By David Ginsburg
The Associated Press

BALTIMORE - New division, fresh faces, same old rivalry. The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers still don't like each other, and nothing's going to change that.

The Ravens have 17 rookies and first-year players, many of whom started the season with no concept of just how intense the hatred is between the two teams.

They began to get the picture a week ago.

"This is the game that you look forward to every year. Everyone was talking about it last week, even before we played Jacksonville," Ravens offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden said.

So much for taking it one game at a time.

The Ravens (3-3) beat the Jaguars anyway and Pittsburgh (3-3) defeated Indianapolis on Monday, so the winner of Sunday's game will earn sole possession of first place in the AFC North.

Just as important, the winner gets bragging rights until the rematch in Pittsburgh on Dec. 29.

"It's going to be a bad-blood type of game. They don't like us; we don't like them," Steelers receiver Plaxico Burress said. "I don't know what it is, but every time you get that Raven game on your schedule, it's like, 'It's the Ravens.' And everybody kind of gets a little pep in his step. It's good. You go out there and play hard against a team you basically don't like."

Ravens Pro Bowl linebacker Ray Lewis will probably be held out of a third straight game because of a partially separated left shoulder. If it were up to him, he'd play with a broken arm.

"Everyone knows about this rivalry. There's really nothing friendly about it," Lewis said.

Last year, the Steelers split with Baltimore en route to winning the AFC Central crown, which earned them home-field advantage when the teams met in the playoffs. Pittsburgh won 27-10, and Lewis was asked if the Ravens were looking for revenge Sunday.

"There's bad blood between us, regardless," he said. "Do we owe them? They didn't go on to win the Super Bowl, so they didn't take nothing from us. This game, though, is for the division lead, so it could be big."

It's not exactly winner take all, but a victory would certainly be meaningful.

"It's early in the season, but anytime you can take the division lead, you want that chance to be in the driver's seat," Ravens kicker Matt Stover said. "You don't want to be the guy catching up. We understand the ramifications of a game like this."

Stover has been playing in big games against the Steelers since the days when the Ravens were playing in Cleveland as the Browns. The rivalry was intense back then, and nothing has changed.

"One thing that this organization has never done is look at the Steelers game as an ordinary game," he said.

Ogden planned to share a few words with those Ravens unfamiliar with the rivalry - for their own protection.

"I'm going to tell them to strap it up and get ready. It's going to be a battle out there, a very physical football game," he said.

The matchup became a war of the words last year when Baltimore's Shannon Sharpe referred to Burress as "Plexiglas" and Tony Siragusa suggested Ravens fans rough up any visiting Pittsburgh fans. Lewis also dared Pittsburgh's Jerome Bettis to run right at him.

Bettis is out with a knee injury, Lewis may remain sidelined, and Sharpe and Siragusa are no longer with the Ravens. But while the names may change, nothing could affect the intensity.

"This is like a college rivalry," Pittsburgh safety Lee Flowers said. "Sure, they've lost a couple players, but Jamal Lewis is running the ball extremely hard, harder than ever. Chris Redman is doing his thing, so they look pretty good to me."

Redman was a third-string quarterback when Kordell Stewart and Bettis' backup, Amos Zereoue, helped the Steelers score 20 first-half points in their playoff victory.

Now Redman is the Ravens' starter, and Tommy Maddox has taken over at quarterback for an ineffective Stewart. Maddox will be taking the snaps Sunday from Chukky Okobi, who played only four plays all season until starter Jeff Hartings injured his knee against the Colts.

Zereoue will again sub for Bettis. After running for 87 yards against the Colts, he hopes to reach the 100-yard mark for the first time against Baltimore.

"I just can't get over that hump," he said. "But last week was a good thing, definitely a confidence-booster. I'll just build from that."

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