Players have changed, and Baltimore is in disarray. But here's the bottom line: They are still the Ravens.
Monday, October 31, 2005
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
It won't be nearly as much fun tonight without Plaxico Burress. He didn't just battle the Baltimore Ravens on the field, he took 'em on off the field. Do you remember how he welcomed ancient Ravens safety Deion Sanders to the rivalry last season? "His day is gone," Burress pronounced, all but suggesting "Past Time" as Sanders' new nickname. Oh, that was priceless.
It also won't be as much fun without Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis. The guy is supposed to be Superman, but he's not going to play because of a measly thigh injury. That prompts two questions. Are Lewis' days as the NFL's toughest player over? And how is Joey Porter going to entertain himself?
It really won't be as much fun because the Ravens -- how do you say this delicately. -- stink. They aren't just 2-4, they're in disarray. Lewis will be joined on the sideline by All-Pro safety Ed Reed. "That's like Farrior and Polamalu not playing for us," Porter said, sniffing. The Ravens' offense is abysmal and ranks last in the NFL in points per game. Their star running back, Jamal Lewis, looks as if he spent the offseason in prison. Their quarterback, Anthony Wright, couldn't even beat out Kordell here.
But let's be real.
It's still the Steelers and Ravens, on a Monday night, on Halloween no less.
Thank goodness Ravens cornerback Chris McAlister will play. He called Porter a "bleep" last season after Porter shoved down injured Ravens tight end Todd Heap. Or maybe it was after Porter went to the Ravens' team bus after a game in 2003 to challenge Lewis. Porter didn't even dress for that game so maybe there's still hope for him and Lewis tonight. If not, Porter might have to settle for renewing acquaintances with Heap.
And who's going to give Ravens defensive end Terrell Suggs a nice Heinz Field welcome? He made no friends here in December when he talked about the Ravens being Kryptonite because they were the only team to beat the Steelers in the regular season. The Steelers got even in the rematch, but Suggs nearly had the last laugh when his late hit left Ben Roethlisberger with bruised ribs and could have knocked Big Ben out of the playoffs. "I'm pretty sure it was a cheap shot," assumed Burress.
The Ravens figure Hines Ward knows all about cheap shots. Keep your eye on him and McAlister tonight. McAlister also called Ward a "bleep" last season just for general principle. "It's funny," Ward said, grinning, "he told me he was glad I was on his side when we were at the Pro Bowl."
Ward, probably more than Burress, Lewis and Porter, is responsible for making the Steelers-Ravens game what it is. In 2001, he popped Ravens safety Rod Woodson and bloodied his nose. Woodson didn't just promise to get even. He put the kibosh on a planned deal for Ward to be a pitchman for one of his Pittsburgh automobile dealerships, thereby violating life's No. 1 rule: Don't let hard feelings ever get in the way of business.
Ward and Woodson later made their peace, but it probably will be awhile before Ward and McAlister kiss and make up.
"Do I recognize that he's a great cornerback? Yes I do," Ward said. "Do I particularly like him? No I don't."
Even the two coaches aren't especially fond of each other. It's safe to assume the Ravens' Brian Billick has moved up to No. 2 on Bill Cowher's spit list, right behind Buffalo general manager Tom Donahoe, now that "Davis up there in Cleveland" -- Cowher's derogatory reference to former Browns coach Butch Davis a few years ago -- is out of the league. Part of it is the same reason a lot of people in the NFL dislike Billick and won't shed a tear if he's fired after the season; he's arrogant and condescending and acts as if he invented football. But a bigger part of it was Billick's brag in 2001 that he had never lost a game in Pittsburgh. He was 3-0 here against the Steelers at the time. He's 3-4 here now.
Does that Cowher up there in Pittsburgh know how to carry a grudge or what?
Still, it's Billick who has the power to turn tonight's game from merely entertaining into must-see theater. He could decide Wright isn't his answer, which really wouldn't be much of a reach considering Wright has led zero, one, two, one and one touchdown drives in the past five games. He also could determine Kyle Boller isn't ready to play because of a bum toe. That would leave Kordell Stewart to play quarterback for the Ravens in front of all of his old friends in Pittsburgh.
Who needs Plaxico and Superman when you have Kordell?
(Ron Cook can be reached at rcook@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1525.)
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