Blame it on boredom stemmed from the off-season lockout. Blame it on the intensity and hatred amongst the players and fans of this heated rivalry. Heck, blame it on social media and the advancements in technology. Whatever the reason, the Steelers and Ravens rhetoric intensified this offseason via poignant interviews and choice tweets.
Steelers linebacker Lamarr Woodleys started the rhetoric with his assertion that Joe Flacco would never win a Super Bowl. “In order for them to get to the Super Bowl, they have to beat us, and we’re not gonna let that happen once we get that close. So that’s not gonna happen in this lifetime.”
Woodleys comments weren’t earth shattering but a jab is a jab and in this rivalry every hit matters. Flacco is the heart and soul of the Ravens offense an without him they aren’t a Super Bowl team. Or are they? In my opinion, Woodleys comment came off as an indirect attempt to create doubt within the minds and hearts of Flaccos teammates and fan base. Can the Delaware product actually beat Pittsburgh (2-6 record) and return the Ravens to Super Bowl glory?
Flacco responded via the Baltimore Sun “It doesn’t matter what other people say. I think I’m pretty damn good. I don’t need to go out and tell everybody that and show it on every given Sunday. I go out there and I play. You can think what you want about me. The bottom line is: I’m going to feel pretty good about myself no matter what you say.”
The dialogue between the heated rivals continued after Steelers Wide Receiver Hines Ward was arrested for driving under the influence. Ravens running back Ray Rice, who’s cousin died at the hands of a drunk driver, tweeted “Well it looks like Hines Ward will miss week 1 when the lockout ends DUI charge not a good look.” Steelers linebacker Ryan Clark immediately responded via twitter “I hear ya brother Thought we were all better than that. Wouldn’t speak negative of you. I’ll find you! It’s not hard. God bless.”
After the dust settled, Roethlisberger weighed in on the twitter battles “I keep telling our guys to stop all the tweeting stuff, because I’m the one who feels the brunt of it — not our defensive guys. I hate playing them, and I hate going down there to play them. But that’s not a knock on them. It’s because they’re so good. I guess if there’s a good thing about playing them first, it’s a chance to get that out of the way and move on to the rest of the season. I guess it’s almost like its own season when we play those guys.”
Fast-forward to their highly anticipated week 1 match-up and one must consider whether Big Ben has a career in fortune telling. Why? The Ravens rocked him all day. Baltimore started by stuffing the Steelers running game rendering it obsolete; forcing the Steelers into a pass only attack. The Ravens resulting pass rush pressured Big Ben into three (3) interceptions and two (2) forced fumbles.
To make matters worse, the plays in which Roethlisberger wasn’t turning the ball over he was being pressured into inaccurate passes and bad reads. To sum it up, the Ravens manhandled Big Ben the entire day. Maybe the Steelers will think twice before their next tweet?
Though impressive the Ravens are known for their dominating defense. Ed Reed is known for mult-interception games (2) and Ray Lewis is used to leading a defense that forces seven (7) turnovers, four (4) sacks, four (4) tackles for loss, and reduces opposing offenses to less than 75 total rushing yards. Nothing new here.
However, the Ravens spectacular offensive showing led by the “Always in Doubt” Joe Flacco is worthy of high reviews. Not for performing well, which he’s accustom to doing, but rather for performing exceptional well against a division rival with a stifling defense who’s been vocal in their criticism and history of defeating him time and time again. In other words, for walking the walk as opposed to talking the talk or tweeting the tweet or whatever the analogy is these days.
Flacco dissected the Steelers defense as if he were playing the collegiate Vanderbilt Commodores. It all started with his first drive, which went for 66 yards on three plays resulting in a 27-yard touchdown pass to Anquan Boldin. After a timely turnover at the end of the first quarter, Flacco calmly led a 37-yard drive securing a 14-0 lead. Towards the end of the second quarter Flacco again impressed as he orchestrated a five minute, 12-play, 84-yard offensive drive resulting in his second TD of the day. Going into half the Ravens held a commanding 21-7 lead.
BOOM! WHACK! BAM! Those were the sounds as the Ravens defense dropped the hammer in the second half. The Steelers offense was under constant pressure and seemed rather overwhelmed. In fact, five of the Steelers seven turnovers occurred during the Ravens second half assault. The result was a Steeler offense that mustered little more than dropped passes and fumbled balls.
After every third quarter turnover, Flacco took the field and drove the Ravens down the field adding more points to the lead, excluding their fourth down attempt on the Steelers seven yard line which undoubtedly would have led to a field goal should John Harbaugh attempted one. As the fourth quarter arrived the Ravens had already won. Flacco took the field and milked the clock for the remainder of the game.
Flacco wasn’t Brady or Manning like. He made no break away Michael Vick runs. He didn’t lead the Ravens on a game winning drive and he didn’t light up the stats with a 500 yard passing game. However, at the end of the day he led his team to a 35-7 vitory over a very talented Pittsburgh Steelers organization. Not to mention 3 touchdowns and 225 passing yards along the way. Most impressively he exceeded expectations, manned up, and rose above the chatter. He walked the walk in an era of tweeting.
Flacco has arrived! Tweet that!
