Rival Shows Great Admiration For Pittsburgh And The Steelers Organization: "Just Unbelievable"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a fantastic history that matches up with any other franchise in the NFL. The history is full of illustrious teams that had a ton of success, and a bounty of great players that made that success possible. Another important factor in the history of the organization is the rivalries that have taken shape throughout history. The Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys had been rivals back before the turn of the century, and the then-Oakland Raiders were also a significant rival back in the 1970s when Pittsburgh was winning four Super Bowls. Currently, Pittsburgh's top rival is the Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens have been Pittsburgh's top rival for quite some time now. The rivalry began in 2002 when the AFC North was formed, and it has carried on ever since. Both organizations have found great success since that inaugural season. Each side has won two Super Bowls while also consistently being two of the most competitive teams in the entire league. A big reason for that has been the defense of each team, which is usually near the top of the league.

Wink Martindale was a part of the defensive coaching staff in Baltimore for quite some time, and he won a Super Bowl with the team at the end of the 2012 season while serving as the inside linebackers coach. He was eventually promoted to defensive coordinator in 2018, and he parted ways with the franchise in 2022. He recently appeared on the Ryan Ripken Show, and he shared that some of his favorite moments from coaching involved the Steelers.

"The greatest time I had coaching, and I say this all the time, is when we would play a night game at Pittsburgh," Martindale said. "That setting, and the rivalry between Baltimore and Pittsburgh, was just unbelievable. And it was a respectful rivalry. The coaches all knew each other, the players did. They wanted to beat the s**t out of each other, but it was respectful. There was no cheap shots. It'll be interesting to see that same rivalry with Mike [McCarthy] and Jesse [Minter] being the head coaches."

Night games in Pittsburgh are a great experience, and there is a different aura about them from the broadcast on a program like Sunday Night Football. That is especially true when it is the Ravens visiting the Steelers, which was the case in Week 18 of the 2025 season when Pittsburgh ended Baltimore's season after Tyler Loop missed a heartbreaking field goal to end the game.

Loop's missed field goal was one of the weird moments that Martindale brought up while talking about Pittsburgh. He wasn't on the staff at that point, but he mentioned how weird things always happen in that stadium. Other moments he mentioned were the Steelers winning games without ever scoring a touchdown, and Antonio Brown's extension with the football to win the AFC North on Christmas Eve back during the 2016 season.

Martindale spent a decade with the Ravens, and Baltimore was 9-11 against the Steelers during that time period in the regular season. However, Baltimore did take down Pittsburgh in the Wild Card Round of the postseason back in 2014.

Steelers Will Look To Keep The Rivalry Going

Baltimore fired former head coach John Harbaugh after Loop's missed kick, and former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin decided to step down after Pittsburgh was eliminated from the postseason. It is the end of an era within the rivalry, but Mike McCarthy and Jesse Minter will look to keep things going in a respectful manner. The veterans on each side of the rivalry will also play an important role in that, as will legends from each team that experienced the rivalry at its height.

The Ravens are looking to bounce back after a disappointing season in 2025, and the Steelers will be looking to go back to back in division titles in 2026.

What do you think about these comments from Martindale? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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