What History Says About Ravens vs. Steelers in Playoffs

The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers meet in the playoffs for the first time in a decade.

Jan 3, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) throws the ball in front of Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward (97) during the second quarter in the 2014 AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

It's been a while since the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers met in the playoffs, but at long last, it's time for them to renew their postseason rivalry.

With the regular season in the books, the No. 3 seed Ravens will host the No. 6 seed Steelers to kick off the postseason on Saturday night. The two arch rivals split the regular-season series, with Pittsburgh winning 18-16 at home in Week 11 and Baltimore winning 34-17 at home in Week 16.

Baltimore has all the momentum in the world right now, winning its final four regular-season games. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, has no momentum as it enters the postseason on a four-game skid. That said, the postseason is an entirely different animal.

That begs the question, how did the previous postseason battles go?

The first-ever playoff meeting between these two rivals came in the 2001 Divisional Round, when the Steelers eliminated the defending-champion Ravens by a score of 27-10 at home. Baltimore's offense was completely ineffective, recording just 207 yards on the day, and the team's lone touchdown came on an 88-yard punt return by Jermaine Lewis in the third quarter. Pittsburgh built a 20-0, largely thanks to two 1-yard touchdowns by running back Amos Zereoue. The Steelers would go on to lose to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game a week later.

Baltimore and Pittsburgh's second postseason meeting is perhaps the most iconic one, as the Steelers defeated the Ravens 23-14 in the 2008 AFC Championship Game. The Ravens, led by a rookie Joe Flacco and first-year head coach John Harbaugh, attempted to mount a late comeback, but four turnovers doomed them. The Steelers' offense wasn't much better in terms of yardage, but did a much better job of avoiding the turnover bug. They would go on to defeat the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII.

Just two years later, the Steelers would once again get the better of the Ravens in a 31-24 Divisional Round victory. This time around, it was the Steelers coming from behind to win, outscoring their rivals 24-3 in the second half. Baltimore managed just 126 yards of total offense, with much of that early lead coming from it taking advantage of takeaways. Pittsburgh would go on to lose to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV.

At long last, the Ravens finally got their revenge in the 2014 Wild Card Round, defeating the Steelers 30-17 on the road. It was a fairly even game for a while, but Baltimore slowly took control in the second half and never looked back. Flacco had easily his best playoff game against Pittsburgh, completing 18 of 29 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately, the Ravens would go on to lose to the eventual-champion Patriots in the Divisional Round a week later.

So, that brings us to the present day. While the Ravens' 1-3 record against the Steelers in the postseason may not be pretty, it is important to note that this is the first playoff matchup in Baltimore. A rocking M&T Bank Stadium should be a big advantage for the Ravens on Saturday night, though they still need to go out and win the game themselves, of course.

Make sure you bookmark Baltimore Ravens on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

• Ravens Will Host Steelers in Wild Card Round
• Ravens React to AFC North Title: 'Mind on Something Else'
• Ravens DT Shares Hilarious Reaction to Interception
• Ravens' Lamar Jackson Makes Unique NFL History
• Ravens' Zay Flowers Avoids Major Injury