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When the bamboozlement began is not clear. Maybe it was at the turn of the century, when the Steelers were the last team to beat the Ravens, in a (insert air quote marks) thrilling 9-6 contest, as the Ravens bludgeoned their way to a Super Bowl title.
Maybe it was 2004, when the Ravens pinned on the Steelers what became the Steelers' only loss in the regular season.
Maybe it was when one-time Steelers' receiver Plaxico Burress and former Ravens' cornerback James Trapp fought on the field in 2002, or when a year later former loudmouth Steelers' linebacker Joey Porter tried to climb aboard the Ravens' bus to fight Raven's linebacker Ray Lewis, the heart-and-soul of Baltimore.
But the Steelers-Ravens is not a better rivalry in the NFL than the Patriots versus the Jets no matter the argument from all the hyperbole -- the combined score since 2003 is Steelers 302, Ravens 302 -- in the run up to Saturday's divisional playoff between the Steelers and Ravens in Pittsburgh.
That combined score is a remarkable tally. But in the ultimate measurement over the last few seasons, the Steelers all but own the Ravens, especially with Ben Roethlisberger quarterbacking. The Steelers' boss on offense is undefeated against the Ravens in his last six starts against them.
The Patriots and Jets, however, is almost the opposite. Despite all the Super Bowl rings and firepower and celebrity on the Patriots' side, the rebuilt, upstart Jets somehow held their own against them the past three seasons. The Patriots and Jets, scheduled to meet Sunday in an AFC Divisional playoff, split their season meetings the last three regular campaigns. That included a Jets' win at the Patriots' Gillette Stadium, where both will be Sunday.
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