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The Ravens' first win against the Steelers in Pittsburgh came on a brisk Sunday afternoon in December 1999 at Three Rivers Stadium. The line favored the Steelers by 1.5 points that day. The Steelers scored first off a 21-yard touchdown connect from Jerome Bettis to Hines Ward. Priest Holmes responded later that quarter with a 61-yard touchdown run to tie the game. Kris Brown then hit a field goal to put the Steelers up 10-7 at the end of the 1st quarter.
The game went back-and-forth in this manner, until Ravens' wide receiver Qadry Ismail stepped up and delivered 3 touchdowns to ensure the Ravens a 31-17 lead heading into the 4th. The Steelers would make one last stand on a touchdown pass to Kordell Stewart, but it wasn't enough to beat Baltimore. Final score 31-24, Ravens.
Ismail was the star of the day having finished with 3 touchdowns and 258 receiving yards, a record for Three Rivers Stadium. Ravens' QB Tony Banks went 8-26 on 268 yards and 3 touchdowns. On the defensive side, Rob Burnett and Tony Siragusa each got 2 sacks, and Larry Webster added 1 as well. Needless to say, it was a purple afternoon in Pittsburgh.
Anytime the Ravens beat Pittsburgh, it is a glorious occasion. The Ravens-Steelers rivalry is arguably one of the most intense in the NFL, if not, all of American sports. Each meeting between the two teams is a tough, physical fight to the end. I've seen firsthand what the atmosphere in Pittsburgh is like with the Ravens in town. I can only begin to imagine how hard it must be as a Ravens player on the field trying to beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh. This particular fight is remarkable because it was the first time the Ravens had beat the Steelers in 3 years, and the first time they beat them on their turf.