The Pittsburgh Steelers are an NFL franchise that ran into three primary rivals with all three playing in the same division as them. The team’s rivals are the Cleveland Browns, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens. Additionally, the team also has other rivals in postseason games, namely the Oakland Raiders, the New England Patriots, and the Dallas Cowboys. An in-state rivalry also emerged between the Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles, but they only face each other once every four years under scheduling regulations.
The rivalry between the Cleveland Browns and the Steelers began in 1950, when they first met. At the start of the rivalry, the Browns had the advantage over the Steelers who were 9-31 at the time. The Steelers continued to lose for 16 consecutive years. The Steelers recently took over the rivalry for the first time with a 17-3 record. It was during this time that the team won ten games in a row. To intensify the rivalry, the former Steelers head coach had coached the Browns early in his career.
On the other hand, the Steelers and Baltimore Ravens have a really bitten divisional rivalry that is evidenced in countless memorable matchups between the two teams. Both teams caused the other’s first loss on home ground. The Pittsburgh Steelers won their first game at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore and three years later, the Ravens crushed the Steelers in a game at Heinz Field. The rivalry between the Ravens and the Steelers is like a seesaw winning and losing each other and serves as a great complement by showing their fans how they can field really strong defenses against each other.
The Cincinnati Bengals date back to the rivalry with the Steelers from the 1970 season when the merger was completed. The most memorable game of their rivalry occurred in the 2005 AFC Wildcard playoff game when the Steelers clinched a victory over the Bengals to compete for a Super Bowl title. This particular victory was partly due to the knee injury the Bengal quarterback experienced and was therefore forced to leave the game.
The rivalry between the Steelers and the New England Patriots began when the latter defeated the Steelers in 2001 at Heinz Field. Later, in 2008, the Patriots were accused of videotaping the hands of the opposing team’s coaches, adding to the controversy. The rivalry between the Oakland Raiders and the Steelers was most heated during the 1970s. The Cowboys’ rivalry began with the team’s first franchise game in the 1960s.
As a team, the Pittsburgh Steelers will still have many challenges to face, not just with their current rivals, but with new and future NFL teams. Although the team has made its mark as one of the most competitive teams in the NFL, they still have to perform at their best to balance all the competitors they play against.