Steelers OT Alejandro Villanueva Didn't Find Anything Special About AFC North Foe Ravens

The Pittsburgh Steelers managed to find an absolute gem that was hidden from numerous other teams, as they brought in Alejandro Villanueva as a free agent and helped him officially convert to left tackle. He had tried out other positions with other NFL teams, but the Steelers saw him as a great lineman prospect. From there, he went on to be part of one of the best offensive line units in the NFL during the mid-2010s, as that whole unit was full of stars that made the Killer Bs' lives so much easier. 

Villanueva had plenty of stiff competition to play against while protecting Ben Roethlisberger's blind side. In a tough, physical division like the AFC North, there was one team in particular that the 6'9" tackle never saw as a true threat for him, as he explained during an interview with Steelers Takeaways.

"The Ravens and the Jaguars – they were just other teams to me," Villanueva said. "The Ravens never had a great pass rusher when I was there. It was never tough for me particularly. Now the interior line – that was tough. That was physical."

The Baltimore Ravens are known for being the physical brand of football that perfectly matches up with the Steelers, as the two have one of the fiercest rivalries in the NFL, if not the single-most fierce rivalry. The fact that Villanueva played in Pittsburgh for six years and never saw the Ravens as a threat to him personally is surprising and probably somewhat of an insult to Baltimore as well. 

Villanueva was specifically asked about Terrell Suggs, a dominant pass rusher during his prime. Villanueva scoffed at him while talking about how the Cleveland Browns were much tougher on him than Suggs and the Ravens ever were.

"I matched up well with [Terrell Suggs] and he was closer to the end of his career then," Villanueva explained. "Guys like [Robert] Mathis and [Dwight] Freeney – those are the guys you had to run on. They were crafty and had those good spin moves. The Steelers and Ravens too – they had that unwritten rule that whoever ran the ball most was going to win. They were stubborn – they didn’t want to pass the ball. The Browns would come out and throw it and that made it tougher – now you’re behind and have to go against Myles Garrett. As a lineman when you throw 40 times, if you let up one sack, that’s what people see - that guy celebrating after that one play."

Obviously, Villanueva previously acknowledged that the interior offensive line had tons of issues dealing with the Ravens, but for him, it was just a walk in the park. The idea that the Browns were more of a threat to a high-end blindside blocker than the Ravens were is shocking to many, but that's how the former Army Ranger saw it. He was more worried about a team going through a 1-31 stretch than a unit that was feared around the league. 

This wasn't even the first time he talked down about the Ravens. He never even saw the Ravens as a rival. There wasn't that hate for them like the rest of the team had. It's rare to see anyone as nonchalant about that matchup as he is, but that's where he stood. He instead saw the Cincinnati Bengals as a true rivalry: one where he had to work harder to protect his quarterback and running back. 

Steelers Showed Villanueva The Rivalry From The Other Side

After the 2020 season, Villanueva left in free agency and signed with the Ravens. From there, he saw some great edge rushers. When one man has to deal with TJ Watt and the other is trying to stop Alex Highsmith one-on-one, there are serious issues. Baltimore failed to hold up against Pittsburgh, as they got swept in Villanueva's lone season with the team. From that side, it's a tough matchup that requires extra work to be prepared for.

What do you think about Villanueva never seeing the Ravens as a tough matchup? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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