422 replies to this topic

[Mike B]

John doesn't want to talk about it.

What is there to talk about.  Unless there is a miracle the season is over and Lamar's season has been over for a month.

[jamesdean]

What is there to talk about.  Unless there is a miracle the season is over and Lamar's season has been over for a month.

It was sarcasm, guys.

[Steve55]

I did see Dionate Johnson had a quick turnaround off the covid list. Hope Boyle does the same.

[Ravens2006]

I did see Dionate Johnson had a quick turnaround off the covid list. Hope Boyle does the same.

Probably not. It's a mystifying year. Seems like every week you hear about some key player on other teams that hits the COVID list one day and is off it a day or two later. Plays that Sunday and makes 3 big plays. Ravens player hears the word COVID and he's out for a week, and then sprains an ankle walking back in the building once be returns.

Recall that last year Saunders (?) got his name in the news for poor COVID protocols or something too...

[Mike in STL]

 

Final depth chart of the year. Just, disgusting. 

[BSLChrisStoner]

 

Final depth chart of the year. Just, disgusting. 

That FB looks good lol.

[Ravens2006]

Watch Tucker and Koch wind up on the COVID list by tomorrow too...

[Mike in STL]

Boyle is staying on the COVID list and wont play. 

 

Jefferson added to the 53-man.

[Mike B]

Boyle is staying on the COVID list and wont play. 

 

Jefferson added to the 53-man.

Jefferson has contributed since he came back.  He earned his way back to the 53, with help from all the injuries 

[PrimeTime]

I don't know why but the wind down to the end of this season has been quite depressing. What looked so promising in mid August has disintegrated before our eyes. The season ending injuries, the COVID impact, the heart of an undermanned roster not being enough, etc. It's just really bummed me out.

The irrational fan in me is still clinging to that miracle of the Ravens-Pats-Chargers-Jags parlay and what a nutty story that would be. However ridiculously unlikely it is, I'm going to root like hell for it today.

[PrimeTime]

Something else that popped into my head last night; with Roethlisberger riding off into the sunset (allegedly), it feels like the end of the Ravens-Steelers rivalry. At least for a little while.

If you look at the last 20 years or so, there were so many players that defined this matchup....guys like Big Ben, Hines Ward, Jerome Bettis, Plaxico Burress, Troy Polamalu, Lamarr Woodley, Antonio Brown, Heather Miller, etc. Then on our side, Ray, Ed, Sizzle, Bart Scott, Todd Heap, Flacco, etc. I feel like there haven't been any guys to really step in and re-ignite the rivalry. About all that will be left are Tomlin and Harbs.

[Mackus]

Disagree with the "No players to sustain the rivalry" thing that many have said. Steelers will need a QB but thats the only bare spot looking forward. Lots of talent on both rosters. Ravens have an MVP and many All Pros. Steelers have a DPOY. Talent is there. I don't think it'll mean any less moving forward.

[PrimeTime]

Disagree with the "No players to sustain the rivalry" thing that many have said. Steelers will need a QB but thats the only bare spot looking forward. Lots of talent on both rosters. Ravens have an MVP and many All Pros. Steelers have a DPOY. Talent is there. I don't think it'll mean any less moving forward.

Fair enough but I think the Ravens-Steelers rivalry was built on hard hitting defense and power running; 2 things are essentially gone from the modern game. Perhaps a new generation of stars will re-energize this rivalry but I believe that, at least for the next few years, the Ravens ire will be pointed towards Cincinnati rather than Pittsburgh.

[Mike B]

Something else that popped into my head last night; with Roethlisberger riding off into the sunset (allegedly), it feels like the end of the Ravens-Steelers rivalry. At least for a little while.

If you look at the last 20 years or so, there were so many players that defined this matchup....guys like Big Ben, Hines Ward, Jerome Bettis, Plaxico Burress, Troy Polamalu, Lamarr Woodley, Antonio Brown, Heather Miller, etc. Then on our side, Ray, Ed, Sizzle, Bart Scott, Todd Heap, Flacco, etc. I feel like there haven't been any guys to really step in and re-ignite the rivalry. About all that will be left are Tomlin and Harbs.

I disagree, the dislike between the teams is passed down, the dislike between the fans is real too and will remain.

[Mackus]

Fair enough but I think the Ravens-Steelers rivalry was built on hard hitting defense and power running; 2 things are essentially gone from the modern game. Perhaps a new generation of stars will re-energize this rivalry but I believe that, at least for the next few years, the Ravens ire will be pointed towards Cincinnati rather than Pittsburgh.

 

Ravens-Steeler rivalry was built from two good or better football teams playing against each other twice (sometimes thrice) a year.  You're absolutely right about the general style of play of those teams at the beginning of it.  The Ravens sustained that style of power-running oriented offense throughout, but the Steelers morphed into a spread-out, fast action offense a decade ago when Brown and Bell were getting started and it didn't diminish the rivalry one bit.  

 

As long as both teams remain very good, and based on ownership and management that feels like a safe bet, the rivalry will persist.  Some fans will prefer a more smash mouth collision-based style of football while others will prefer a more speed and athleticism based style.  So some people will prefer the old version and others the modern version.  That's personal preference.  But as long as both teams are good, this will remain a consistently big game because of the laundry. 

 

Also helps that no other division rival is capable of lasting success.  Bengals may have a few years here while Burrow and Chase are cheap, but they don't have the intelligence and leadership to sustain that once they are being paid big dollars.  Browns aren't even at that level yet of having found one or two cheap stars that can cover their weaknesses over a short haul.  Only the Ravens and Steelers are run with a high level of competence.

[PrimeTime]

I disagree, the dislike between the teams is passed down, the dislike between the fans is real too and will remain.

I could be drifting into the "get off my lawn" phase of life, admittedly. It just feels like the games with Pittsburgh don't engender the same vitriol for me or for the players. There used to be guys on the Steelers that you just loved to hate. Once Roethlisberger rides off into the sunset, who's left? Perhaps new guys will rise and maybe the rivalry will need a little reset.

[jamesdean]

I could be drifting into the "get off my lawn" phase of life, admittedly. It just feels like the games with Pittsburgh don't engender the same vitriol for me or for the players. There used to be guys on the Steelers that you just loved to hate. Once Roethlisberger rides off into the sunset, who's left? Perhaps new guys will rise and maybe the rivalry will need a little reset.

I never bought into the whole "rivalry" aspect of their games each year. To me, it was a divisional game to win, as was with Cleveland and Cincinnati. I pretty much can't stand any of these teams and always route against them, regardless of who they're playing. I think the players have probably felt the rivalry more intensely during the Ray Lewis/Ed Reed era. Not so much today.

[cprenegade]

Something else that popped into my head last night; with Roethlisberger riding off into the sunset (allegedly), it feels like the end of the Ravens-Steelers rivalry. At least for a little while.

If you look at the last 20 years or so, there were so many players that defined this matchup....guys like Big Ben, Hines Ward, Jerome Bettis, Plaxico Burress, Troy Polamalu, Lamarr Woodley, Antonio Brown, Heather Miller, etc. Then on our side, Ray, Ed, Sizzle, Bart Scott, Todd Heap, Flacco, etc. I feel like there haven't been any guys to really step in and re-ignite the rivalry. About all that will be left are Tomlin and Harbs.

 

I agree with you 100% and have said it a few times in various threads.  After today, this becomes another division game.  The guys you mentioned are what was behind the hatred and respect in this rivalry.  It will always still be a big game because both teams are in the same division, but it won't have the passion it had in the late 2000's and early 2010's.  Then it was a rivalry NFL fans everywhere looked forward to.  It won't be that way going forward, at least for a little while.  

 

Pittsburgh vs. Baltimore is not a natural rivalry.  Except for a couple of playoff games in the 70's, the Baltimore Colts never had any kind of rivalry with Pittsburgh.  Piittsburgh's hated rival is actually Cleveland.  That rivalry goes back over 50 years even to when both were in the NFL and moved to the AFL when the leagues merged.  

 

I'm with you.  Once Roethlisburger hangs up the cleats, it's the end of an era.  He is the last of the great players that made these two (sometimes three) meetings a year special.  It will still be a division game between two rivals, and it will still be hard fought, but it won't quite be the same.  Some fans will try to say it is, but the feel won't quite be there like it was.  They are even saying that on the pre-game show on WBAL.  Even they know it.  Perhaps sometime in the future these two teams will once again be the class of the AFC at the same time the way they were, but for now I think Pittsburgh is going to go into at least a couple of year rebuild mode.  And it looks Cincinnati is going to be the big AFC North problem as long as Joe Burrow is there.  

[PrimeTime]

Proche is a healthy scratch again. What a waste. Can't wait to bid farewell to Watkins and Boykin so Proche can get on the active 46.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Ravens Inactives: 

 

Jackson
Proche
Averett
Powers
Poljan
Mack
Oweh