Ben Roethlisberger makes bold claim about Ravens' Super Bowl chances
· Yahoo Sports
For nearly two decades, Ben Roethlisberger, his Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Baltimore Ravens enjoyed their fair share of tussles. They spent Sundays, Mondays, off-days, and any primetime affair they were scheduled for trying to ruin each other's seasons.
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Roethlisberger helped author some of the most memorable chapters in one of professional football's greatest rivalries. His teams battled Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, and Joe Flacco. They exchanged playoff blows. They played through broken noses, battered bodies, and championship aspirations.
The faces have changed since then. The rivalry hasn't. Old habits still die hard for the retired guys. Recently, the former Steelers gunslinger offered a blunt assessment of Baltimore's future while speaking on his Footbahlinwith Ben Roethlisberger podcast.
"I think they're falling apart... I don't think they're the same team. I feel like their window closed."
He pointed to several factors behind that opinion. They include the Ravens' aging core, concerns about Derrick Henry entering another season, and questions surrounding Lamar Jackson's recent play.
Those are strong words. Perhaps they are expected words. This will be the Ravens' 31st season as an NFL franchise. Compared to rivalries like the Chicago Bears versus Green Bay Packers, that isn't particularly old, yet few rivalries in professional sports carry the same level of bitterness as Ravens-Steelers.
Rivalries don't retire even if the Steelers and Ravens do
The uniforms have changed. The stars have changed. Even the coaches have changed... finally
Gone are many of the legendary battles between John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin. The former now leads the New York Giants. The latter is taking a break from coaching. He'll join NBC's Football Night in America as an analyst.
The coaching spotlight shifts to Jesse Minter and Mike McCarthy. Still, the emotion surrounding these games remains exactly the same. Roethlisberger's comments serve as another reminder that the animosity never truly disappears. Expect the Ravens to use his words as motivation, even though they'll probably deny it.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Ben Roethlisberger makes bold claim about Ravens' Super Bowl chances