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October 25, 2007

Counting down the Top 10 moments at Ravens stadium: No. 8

The Ravens' downtown stadium, which is currently called M&T Bank Stadium, is celebrating its 10th season of existence. We're going to look at the Top 10 moments in its history, listing two each day.

8. Bart Scott clocking Big Ben. Nov. 26, 2006

In what could go down as the most violent hit in the stadium’s history, Ravens linebacker Bart Scott laid out quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in a 27-0 win, which all but ended the Pittsburgh Steelers' chances of repeating as Super Bowl champions.

Relentless pressure led to a team record-tying nine sacks, and the most memorable came from Scott late in the second quarter.

Scott came untouched from the left side to nail Roethlisberger in the chest and drive him into the turf. Roethlisberger, who was involved in a serious motorcycle accident in the offseason, laid on his back for several minutes before walking off the field on his own.

“That's probably the hardest I've ever been hit in my life,” Roethlisberger said. “I just kind of remember my head hitting the ground. I couldn't really breathe very well.”

Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs remembers he stopped covering his man when Scott delivered the blow.

“I was 30 yards downfield and I heard it,” he said.

Ray Lewis knelt beside a motionless Roethlisberger during the painful, suspenseful moments after the vicious sack.

Said Lewis: “I was just praying ... and I was saying, `Just make sure you get up. Your teammates are watching. Your family is out there somewhere. Just get up.’”

The game plan was to not let Roethlisberger get comfortable in the pocket. Defensive coordinator Rex Ryan estimated that the Ravens blitzed just half the time, but it always seemed that the Ravens had at least one defender coming unblocked.

The pressure came from different angles and different people. Seven players finished with at least half a sack, as the Ravens recorded 73 yards in sacks compared to Pittsburgh's 172 yards of total offense.

After the sack, Roethlisberger eventually returned, although he could be seen ducking his head after releasing a pass.

“Yeah, that made him gun-shy,” Scott said. “He took a tough hit that set the tone on him. He left for a couple of plays, and I'm sure he was thinking about that for the rest of the game. He started getting the ball off quick and sailing some of them high.”

It marked the Ravens' largest margin of victory in their biggest division rivalry.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 12:23 PM | | Comments (0)
        

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