One little spark from Baltimore was all Lee Flowers needed. He saw fire and turned on the hoses, not with the idea of putting it out, but knowing instead it would turn into an inferno by Sunday.
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Despite what Ravens linebacker Jamie Sharper, right, advises, Jerome Bettis will be on the field Sunday. (Peter Diana, Post-Gazette)
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What's so good about when the Ravens and Steelers play is that they don't limit it to Sunday. It's weeklong entertainment and it already has started.
"Both teams dislike each other," Flowers said. "We have an opportunity to play this team three times in a row. We both know each other very well and it's hatred. It's hatred."
The trash-talking between the two teams intensified as the season wore on, and it's reaching its zenith as they prepare to meet at 12:30 p.m. Sunday at Heinz Field in the AFC divisional playoffs. Each team has won on the other's soil this season, although the Steelers dominated both games statistically.
Jerome Bettis will play after missing the past five games, including a 26-21 victory Dec. 16 in Baltimore.
"Everybody said they're the best team," Ravens linebacker Jamie Sharper sniffed, shortly after Baltimore beat Miami, 20-3, in the first round of the playoffs. "We'll see. If The Bus is smart, he won't play."
Bettis gave a subdued response: "I don't think he's qualified to make that assessment. That's the way I look at it."
However, last night he told KDKA-TV, "Well, if you look at the last couple of games I don't know if he should suit up. He's been put on his back by some wide receivers on our team. So, I mean, he might want to be careful himself."
Flowers gave his own interpretation. With Bettis out, Kordell Stewart threw for 333 yards, no interceptions and two touchdowns Dec. 16 and Amos Zereoue rushed for 73 yards on 16 carries.
"You know what? Jerome is not the one that's hurting them," Flowers said. "They better worry about Amos [Zereoue] and Chris [Fuamatu-Ma'afala] and R.J. [Bowers] and all those other running backs we got. Jerome's not our team, he's just a piece of the puzzle. They better worry about the other 52 guys on the field.
"If they want to sit there and claim 'We stopped Jerome' and we have a quarterback who's passing for 400 yards on them, so be it. What kind of thrill is that for you to come back into the locker room, 'Well, we stopped Jerome from getting 50 yards, but Kordell just killed us for 400.' If that's their philosophy, so be it."
Flowers was just getting revved up.
"I think Baltimore tried to outtalk us last time and you see the results. For whatever they have to say about us, let's show up on Sunday. ... I mean, enough's enough. This is the third time around. We understand they're the world champs and they're, quote, supposed to know how to play in the playoffs. Hey, we're 13-3, baby, and we're playing good football. So, let's play. Let's play right now. Forget Sunday, let's play right now on your day off. Tomorrow."
Told Ravens Coach Brian Billick has complained his defending champions are getting a lack of respect (and are 6-point underdogs Sunday), Flowers rolled his eyes.
"Man, please. It is what it is. I think those guys over there read too many of their own articles. Sometimes, you got to play. News clippings don't win football games, period. I don't care how much you talk about it and how much you put up bulletin-board material, that's not going to win a football game. Players win football games. It's as simple as that."
The Steelers lost by three points Nov. 4 at Heinz Field when Kris Brown missed three field goals and had another deflected. The Steelers outgained Baltimore that day, 348 yards to 183 and had 21 first downs to the Ravens' 10.
They dominated the second game in Baltimore with 476 yards to the Ravens' 207 and won, 26-21.
"This is the third time around," Flowers said. "Given the first game we lost, but they know, they know the results of that. It was the same thing with the second game. It's not going to be any different Sunday at 12:30 ...
"We don't care how much they talk. Actually, it's kind of comical. It's funny sometimes to see some of the stuff that comes out of Baltimore because every time we play them, it's something different. They were supposed to be a team that didn't lose in December; lost in December. So now they're a new team in January; well, we'll see you at 12:30 on Sunday.
"They are the world champs and they know how to play in the playoffs and their defense is winning games and winning championships. They have to prove that on Sunday. You can't sit around and tell us how good you are. You have to show me how good you are.
"I mean, their linebackers can't stand Jerome and our linebackers can't stand none of them. It's getting to the point now where it doesn't matter how much I talk, it doesn't matter how much Shannon [Sharpe] talks, it doesn't matter how much Ray [Lewis] talks, it doesn't matter how much Coach Cowher or Billick talks, or whatever his name is. We're focused right now.
"We've gotten to the point where we don't care about what critics say. We don't care about the bulletin-board material. We're going to strap it up on Sunday and we're going to really see if we're one of the premier teams in the league."
Flowers said he and Sharpe are good friends but they do not speak on the field of play.
"If you feel like you need to put some papers up about what Lee Flowers said all week, then do it. If that's going to make you play harder, then do it because, believe me, we're coming out with all our bullets Sunday, so strap it up.
"It is what it is. It's just trash talk. Nobody can predict the outcome of the game. If that was the case, I wouldn't be playing this game. I would be in Vegas somewhere, a billionaire right now.
"I think sometimes people use trash-talking to get themselves a false sense of security: 'If I'm talking loud enough, then that's going to give me a little edge on the field.' This team has never believed in that. You've seen a lot of teams this year have tried that approach with us. The only thing it does for us, we sit in the meeting room and laugh when the coach reads it to us. I'm in need for a good laugh right now so, hopefully, I'll see something Wednesday come out of Baltimore and we'll take it from there."
Today is a day off for Flowers and players from both teams. Flowers likely will get his wish on Wednesday after the Ravens read what he had to say yesterday.
"We both know each other," Flowers said. "There's not need to sit around and talk about it all week."
He just couldn't help himself.
Talking game begins for Steelers-Ravens III 
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