Today, the Steelers play a team they met in the Super Bowl six years ago. But Pittsburgh’s game from six days ago continues to resonate, especially with a rematch coming in early November.
Appearing on Friday’s NBC SportsTalk (VERSUS, 6:00 p.m. ET), Steelers safety Ryan Clark said that the Ravens “tried to embarrass” their rivals.
“We played these guys in two of these last three playoffs . . . and there really wasn’t any celebration,” Clark said. “Wasn’t any dancing, wasn’t things like that. We went back to the locker room, said our prayer, and we got prepared for the next week. You could see this game, [coach] John Harbaugh was dancing, [running back] Ray Rice on the sidelines celebrating. This was more than a game for them. They tried to embarrass us. I mean, two-point, faking extra points up 27-7. So now I think the thing for us to do is when that game comes around every year, to match that hate and match that intensity.”
As to that surprise two-point fake out of extra-point formation, Clark said the team won’t specifically remember that play. "[Y]ou just remember the overall feeling,” Clark said. “Offensively, they’ll score as many points as they can. And unless you stop them, the more power to them. So I don’t harbor I guess any hard feelings about those plays, but I do understand the type of mindset I have to have playing them.”
The Steelers presumably will bring that mindset on November 6. And it should be great.