Ravens vs. Steelers: 5 things to know
Thursday Night Football kicks off tonight on CBS with one of the NFL's most intense rivalries. Here is a look at some key storylines and stats as the Baltimore Ravens host the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Heated rivalry
"The coaches hate each other, the players hate each other... There's no calling each other after the game and inviting each other out to dinner. But the feeling's mutual: They don't like us, and we don't like them."- former Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward on the Ravens rivalry
Perhaps no NFL rivalry promises more bad blood, punishing hits or tightly contested games than when the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens square off.
Exhibit A (from the teams' last meeting on Thanksgiving):
Exhibit B (from the 2009 AFC Championship game):
This will be the 40th matchup between the AFC North rivals since 1996, when pro football returned to Baltimore. The Steelers hold the overall edge (23-16, including 3-0 in the postseason). However, the Ravens have won four of the past six games, including the teams' last meeting back on Thanksgiving, 22-20.
The Ravens and Steelers are no stranger to the prime time, having faced each other 12 times under the lights. Incredibly, 10 of those 12 games have been decided by three points or fewer.
Ray Rice controversy
It will be impossible to ignore the shadow of Ray Rice in Baltimore. The popular Ravens star was cut loose by the team Monday after a disturbing video surfaced showing Rice striking his fiancée in February.
The NFL is under increasing scrutiny for its handling of the case. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told "CBS This Morning" co-host Norah O'Donnell that "no one in the NFL, to my knowledge" had seen the video until this week. But a law enforcement official told the AP he sent a video of Rice punching his fiancee to an NFL executive in April.
Meanwhile, shocked and angry Ravens fans have reacted in different ways. One fan burned his Rice jersey and challenged others to do the same. One father turned his daughter's Rice jersey into a statement, changing "Rice" to "Nice" and writing the message: "Be Nice To Girls."
Businesses are also dumping the No. 27 jersey. Once a best seller, Rice memorabilia is nowhere to be found on store shelves. One local tavern offered a $10 bar tab in exchange for a Rice jersey.
The assault video has also drawn strong reaction from players - including Steelers cornerback William Gay: "We're talking about a life, I don't care about a sport when it comes down to domestic violence. This is real."
Gay, who volunteers at the Women's Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh and is an advocate for domestic violence victims, added: "We need to do everything we can to help Ray Rice because we don't need to run away from him and say he's evil."
Quarterbacks in the spotlight
Almost exactly 10 years ago -- on September 19, 2004 - the Ravens knocked Steelers quarterback Tommy Maddox out of the game with an elbow injury. In came a rookie named Ben Roethlisberger. The 6'5" first-round draft pick out of Miami (Ohio) came in to throw a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown passes but the Ravens won the game easily, 30-13. That was the Steelers' only loss of the season as Roethlisberger led the team to a 15-1 record.
Four years later, in 2008, Joe Flacco - a rookie out of Delaware - became the starting quarterback of the Ravens. In week 4, Flacco played his first Monday Night Football game on the road. The opponent? The Pittsburgh Steelers, who sacked the rookie QB five times and forced a fumble en route to a 23-20 win.
Overall, Roethlisberger's Steelers have squared off with Flacco's Ravens 14 times and Big Ben's squad owns a 8-6 edge.
Star power
Since the Ravens-Steelers rivalry kicked off in 1996, there has been no shortage of stars - including several Hall of Famers - playing for both teams. The likes of Roethlisberger, Hines Ward, Jerome Bettis, Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, Dermontti Dawson and Alan Faneca have suited up for the Black and Gold.
On the Ravens side, look no further than Ray Lewis, Jonathan Ogden, Shannon Sharpe, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, Jamal Lewis and Rod Woodson (who also had a stint with the Steelers).
The two teams have consistently battled for AFC supremacy and have won four of the past 14 Super Bowls.
Fantasy focus
CBSSports.com fantasy football writer Jamey Eisenberg says you can expect both teams to try to move the ball on the ground, especially considering the Thursday night kick-off.
"We've seen that the Thursday night games tend to favor running games because defenses are tired with the short week," Eisenberg said. "Both of these teams are coming off division matchups, so the intensity level was likely higher with their respective AFC North battles.
"With that in mind, you can expect a good performance from Le'Veon Bell, who established himself as the No. 1 running back for the Steelers in Week 1 against the Browns. The Ravens don't have a featured rusher" with Ray Rice gone.