For the Pittsburgh Steelers and their world-class fanbase, it’s been a long time since a clash with the Baltimore Ravens has meant this much.
Yes, the rivalry is genuine, and every game against the Ravens and Coach Mike Tomlin’s archrival, John Harbaugh, is full of adventure, grit, and suspense.
Even in years when one or both teams were below the standard, this intra-divisional rivalry still oozed relevance and intensity.
Still, for the past decade or so, the lead-ins to this confrontation have been slathered with heavy coats of nostalgia paint to make them more sellable and meaningful than they actually were.