFL. It has to do with long-term excellence, intelligent commitment to winning at all levels, reliance on physical defenses as a lynchpin of team construction and winning.
The Ravens won the Super Bowl in the 2000 season putting definitely the best single-season defense on the field since the 1985 Bears legendary "46" defense. That 2000 Ravens squad I think compares favorably to the '85 Bears, but I digress. The 2000s kicked off with the Ravens winning the title. Since then, the Ravens have made it into the playoffs 7 times on the strength of 8 winning seasons, and a total of 104 wins. The Steelers have made it into the playoffs 7 times on 9 winning seasons, on the strength of 115 wins. Only New England and Indianapolis have more wins in the AFC. The Steelers have appeared in 3 Super Bowls since 2000, winning 2. Pittsburgh has won the AFC North division 6 times to Baltimore's 3. That's long-term excellence on the field.
Next, both teams front offices are considered tops in the NFL. Both teams have a plan, a blueprint for how to build a team and the types of players that the team needs to succeed. Generally, they are athletic types with good character. They draft with a plan, knowing full well that most of their draft picks will be mothballed for a year, learning how to play their respective positions. Then, when the time is right, the draft pick smoothly moves into the starting role, and the team doesn't miss a beat. That's the plan, and there's ample evidence that the teams have done terrific jobs in their drafts. When the "best" draft is decided upon, Baltimore is consistently near the top. And when the Steelers drafts are reviewed, consistently the same thing is said: a draft for the future. A "typical Steelers" draft.
What sets this rivalry apart from all others, though, is the physical nature of the defenses. The defensive stars on these teams are among the best at their positions in the entire NFL; Ray Lewis has probably staked a claim at the "best" middle linebacker ever. That includes Butkus, Singletary, Lambert - you name it. Lewis is right up there. He's been the heart and soul of that defense since he arrived from Miami. He plays one way. He expects his teammates to play that same way. It's fast and physical, and Lewis knows all too well that an intimidated opponent is a beaten one. Intimidation has always been part of Baltimore's game. But just 5 driving hours away lies Pittsburgh, a team who since the dawn of the Super Bowl era has been defined by defense. The Steel Curtain gave way to the Blitzburgh teams of the 90s, who have given way to the current crop of players coached by Dick LeBeau. The Steelers look to hit, hit hard, and hit often; like Baltimore, they know that a physically dominated opponent will lose. Therefore, the M.O. of both teams is simple - go out and hit the other team in the jaw. See if that jaw is made of something...or if its made of glass. Conversely, the team's offenses have to stand up to each other's punishing defense. That makes each team's offense as surly, physical and nasty as the other's. Plus, both fan bases adore a punishing football team. Pittsburgh fans will talk at length about a 80-yard, 15-play drive that involves running the football down the other team's throat. That's "Steeler Football" to most fans. Baltimore fans are also from the "old school" and seeing that kind of purist drive warms their heart. It's about dominance.
That's why when these two teams clash the results are so physically striking. No other games on the NFL schedule will come close to this level of physical play. No other sets of rivalry teams are built this way. No other rivalry games can boast of 11 years of great, nasty football, and add in some playoff beatings and you get the recipe for the game's current greatest rivalry. Others will come and go, and flashes in the pan will burn brighter and draw more attention. But those rivalries will often fade, having burned out as teams or players move on. Examples include the 70s Oakland/Pittsburgh rivalry, the late 80s/early 90s Dallas/San Francisco rivalry and the current New England/Indianapolis rivalry. The NFC East's best is probably now Philadelphia and Dallas which I would rate as a close second overall. This is how close - a nudge here or there and that one takes over the top spot. But for now, Pittsburgh and Baltimore rule the NFL's rivalry games. It's the game for those that like their football served angry and physical, where knocking your opponent to his knees may be preferred to scoring points, and where winning the game gets a level of importance that goes far beyond your "normal" NFL regular season game. Get ready, ladies and gentleman. There's a clash of the titans about to go down in Baltimore this Sunday. Welcome to Pittsburgh/Baltimore.
The Ravens won the Super Bowl in the 2000 season putting definitely the best single-season defense on the field since the 1985 Bears legendary "46" defense. That 2000 Ravens squad I think compares favorably to the '85 Bears, but I digress. The 2000s kicked off with the Ravens winning the title. Since then, the Ravens have made it into the playoffs 7 times on the strength of 8 winning seasons, and a total of 104 wins. The Steelers have made it into the playoffs 7 times on 9 winning seasons, on the strength of 115 wins. Only New England and Indianapolis have more wins in the AFC. The Steelers have appeared in 3 Super Bowls since 2000, winning 2. Pittsburgh has won the AFC North division 6 times to Baltimore's 3. That's long-term excellence on the field.
Next, both teams front offices are considered tops in the NFL. Both teams have a plan, a blueprint for how to build a team and the types of players that the team needs to succeed. Generally, they are athletic types with good character. They draft with a plan, knowing full well that most of their draft picks will be mothballed for a year, learning how to play their respective positions. Then, when the time is right, the draft pick smoothly moves into the starting role, and the team doesn't miss a beat. That's the plan, and there's ample evidence that the teams have done terrific jobs in their drafts. When the "best" draft is decided upon, Baltimore is consistently near the top. And when the Steelers drafts are reviewed, consistently the same thing is said: a draft for the future. A "typical Steelers" draft.
What sets this rivalry apart from all others, though, is the physical nature of the defenses. The defensive stars on these teams are among the best at their positions in the entire NFL; Ray Lewis has probably staked a claim at the "best" middle linebacker ever. That includes Butkus, Singletary, Lambert - you name it. Lewis is right up there. He's been the heart and soul of that defense since he arrived from Miami. He plays one way. He expects his teammates to play that same way. It's fast and physical, and Lewis knows all too well that an intimidated opponent is a beaten one. Intimidation has always been part of Baltimore's game. But just 5 driving hours away lies Pittsburgh, a team who since the dawn of the Super Bowl era has been defined by defense. The Steel Curtain gave way to the Blitzburgh teams of the 90s, who have given way to the current crop of players coached by Dick LeBeau. The Steelers look to hit, hit hard, and hit often; like Baltimore, they know that a physically dominated opponent will lose. Therefore, the M.O. of both teams is simple - go out and hit the other team in the jaw. See if that jaw is made of something...or if its made of glass. Conversely, the team's offenses have to stand up to each other's punishing defense. That makes each team's offense as surly, physical and nasty as the other's. Plus, both fan bases adore a punishing football team. Pittsburgh fans will talk at length about a 80-yard, 15-play drive that involves running the football down the other team's throat. That's "Steeler Football" to most fans. Baltimore fans are also from the "old school" and seeing that kind of purist drive warms their heart. It's about dominance.
That's why when these two teams clash the results are so physically striking. No other games on the NFL schedule will come close to this level of physical play. No other sets of rivalry teams are built this way. No other rivalry games can boast of 11 years of great, nasty football, and add in some playoff beatings and you get the recipe for the game's current greatest rivalry. Others will come and go, and flashes in the pan will burn brighter and draw more attention. But those rivalries will often fade, having burned out as teams or players move on. Examples include the 70s Oakland/Pittsburgh rivalry, the late 80s/early 90s Dallas/San Francisco rivalry and the current New England/Indianapolis rivalry. The NFC East's best is probably now Philadelphia and Dallas which I would rate as a close second overall. This is how close - a nudge here or there and that one takes over the top spot. But for now, Pittsburgh and Baltimore rule the NFL's rivalry games. It's the game for those that like their football served angry and physical, where knocking your opponent to his knees may be preferred to scoring points, and where winning the game gets a level of importance that goes far beyond your "normal" NFL regular season game. Get ready, ladies and gentleman. There's a clash of the titans about to go down in Baltimore this Sunday. Welcome to Pittsburgh/Baltimore.
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