The Pittsburgh Steelers have some strong rivalries throughout the NFL due to the long and successful history of the franchise, but none have been stronger during the 21st century than the rivalry the team has with the Baltimore Ravens. The two sides have met during the regular season twice every year since the division was realigned, and there have also been some meaningful playoff battles sprinkled into the rivalry as well. There is a ton of hatred between the two organizations, but both sides have made it clear that the hatred is derived from respect as the two are usually sitting at the top of the division.
Baltimore Beatdown
Former Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco talks to former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger after a game in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh and Baltimore had some heated matchups throughout the primes of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and quarterback Joe Flacco, and both sides rostered some of the best defenses the NFL has ever seen. Each unit was filled with stars. Players like Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, and Terrell Suggs always made big plays in the games between the two sides. Suggs recently joined Kevin Clark on an episode of This Is Football, and he was asked which quarterback was the hardest to sack, and he immediately answered with Roethlisberger.
"He was the hardest," Suggs said about Roethlisberger. "It's a group effort. We understood when we was playing them, we're not just depending on one guy to get him down. We're gang tackling everybody, but especially him. Ben Roethlisberger was definitely the hardest."
Roethlisberger got the nickname "Big Ben" for a reason, and it was because he was a monster at the quarterback position. He was never the most mobile quarterback, but he was always able to extend plays by using his size and strength to shake off defenders like Suggs in the backfield, and then continue to make a play down the field.
AP Photo
Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger against Terrell Suggs and the Ravens.
Suggs was able to bring down Roethlisberger in the backfield roughly 13 times throughout his career, and against the Steelers, he always played well. He recorded 15 sacks against Pittsburgh to go along with two interceptions and 97 total tackles. He carved out what should be considered a Hall of Fame career as he won the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2011, was an All-Pro twice, and made it to the Pro Bowl seven times. He was also a crucial part of two Super Bowl wins for Baltimore.
The great outside linebacker went against some of the best quarterbacks in NFL history throughout the course of his long career, but no quarterback was harder to get to the ground then Roethlisberger. There are plenty of instances where Roethlisberger was able to fend off Suggs with his off-arm or by simply wiggling out of his grasp, and sometimes the ball would just get thrown away. These were considered big plays by Roethlisberger, as it eliminated a loss of yards and didn't allow Suggs to gain as much momentum for the rest of the game.
Steelers Have Always Been Respected By Terrell Suggs
Suggs has always been outspoken about his respect for Pittsburgh, especially Roethlisberger. He clearly respected him as an opponent, and he has come out publicly multiple times since retiring to share that he believes Roethlisberger is underrated as a quarterback. This is a common thought for most logical NFL fans, as Roethlisberger played in the shadows of guys like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and Brett Favre. Roethlisberger's career is often downplayed due to how great some of his defenses were, but the quarterback has also earned the right to be considered one of the best to ever play quarterback in the NFL.
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Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) and former Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Terrell Suggs (55) stand with a referee.
Roethlisberger has also come out in the past to talk about how guys like Suggs and Lewis would step in and protect him on the field. If there was a pile up, those two defenders always made sure the quarterback was okay and that other Baltimore defenders weren't trying to do anything shady. That is a perfect example of the respect the two sides had for one another, as they wanted to beat each other at the other's best.
What do you think about Suggs' praise for Roethlisberger? Let us know in the comments below!
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