Rivalry: Competition for the same objective or for superiority in the same field.
The NFL is filled with rivalries. Games played between two teams that are hard fought battles where records are cast aside. Players recognize that they have to play harder and dig deeper in order to be victorious.
For as long as fans can remember, the hated Pittsburgh Steelers have been the Ravens long time rivals and rightly so. Their games are rugged, smash mouth football at its finest.
As the Ravens head to New England to take on the Patriots on Monday Night Football, it’s safe to say there is no love lost between these two organizations. Perhaps these two teams, while not in the same division, compete during games in a way that is reminiscent of the Ravens and Steelers.
Are the Patriots and Ravens rivals?
“I hear where you are coming from,” stated Joe Flacco following practice on Wednesday when asked if he senses the same bitterness towards the Patriots as he does against the Steelers.
“I don’t get a ton of that. I think it comes from the fact that we have played so many games [where] us versus Pittsburgh is going to decide a lot of things.
“Whether it is a playoff game or a late game in the year, it is going to decide the division,” added Flacco.
“There is probably a lot of frustration on our part and on their part when you are the team that does not get it done. Then, obviously, I think the biggest thing is just the fans. Pittsburgh is not far from here. Baltimore didn’t have a team for a little while. Did you go to Philly? Did you go to D.C.? Did you go to Pittsburgh? That is the biggest part of it, I think. I think it is with the fans.
“That always translates to us and the stadium atmosphere come Sunday or Monday, whenever we end up playing them [the Steelers]. I think that is what we feel. We just feel the excitement in the stadium. You can feel the hate, and it just gets you excited to play.
“It is tough to worry about all of that other stuff.” (Reporter: “You are talking about in Pittsburgh, not in New England?”) “Yes. You can feel it here, too, for them [the Steelers]. It feels good.”
The hate and bitterness is certainly there among the Ravens and Patriots fan bases. Social media is always set ablaze when these two teams tangle up.
Some will point to the records and say there is no rivalry as the Patriots have dominated the Ravens during regular season play (7-1). Others will appeal to the two teams postseason records against one another (2-2) as evidence that the rivalry exists.
Terrell Suggs offered up his opinion on the subject.
“That’s pretty close,” said Suggs at the podium. “We’ve had some legendary games with both of them, but nothing is bigger than Ravens-Steelers.”
Suggs even went a step further to say he has the utmost respect for Tom Brady and company unlike the dislike he has for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“How many Super Bowls do they have? They have like four or five, and they’ve played in like six or seven games. You can’t do anything but respect that.
“Wins are wins, and championships are championships.”
The Ravens won’t be intimidated on Monday, they won’t back down. Each player knows what is at stake in their upcoming game against the Patriots as John Harbaugh’s team is in a tight race for the postseason.
The game will be intense.
The game will be hard fought and hard hitting.
And when all is said and done, it will feel like a rivalry game.
Follow me on Twitter @sportguyRSR
