Steelers And Ravens Rivalry Has Lost Its Fire As It Gets Left Off 'Best Rivalries' Lists

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been a part of some of the biggest rivalries in NFL history. During the 1970s, a rivalry between Pittsburgh and the Dallas Cowboys spawned as the two organizations met in the Super Bowl twice during that decade, and then again in the 1990s. Since then, the Steelers have been one half of one of the most ferocious and chippy rivalries in league history with the Baltimore Ravens. The two team's regular season battles have always been close, and whenever they meet in the playoffs, it is sure to be a classic.

Rivalries are what make sports so great, the pure hatred between two teams creates good entertainment and fun interactions between two fanbases. The Ravens were introduced to the NFL in 1996, and the AFC North was created in 2002. Throughout the 2000s, the division was primarily won by either Pittsburgh or Baltimore, which is part of what created the rivalry. They were the two top dogs in the division, and usually two of the best teams in the conference as a whole.

Mike Florio and Chris Simms took to Pro Football Talk, where they each listed their three best rivalries in the league. Surprisingly, neither of them mentioned Pittsburgh or Baltimore. Simms' best rivalry in the NFL was the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals, followed by the Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers, and then the 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles. 

Florio's top three were a bit different, as his best was the Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills. He then listed the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, and rounded his list out with the Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers. His last selection is bizarre, and said it is because of how Jim Harbaugh will transform the Chargers.

These lists are obviously clouded by recency bias. The only matchup either of the two listed that could or should be on these lists is the Packers and Lions due to the divisional hatred and longevity of the rivalry. The Bills and Chiefs matchup has been fairly one sided; same with the 49ers and Chiefs. Had they split their two Super Bowls against one another, than it would deserve to be on the lists, but the Chiefs won both. 

The Bengals didn't even make the postseason last year, and have Joe Burrow coming back off of a major injury. Their games with the Chiefs have been fun to watch, but the Bengals have a lot of questions right now with future contracts coming up and Trey Hendrickson requesting a trade. The 49ers and Eagles was a fun year long rivalry, only because the 49ers didn't get to play at full strength during the 2022 NFC Championship Game. When the two met in 2023, the 49ers won 42-19. Not a rivalry. 

Steelers And Ravens Rivalry Should Still Be Considered The Best In The League

Although Pittsburgh has owned Baltimore in recent years, going 7-1 against them in the last four seasons, it has still been a rather back and forth rivalry. All eight of those previous games were decided by one score with half of them being decided by three points or less. That's common for the rivalry, as they usually play each other close, no matter how each team looks against the rest of the league. 

The consistent competitiveness of this rivalry, coupled with the constant high-stakes games makes this the best matchup in the league. When these two teams matchup in the regular season, it is known the game will play a major factor in deciding the pecking order of the AFC North at the end of the year. The two have also met in the playoffs four times, including one AFC Championship Game where Troy Polamalu returned an interception for a touchdown in the final minutes to seal the victory for Pittsburgh. 

Are the Steelers and Ravens still one of the best rivalries in the league?