On Sunday Ravens receiver Mike Wallace told ESPN's Jamison Hensley that "Renegade" no longer provides the Steelers an edge.
"I don't think it works for them as well anymore because everybody likes the song," Wallace said. "I think everybody gets hyped. At first, it kind of caught people off guard and it was an advantage for them. I don't think it's an advantage for them anymore."
The Steelers began playing the Styx song "Renegade" regularly after it sparked a come from behind victory over the Cleveland Browns in the 2002 Wild Card game. The Steelers had been stagnant and fell behind 24-7 against the Browns with their only points coming on an Antwaan Randle El punt return for a touchdown. The crowd was out of it and then the Heinz Field video staff changed the course of Steelers lore forever. The fans came to life, the defense stuffed the Browns, and Tommy Maddox became leading the Steelers to a come from behind win.
“It’s a perfect song for Pittsburgh,” Rick Fairbend, a former Steelers producer, said in the NFL Films documentary. “It’s classic rock. It’s what our crowd embodies.”
Tyler Candelaria asked Cam Heyward on the SteelerNation.com Podcast about Wallace's comments.
"You can ask Mike how he felt when they played here during last year's AFC North Championship"
Of course the Steelers defeated the Ravens on Christmas day last season at Heinz Field and clinched the AFC North title.
You hear 'Renegade' and it worked," Heyward said. "We really appreciate that song. It's a great song and it gets our fans involved. It's for those pressure moments where it shows who has the better metal."
The Ravens have fallen victim to 'Renegade' on a number of occasions. In 2008 the Ravens led the Steelers late in the game before Joe Flacco was sacked by James Harrison and Lamarr Woodley scooped and scored the go ahead touchdown.
Wallace and the Ravens won't visit Pittsburgh for another four months so they will have plenty of time to prepare.
