‘You’re not a Raven til you beat the Steelers’ – Baltimore players talk up AFC North rivalry

Derrick Henry is on pace for one of the most productive seasons by a running back in NFL history, let alone for the Baltimore Ravens.

But, in one respect, he’s been told he’s not yet fully ingratiated to the team.

There’s a saying often heard at the Ravens’ Under Armour Performance Center headquarters that perhaps is as ubiquitous as “The standard is the standard” is in Pittsburgh.

You’re not a Raven until you beat the Steelers.

“I’ve heard it,” Henry told reporters Wednesday in Baltimore. “It’s something that they’ve had going here for a while, and I guess I’m not going to be a Raven until we get the ‘W.’ ”

Ravens-Steelers is a circle-the-date game on each team’s schedule. The first of the two-game season series is 1 p.m. Sunday at Acrisure Stadium. First place in the AFC North is on the line.

Of course it is. Since the division was christened in 2002, the Steelers (nine) and Ravens (seven) have combined to win 16 of the 22 AFC North championships.

“It’s a game of a lot of tradition — a lot of great games, a lot of close games and two teams that fight against each other,” veteran Baltimore tight end Mark Andrews said. “It’s an exciting one. It’s one of the best rivalries around.”

Since Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh took over as the respective coaches, 26 of the 32 regular-season meetings have been decided by one possession or fewer.

The Steelers, though, have won seven of the past eight meetings since the start of this decade. Despite doing his best to downplay the rivalry on whole during his media availability Wednesday, four-year veteran Ravens receiver Rashod Bateman conceded the Steelers hold trash-talking privileges.

“They have the right to speak,” said Bateman, who never has played in a victory against the Steelers. “They’re winning games, they should be confident, but I don’t think they’ve faced an opponent like us (with) Lamar Jackson and all of the weapons that we have. It’s definitely going to be a good battle, and I’m excited to play in it.”