Ravens and Steelers have respect, but still don’t like each other

The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers have mutual respect for each other but that doesn’t take anything away from the rivalry.

What we watched last Monday night between the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers was far from football. It’s clear the two teams had it out for each other and we’ve seen similar type games from them throughout the years. Now the Steelers head home to face another division rival in the Baltimore Ravens. The difference is, these two teams have a different kind of rivalry.

The Ravens and Steelers are a must-watch game any time they face off. It’s been a neck and neck series over years and there really isn’t anything like hard-nosed, AFC North football. But, unlike the Bengals, the Ravens and Steelers have a mutual respect for each other.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger spoke on that mutual respect, saying:

"“The difference between this game and the Cincinnati game is these two teams — us and Baltimore — there’s always a respect involved in it…You’re going to get hit really hard or you’re going to hit somebody really hard, but you’re going to help them up and say, ‘Man, nice job.'”"

There’s a difference between physical football and violent football and Roethlisberger is absolutely right. The Ravens and Steelers may play claw it out on twice a season but in the end, they’re going to leave it on the field and shake hands after the game. That still doesn’t mean the two sides have to like each other but you can still do that and have a mutual respect.

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The Bengals-Steelers rivalry feels so forced. It’s a wannabee Ravens-Steelers rivalry and it’s more of a bloodbath than a football game. There’s nothing enjoyable about watching players JuJu-Smith Shuster making a dirty crackback block on Vontaze Burfict, even if he had it coming. These games have been more like parking lot fights than actual football games and that’s not fun to watch. Good rivalries aren’t classified by the number of penalties and ejections, they’re classified by thrilling games between two sides that actually play football within the rules of the game.

Do Terrell Suggs and Ben Roethlisberger like each other? Probably not, but it sure has been fun watching them go up against each other over the years. The two future Hall of Famers are the spotlights of this rivalry and love to make playful jabs at each other. You won’t hear either slander each other in a serious way. It’s in the spirit of rivalry and that’s apparent when they take the football field. It’s physical football, not violent.

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Have no doubt, the Ravens and Steelers are going to knock the snot out of each other this weekend but it won’t be a dirty game. In the end, it’s just football and these two sides don’t take it personally even though the fanbases might. That’s what makes this rivalry one of the best in all of sports and we’ll see another great game on Sunday night, you can guarantee that.