The AFC North's most heated rivalry will come down to focus as much as ferocious hits this time. The Baltimore Ravens host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tonight (8:25 p.m. ET), just three days after the Ravens released three-time Pro Bowl running back Ray Rice. Rice has since been released by Baltimore and suspended indefinitely by the NFL. Time will tell whether this will be a distraction for the Ravens, who looked lost on offense for much of its opener against Cincinnati. Pittsburgh built a big lead before hanging on against a Cleveland team expected to finish last in the division for the fourth straight year.
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Pittsburgh has covered three meetings in a row with rival Baltimore and is 5-2-1 against the spread over the last eight editions of arguably the toughest rivalry in the NFL.
The Steelers will try to get to 2-0 on this season and the Ravens will try to avoid an 0-2 start when the teams kick off Week 2 in the NFL on Thursday night in Baltimore.
The Ravens have to contend with the emotions of the week, a strong-armed Ben Roethlisbergerand a high-kicking Antonio Brown to avoid their first 0-2 start since 2005. Losing two home games against division opponents would be a devastating start for the Ravens. The Steelers are looking for their first 2-0 start since 2010, which is the latest time they won the AFC North.
This rivalry has been defined by physical play and close games. Incredibly, 10 of the past 12 games between the Ravens and Steelers have been decided by three points or fewer. Since 2008, Ravens coach John Harbaugh's first season, the teams have split the regular-season series at six wins apiece.
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Ravens facts
- Starting running back Ray Rice was released by the Ravens on Monday
- Rice was also suspended indefinitely from the NFL on Monday. He had been serving a two-game suspension previously handed down.
- In Rice's absence, Justin Forsett ran for 70 yards on 11 carries against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1. Bernard Pierce ran for just 14 yards on six carries.
- Baltimore's loss to Cincinnati in the season opener was the team's first loss to the Bengals at home since 2009.
- The Ravens and Steelers have split the last four games played at Baltimore.
- Baltimore's 22-20 win over Pittsburgh at home last season marked its lowest margin of victory ever over the Steelers.
- Starting cornerback Lardarius Webb missed the season opener with the same back injury that kept him out of the preseason.
- In his Ravens debut last week, former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith had 118 receiving yards, including an 80-yard touchdown pass.
- Baltimore held the Bengals to just 3.0 yards per carry in Week 1.
- Kicker Justin Tucker missed one of his two field goal attempts in the season opener. He's missed just three attempts in each of the past two seasons.
Steelers facts
- Either Baltimore or Pittsburgh has won the AFC North in nine of the 12 years the division has existed. The Steelers have won it five times.
- Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed 23 of 34 passes for 365 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Week 1.
- Pittsburgh led Cleveland 27-3 last week before the Browns scored 24 straight second-half points. Shaun Suisham's game-winning field goal was the only time the Steelers scored after halftime.
- Receiver Antonio Brown was flagged for unnecessary roughness for kicking Browns punter Spencer Lanning in the face during a return.
- Brown also had 116 receiving yards and a touchdown last week. He is coming off the best season of his career when he had 110 catches for 1,499 yards and eight touchdowns last season.
- After being charged with marijuana possession last month, running back Le'Veon Bell had 109 yards on 21 carries. LeGarrette Blount had four carries for six yards and one touchdown.
- Pittsburgh has lost three straight road openers.
- The Steelers are now 5-3 in season openers under head coach Mike Tomlin.
- Pittsburgh is 5-2 in Thursday night games since 2006.
- The Steelers gave up 183 rushing yards to the Browns last week.
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