It's Ravens week, and everyone in Pittsburgh knows exactly what that means.
"We don't like them, they don't like us," said tackle Kelvin Beachum. "It's a division rivalry, the AFC North. It's always a priority to win our division and protect home field. It's a big week for us, we know we have some challenges going into the week. We have to put that stuff aside and find a way to go out there and get a win."
The Steelers will be without starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who suffered an MCL sprain against the St. Louis Rams, but that won't dampen the enthusiasm this rivalry brings.
"Nothing else needs to be said," said tackle Marcus Gilbert. "The rivalry speaks for itself. It's a much anticipated game and our fans are going to be looking for us to show up and handle our business."
The Ravens enter this week's game with an uncharacteristic 0-3 record, but players know that doesn't matter. Because when it's these two teams, records go out the window.
"It doesn't mean a thing," said center Cody Wallace. "They are going to come and give us everything they've got. We don't expect anything less from them. This is one of the biggest games of the year for us. A division game. We always play them tough, so it's going to be a good matchup."
Second-year defensive end Stephon Tuitt quickly learned last year what the rivalry is all about when the two teams met three times. And he is ready for everything that comes with it.
"You feel the energy," said Tuitt. "After the game we started talking about them right away. I know from playing them three times last year the pressure is on. Both of these teams want to beat the crap out of each other. You want to create a dominance over the other one for the division."
And to make things even more interesting...it's Thursday Night Football with all eyes on the game.
"We know it's a big week," said linebacker Arthur Moats. "The rivalry, the history. We just have to make sure we go out and get this 'W' on Thursday night."
