The Pittsburgh Steelers' intense rivalry with the Baltimore Ravens has been well-documented over the years. This story will have a brand new chapter though, as both teams enter 2026 with a different head coach. It will be very interesting to see how this shakes out without the two longest-tenured leaders in the NFL on the sidelines anymore. Baltimore has a first-time coach in Jesse Minter, while the Steelers have put their short-term trust in Mike McCarthy, as he is running a team for the third time in his career. This could be a completely different rivalry for the next few years.
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Steelers' new head coach, Mike McCarthy smiles as he addresses the media during his introductory press conference that took place at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
Some players have joined both of these teams to be a part of this insane rivalry. While making an appearance on Not Just Football with Cam Heyward, former Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. confirmed that that was not only the case, but also the calling card used by the team to lure him to Baltimore in the first place.
"[Then-General Manager Ozzy Newsome] said, 'I'm looking for someone who can come in here -- we've always had a player like you on defense; never had a guy like you on offense -- I want you to come in here and tell the Pittsburgh Steelers that you’re going to smack the sh*t out of them, and go out there and do it,'" Smith recalled.
Smith had made himself known as a massive trash-talker that could back it up with a Hines Ward-style physicality on offense during his time with the Carolina Panthers. His great receiving ability would sometimes have to take a backseat for his hard run-blocking, where he got the chance to hit linebackers. He was an all-around wideout that would put fear into opposing defensive backs.
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Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor tries to defend against receiver Steve Smith Sr. of the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens built their whole identity on a Steelers-like physicality, so they loved the idea of bringing Smith in. Their defense at the time was very feared, especially after their Super Bowl XLVII victory. The offense really came into its own during that time as well, and they wanted to capitalize on what was left of Joe Flacco's prime. Every little piece of the team pointed straight towards signing Smith.
The veteran receiver had very solid numbers against Pittsburgh. In five regular season games in Baltimore against the Steelers, he had 26 receptions for 257 yards and a touchdown. For the most part, he was a high-volume guy with a low yardage total during these games. He was likely more interested in making big hits and establishing himself in this rivalry as opposed to making a ton of big catches.
Steelers Met With Smith During Rough Defensive Stretch
Around that same time, the Steelers' legendary zone blitz defense was losing its last members. There were weaknesses all over the unit, and they just couldn't compete and dominate like they could a few years earlier. That led to moments like Smith going viral for terrorizing Antwon Blake, like he also mentioned on the show. That was a very dark period of defense for a team that thrived on it, and Baltimore took full advantage of it.
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Steve Smith Sr. meets with Mike Tomlin after a game in Baltimore, Maryland.
During that time period, the contests were not as close as they usually were, and Baltimore had an edge. They also played each other in the playoffs in the 2014 season. All three games that year were blowouts, and the Ravens won two of them, including the Wild Card game that year. They almost kept the Steelers out of the playoffs in the 2015 season as well, as the Ravens swept them to get two of their five wins that year.
What do you think about the Ravens using the rivalry against the Steelers to lure Smith to Baltimore? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB. I will follow back and respond.
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