Whenever anyone brings up the top rivalries in the NFL, it’s hard not to think of the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Baltimore Ravens. Even if the rivalry as of late has not been the marquee matchups they were in the late 2000s and early 2010s, every time the two link up for a matchup, it creates buzz and fireworks.
Former Steelers tight end Heath Miller reflected on those matchups and why exactly he loved the rivalry. Part of it came to the intense physicality between teams, with all players feeling the effects after the game, but the other was the fact that each team elevated one another on the football field.
“I hated and loved the Ravens, because they were built just like us. We knew every game was gonna be physical. You’re gonna sore for a while afterwards. But you also loved it because I felt like it brought out the best in both sides. We saw probably their best playing against us and vice versa, they saw our best. Those are the games that you’ll remember, so that’s why you enjoy it.” Miller said on the Not Just Football Podcast.
Miller was always a vital part of those rivalries and received some bone-crushing hits. Yet, the Steelers and Ravens faced each other during matchups for the divisional title in the regular season and met more than a few times in the playoffs, which only fueled the rivalry’s intensity.
Characters such as Ben Roethlisberger, Terrell Suggs, Haltoi Ngata, and others added to the intrigue of those games. Even now, those games are physical and almost always end up close as a result of the rivalry between both teams. Pittsburgh has won seven of eight in the series recently.