Ravens pumped for biggest regular-season meeting ever with rival Steelers

By Jamison Hensley for ESPN.

BALTIMORE — Over 41 meetings and countless punishing hits, the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers have established one of the fiercest rivalries in football.

That’s why it’s quite a statement to say Sunday’s game between the Ravens and Steelers is their biggest ever during the regular season. The Christmas Day showdown at Heinz Field is the latest in a season that these franchises have met with the division title on the line.

If the Ravens (8-6) win this long-awaited Week 16 game, Baltimore takes over first place with the season sweep and needs to win at Cincinnati in the regular-season finale to capture its first AFC North title in four years. If the Steelers (9-5) come away with a victory, Pittsburgh clinches its unprecedented seventh AFC North crown.

“This is what you live for,” Ravens safety Eric Weddle said. “It’s all the hours, all the sacrifice, all the time, it’s for a chance to win the division and get into the dance. You hope and dream every day you’re getting up at 6 a.m. or 5 a.m., you don’t see your kids — it’s for this chance, and it’s all worth it.”

These rivals have had some memorable clashes in four postseason games. But the stakes have never been higher in the regular season than Sunday.

It’s surprising that the Ravens and Steelers — both among the top-five winningest franchises since 2000 — have met only five times in December when each team has had a winning record. There have been only two previous meetings when first place in the AFC North hung in the balance.

In 2008, coach John Harbaugh’s first season in Baltimore, the Ravens played the Steelers in Week 15, trailing Pittsburgh by one game. In 2010, Baltimore and Pittsburgh were both atop the AFC North with 8-3 records in Week 13. In both instances, Baltimore lost to Pittsburgh.

Now, with two weeks remaining, the Ravens and Steelers converge in a much-anticipated battle for first place.

“It’s kind of looked this way for a while … I’m sure it’s what everybody wants,” quarterback Joe Flacco said, “and we’re up for the challenge.”

Since beating Pittsburgh on Nov. 7, the Ravens have won five of their last seven games. The Steelers have reeled off five victories.

“We know what they’re going to do. They know what we’re going to do,” Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley said. “Obviously, they’re going to scheme up some stuff, and we’re going to do the same, but at the end of the day, it’s Pittsburgh versus the Ravens.”

Baltimore has no fear playing at Heinz Field. Since 2010, the Ravens have won five times, the most of any team in the NFL.

“It’s going to be a fun day, going in there on Christmas, into Pittsburgh, into that environment,” Flacco said. “It’ll be a pretty cool place to go.”