BALTIMORE — John Harbaugh felt a tug on his heart, watching the jets fly over M&T Bank Stadium with a gigantic American flag stretched across the field by the hands of first responders.
Standing next to his daughter, Alison, special-teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg’s daughter, Margaret, and special-teams ace Brendon Ayanbadejo, the Baltimore Ravens coach listened as taps played live on the video screen from the Flight 93 national memorial in Pennsylvania.
The Ravens and the NFL commemorated the one-decade anniversary of the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, Sunday with a series of ceremonies throughout the league.
"It was emotional," Harbaugh said following the Ravens’ 35-7 victory over the archrival Pittsburgh Steelers. "When the jets flew over, is there anyone who didn’t get choked up? This is a great day for America. It’s also a great day for Baltimore fans and the Ravens, but we have a lot of work to do and we have a game next week."
Ravens outside linebacker Terrell Suggs recorded three sacks.
Afterward, the Pro Bowl pass rusher reflected on the terrorist attacks.
"They tried to break us down as a country, but united we stand," Suggs said. "I believe our president said it best, ‘Men will be remembered by what they build, not by what they destroy.’ All I think they did was make us a stronger country, a better country."
Wide receiver Anquan Boldin got the Ravens off to a fast start with a touchdown catch minutes after the ceremony ended.
"It was a nice tribute," Boldin said. "There were a lot of people that lost their lives. I think there’s a lot of people in this locker room whose lives were affected one way or another."
The Ravens did their part on the field, dominating the defending AFC champions.
Quarterback Joe Flacco out-dueled Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for the first time after six previous defeats, throwing three touchdown passes with no interceptions.
"There’s always going to be critics," Flacco said. "Ten weeks down the road and something might happen and it’s back again. Who knows? It’s always a team win when you play in the NFL. No one guy has ever won an NFL game."
Running back Ray Rice rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown, also catching four passes for 42 yards and a touchdown.
Rice became the first running back to rush for 100 yards against the Steelers since he did so Dec. 27, 2009.
The Ravens return to play on the road next week against the Tennessee Titans.
"It’s always a slugfest with them, and Lord knows what’s going to happen later in the year," Rice said. "Right now, we’re 1-0 and looking forward to Tennessee next week."
Meanwhile, a reconfigured offensive line allowed only one sack.
"We’re not going to go in there and pat ourselves on the back," said center Matt Birk after his first game since having surgery on his left knee. "It’s one game, and there’s a long way to go."
Defensively, the Ravens set a franchise record with seven turnovers.
Roethlisberger was intercepted three times with All-Pro free safety Ed Reed picking him off twice.
It also happened to be Reed’s birthday.
"Just winning was enough for me, that was the best present I could have," Reed said. "It’s just a blessing to be playing a child’s game at this point of my career, my life, and just to have a win and get some interceptions along the way as this defense got better. It speaks volumes for the guys."
This win also provides a touch of revenge for the Ravens who had lost six of the previous eight games to Pittsburgh, and had their season ended by the Steelers in the playoffs in two of the past three seasons.
"This is a game we’ve been waiting for since last season," Boldin said. "We left last season with a bitter taste in our mouths, and that was a motivation for us. This is just a start. We wanted to come out and make a statement, but we think we can only get better from here."
