It took until Week 14 for one of the NFL's most intense rivalries to be played and this Sunday it will be on when the Steelers and Ravens meet at Acrisure Stadium.
The Steelers won both meetings against the Ravens last year, including an overtime win in the season finale in Pittsburgh.
This week will be a new look for the rivalry, with Kenny Pickett at quarterback after Ben Roethlisberger was behind center for the majority of the games since 2004.
The Ravens gave their take on Pickett, as well as Cameron Heyward, Alex Highsmith, T.J. Watt and the overall rivalry.
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Coach John Harbaugh on his impressions of Kenny Pickett:
"He's doing well, looks good. A very talented guy, obviously befitting the first-round pick that they took him with this year. That's our challenge along with that whole offense. Big, physical offensive line, obviously, downhill running back and other backs that do their thing. Great catching tight end, great blocking tight end and three really good receivers who do different things really well."
Outside linebacker Tyus Bowser on his impression of Pickett:
"He looks great. Definitely a talent. I watched him when he was at (University of) Pittsburgh, so just to see him now kind of flourish and play his game now, it's good to see. So, I'm looking forward to this week and playing against him. Hopefully, we can hold him to as much as we can, but he's a great player, and we're going to respect him."
Safety Chuck Clark on his impressions of Pickett:
"They're trying to get him going in the system, and they have the parts around him to get him going. We just have to go out there and play our game at the end of the day."
Harbaugh on the challenges Cameron Heyward and Alex Highsmith pose:
"The pass rush, it's always been a staple for them; it's a trademark for the Steelers. Whether it's coming off the edge, coming inside, the guys you're talking about. You didn't mention T.J. Watt – he's pretty good, too. They bring their linebackers, their nickel is going to blitz off the edge, they're going to bring (Terrell) Edmunds off the edge, (Minkah) Fitzpatrick shows up. All those guys are a factor in the pass rush, for sure."
Bowser on if it will be strange to play the Steelers without Ben Roethlisberger:
"In a way, yes, but I understand it's still the Steelers, and you've got to come with that mindset regardless of who's out there – that you've got to go out there and play your best ball. So, it would be nice to still have him (Roethlisberger) there. He's a great player. I definitely respect him, but I'm looking forward to this week."
Tackle Morgan Moses on what he's heard about the Ravens-Steelers rivalry:
"It's big time. I've been in a couple of rivalries myself throughout the course of my career, but this one sticks out way more. Obviously, it's in the division. Any time you can win in the division and separate yourself from the rest of the group to get a win, it's that much bigger. It's like a playoff game. Any time you're in the division; it's worth two."
Clark on what makes Ravens-Steelers games always so close:
"I think it's just two teams that really know each other, that have played a lot of ball against each other over the last 15-plus years. So, [we] play each other twice a year, and then I feel like both teams go out and get tough players, gritty players. When those two teams clash on the field, that's what the result is; that you see a tough, hard-fought game all the time."
Bowser on if the Ravens recent losses to the Steelers adds any extra juice to this week:
"Yes, of course. Nobody likes to lose, especially to the Steelers, so there's definitely going to be tension there. But we've just got to take it one day at a time until we get to that moment and go out there and play our best ball and let the chips fall where they may."
Clark on if the Steelers winning four games in a row against the Ravens and if that has been a talking point this week:
"It definitely has been brought up, for sure. That's the truth; you can't hide from the truth and what the record has been. We have to go out there and change that."
Bowser on if he still thinks of Ravens-Steelers matchups as a defensive slugfest:
"Absolutely. Well, in general, defense wins championships; defense wins games. I forgot who it was, but one of the sayings was, 'If you can run the ball and your defense can stop the run, you have a high chance of winning the game.' So, I feel like that's just how it's going to be this upcoming Sunday; it's just a straight slugfest on who can control the run game and who can go out there and stop them."
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