BALTIMORE — If the Ravens' rivalry with the Pittsburgh Steelers isn't the best in the NFL, it's certainly up there. Two decades of success, memorable games and regular meetings have made it the "No. 1-circled, red-dot game for us," as Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith said Wednesday.
Bill Cowher was there for the early days of the series. It felt like just another game then. But over his 15 years coaching the Steelers, he watched the Ravens arrive in Baltimore, establish a foundation and start to play a lot like he wanted his Pittsburgh teams to play. Before long, every game was a rivalry game.
With the 5-1 Ravens and 6-0 Steelers set to clash at M&T Bank Stadium, The Baltimore Sun spoke Wednesday with Cowher, now an analyst for CBS' "The NFL Today," about coaching in the rivalry, Sunday's high-profile quarterback matchup, defensive end Yannick Ngakoue's impact and more.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
