Many hold that a rivalry can only exist between two relatively equal adversaries. It’s not a rivalry if one is dominant over the other—which is perhaps why the Pittsburgh Steelers’ contests against the Baltimore Ravens have tended to be regarded more highly than those against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Cincinnati went several years in the not-too-distant past without winning a single game against the Steelers. They have recently turned the tide, yet it feels as though they are still experiencing a period in which they feel they have to prove themselves. And it seems that’s how it comes across on the field.