The AFC North is usually one of the NFL’s best divisions, but it didn’t live up to that billing last year. However, some of the AFC North battles still made for instant classics. That included the final game of the regular season, which featured the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens battling for the division crown. That’s arguably the NFL’s best rivalry, and former Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale recently reflected on what made games against the Steelers special.
“The greatest time I had coaching, and I say this all the time, is when we would play a night game at Pittsburgh,” Martindale said on Ryan Ripken’s YouTube channel. “That setting, and the rivalry between Baltimore and Pittsburgh, was just unbelievable.
“And it was a respectful rivalry. The coaches all knew each other, the players did. They wanted to beat the shit out of each other, but it was respectful. There was no cheap shots. It’ll be interesting to see that same rivalry with Mike [McCarthy] and Jesse [Minter] being the head coaches.”
Martindale was with the Ravens from 2012-2021, starting out as their linebackers coach and eventually becoming their defensive coordinator. While he missed some of the prime years of the rivalry in the 2000s, he was still part of some classic games.
Martindale shared his favorite moment from battling the Steelers, and it might not be a game that many others remember fondly.
“This is gonna sound crazy to you, but the COVID year. I think we played them on a Wednesday, and we had hardly any players because COVID had a lot of guys out,” he said. “It just doesn’t matter when it’s Pittsburgh and Baltimore.”
The 2020 season was a mess for the NFL because of the global pandemic. The Steelers’ Week 12 game against the Ravens is the perfect example of how complicated things got.
It was originally scheduled for Nov. 26, which was Thanksgiving. However, the Ravens had a COVID outbreak that forced the game to be moved. First, it was pushed three days to Sunday. That didn’t work, though, and it was moved again, this time to Tuesday. However, the NFL wasn’t still didn’t feel comfortable with that date, so the game was shifted a third and final time to Wednesday.
The Steelers and their fans were not happy about that, especially because they 10-0 at the time. They were chasing a perfect season, and the Ravens were 6-4, trying to cling to playoff contention.
Still, the Steelers persevered. They won that game 19-14, completing a season sweep of the Ravens. While Baltimore lost that game, it’s easy to see why it was so memorable for Martindale. Despite all of the tough circumstances, the Steelers and Ravens’ rivalry still produced.
Steelers-Ravens battles have become a staple of the NFL. While both teams have new head coaches, the rivalry shouldn’t lose any intensity. Baltimore will likely be looking for revenge for its heartbreaking Week 18 loss last year. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh has McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers chasing another Super Bowl win. The two teams look poised to battle to be the best again.
