When it comes to the NFL and it’s best rivalries, there is little doubt that the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers are as good as it gets. The 2008 season was the best example of how intense and heated this rivalry was. During the regular season, the teams faced off in two low scoring slugfests that were both won by the Steelers.
The second of these games, a December match up in Baltimore, was one of the more brutal and intense games in the rivalry. The Steelers would win the game 13-9 courtesy of a Santonio Holmes touchdown catch with seconds remaining. I bring this game up in particular because it was a critical for one important reason.
The win essentially gave the Steelers the division title, and so when these two teams met for the third time that season, this time for the AFC championship, it would be played at Heinz Field.
Let’s look at the greatest game of the LeBeau era.
1) Steelers 23 Ravens 14 (AFC Championship game 1/18/2009)
Over the years I have had the pleasure of being a part of countless Steeler games both at Three Rivers Stadium and Heinz Field. There are two games that always stood out, the 1995 AFC Championship game, and the game that tops the list of the greatest games of the LeBeau era, the 2008 AFC Championship game against the Baltimore Ravens.
The 08′ title game is particularly special because you knew going into the game that this was going to be a bloodbath, and the team that was most physical was almost certain to win. Moreover, I remember going to that game supremely confident. As good as the Ravens defense was, I knew the Steelers were better. As solid as Derek Mason was at wide receiver, Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes? Better. You have Ed Reed and Ray Lewis? Yeah, so what, they have Troy Polamalu and James Harrison.
Then there was the whole quarterback factor. Joe Flacco was trying to attempt to be the first rookie QB to lead his team to the Super Bowl. He’d been solid all year, but again, not only did the Steelers have Ben Roethlisberger, we also knew as fans that rookie quarterbacks simply did not beat Dick LeBeau led defenses. Period, end of story.
Like most years, the Ravens and Steelers were among the league leaders in defense. In fact the Steelers were first in the NFL in total yards allowed, the Ravens second. The Steelers however had a distinct advantage when it came to sacks, ranking second in the league with 51. Both teams were outstanding at forcing turnovers in 2008, and that would be a key element in this game to be sure.
The Steelers opened up the game with a seven play, 55 yard scoring drive where Roethlisberger was able to hit Ward for a 45-yard catch and run that would set up a Jeff Reed 34-yard field goal to give the Steelers and early 3-0 lead.
The Ravens first two possessions would be a harbinger of things to come through much of the game. On their first drive, Flacco was under duress early and two forced passes led to two incompletions and a punt. On the their second possession Flacco showed that the pressure of the game was getting to him, as he threw his first of three interceptions at his own 29-yard line, this one to cornerback Deshea Townsend.
Roethlisberger was unable to do much with the short field, and after three straight incomplete passes, the Steelers would have to settle for a 42-yard field goal from Reed. This would give the Steelers a 6-0 lead halfway through the first quarter.
After the Ravens once again would go three and out, the Steelers would commit their only turnover of the game, a fumble by Willie Parker at their own 41-yard line. It was the first real scoring opportunity for the Ravens.
Yet, once again the Steelers defense showed why they were the best in the NFL. After Willis McGahee had runs of seven and two yards, the Ravens faced a 3rd and 1 from the Steelers 34. The Steelers defense would rise up and stop McGahee cold on a dive play. Ravens coach John Harbaugh then decided to go for it on fourth and one, and Flacco was stopped on a QB sneak.
Huge moment for the Steeler defense, to be followed three plays later by one of many game changing plays wide receiver Santonio Holmes would have during the Steelers Super Bowl run.
As the second quarter began, the Steeler offense faced a 3rd and 9 from their own 35. Roethlisberger dropped back and his signature style was able to scramble and buy time, ultimately finding Holmes 10 yards down field along the right sideline. From there, Holmes dazzled, after catching the ball, he streaked back towards midfield, evading multiple tacklers before cutting back towards the opposite sideline. By the time he cleared his final defender, he had scored a highlight reel 65-yard touchdown that gave the Steelers a commanding 13-0 lead.
Now facing the daunting task of trying to overcome not only a 13-point deficit, but an electric crowd and the best defense in football, the Ravens would turn to their running game to attempt to move the ball. With Flacco struggling mightily to make even the simplest of throws, the Ravens would run the ball four consecutive times for 20 yards after starting from their own 12-yard line.
This allowed Flacco to then finally make two completions, the first for 22-yards to Ray Rice, the second to Mark Clayton for 15. Suddenly the Ravens were moving into scoring territory as they creeped to the Steelers 39 for another third down play. Once again the Steelers defense would shut the door, this time compliments of an Aaron Smith sack that would force the Ravens to punt.
With just over seven minutes until halftime and the offense with the ball once again, it seemed that the Steelers were getting tantalizingly close to putting this game away. However, the Steelers would ultimately pay a steep price courtesy of a foolish unnecessary roughness penalty by guard Chris Kemoeatu and would have to punt deep in their own territory.
The Ravens took advantage of the Kemoeatu miscue, and Jim Leonard took a Mitch Berger punt and returned it 45 yards to the Steelers 17-yard line. Two plays later, cornerback Bryant McFadden was called for pass interference at the Steelers 3-yard line, and McGahee plowed in for the Ravens touchdown on the next play; making the score 13-7 with less than three minutes until halftime.
This would lead to another huge play that would happen with less than one minute left to play in the half, and the Steelers with possession at midfield. On the first play of the possession, Roethlisberger dropped back and found a streaking Limas Sweed wide open by nearly 10 yards down the sideline. The Steelers were about to deal a crippling blow to the Ravens right before half.
Instead, Sweed dropped a sure touchdown, leaving many Steeler fans to not only wonder why the Steelers spent a third round pick on the receiver, but if that drop would come back to haunt them.
The second half would once again be another sequence of incomplete passes and tough sledding for both offenses; as the Ravens would punt on three consecutive possessions. The Steeler offense got rolling on it’s second possession of the half, as they would grind out another three points on an 11-play, 46 yard drive that took 5:29 off the clock. Reed’s 46-yard field goal would push the Steeler lead to 16-7 as the fourth quarter approached.
When the fourth quarter began, the Steelers had possession but were unable to extend their lead. An awful 21-yard punt by Mitch Berger would give the Ravens great field position at their own 42. The Ravens would take advantage of the poor punt with a sequence of short passes to Mason and a nifty 16-yard run by Clayton, and finally, another pass interference call, this time on Ike Taylor. The call would place the ball on the 1-yard line, and when McGahee dove in on the next play, the Steeler lead suddenly was a mere two points at 16-14.
This would set up one of the greatest sequences of defensive plays in Steeler playoff history, which would propel the Steelers to their seventh Super Bowl.
Maybe it was the live rendition of “Renegade” by Styx, maybe it was too much pressure heaped on the shoulders of a rookie quarterback, maybe it simply came down to a great defense finding a way to make plays when it was most needed. Whatever it was, it was the high water mark in many ways for Dick LeBeau and his revolutionary zone blitz scheme.
With just under seven minutes left and the Ravens in possession with a chance to take the lead, Flacco would first be sacked by Lamarr Woodley for a five yard loss, and then Flacco would make the mistake that would seal the Ravens fate, and give Troy Polamalu the signature play of his career.
Dropping back and looking for Mason, Flacco tossed a pass towards the right sideline. Unaware of the ever present Polamalu, his pass was intercepted and the All-Pro safety began his 40-yard scamper for the clinching Steeler touchdown. It was classic Troy, as he weaved from one sideline to the other, avoiding would be tacklers along the way. As he crossed the goal line, he pointed up towards his newborn son in tribute; Steelers 23, Ravens 14.
If Heinz Field was ever louder before or after, you’d have a hard time convincing me.
A shell-shocked Ravens squad would turn the ball over two more times over the final four minutes of the game. The first, a McGehee fumble on a bone rattling hit by safety Ryan Clark that was recovered by Lawrence Timmons. The second, an interception by Tyrone Carter.
With Carter’s interception, LeBeau’s defensive masterpiece was complete. The Ravens were held to 198 total yards, were sacked three times, and the Steeler defense forced four turnovers; three interceptions and a fumble.
For Flacco, his trial by fire could not have gone much worse. 13 for 30 for 141 yards and three costly interceptions. Under constant duress the entire game, Flacco indeed fell victim to the masterful work of LeBeau and his vaunted defense.
The Steelers would go on to win their sixth Lombardi trophy two weeks later against the Arizona Cardinals. Once again, LeBeau’s defense would shine on the big stage, like so many times before.
The 2008 AFC title game was a caricature of all that was great about LeBeau and the Steelers defense. Among many incredible moments, this one stands alone, and rightfully earns the greatest win of the Dick LeBeau era.
