Elevated? It cannot get any more elevated since 1996 when both teams played smash mouth divisional football and split the series with the same exact scores of 31-17. Tomlin and Harbaugh have raised it? Have we forgotten all those fights during the Bettis/R.Lewis days? Have we forgotten Jamal Lewis jawing with the Steelers defense? Ray Lewis and the Bus jawing at each other heatedly nearly every time they tangle? How about one of the best defenses in NFL history, the 2000 Ravens defense who played pure smash mouth football against the Steelers? Hard hits from Polamalu and Reed? Plenty of fights before Tomlin and Harbaugh came along, they just joined the party is all. The Ravens offensive line never hesitating getting into several fights with Steelers defense since 1996 on a long list of hard hits, fights and heatedly jawing at each other. Elevated by head coaches? It can't get any more nastier than Ray Lewis and the Bus going hard at each other or Jamal Lewis gladly driving his body into Steelers defenses. Those were elevated days that cannot be topped. The players keep the tradition going that started since 1996 by the fans reminding them not to forget tradition.
