Roquan Smith didn’t spend much time preparing his pregame speech. That wasn’t on his mind as he drove to the stadium. It was an emotional release straight from the heart and soul of the Ravens’ defense.

His Saturday night freestyle hit home: “They don’t belong on the field with us.”

A Prime Video camera slipped between the waists of several crows to capture Smith’s words of encouragement. His eyes bulged out of his head. Every word lingered in the air in the form of a cold breath through the frigid temperature. Smith said his message has been consistent throughout the year, even though the numbers don’t reflect the sentiment.

For much of the Ravens’ 28-14 win in the AFC wild-card game, Smith’s words rang true. Pittsburgh doesn’t seem like it belongs.

“In the locker room, we just talk about defense, ‘Start fast. Start very quickly. Hit them early,’” defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike said. “And I feel like that’s what we did in the first half, and the second half just finished it off. Just finished.”

Start fast, they do.

The Steelers only managed two first downs in the first half. They went 1-for-5 on 3rd down. The Russell Wilson-driven offense racked up a dismal 59 net yards — 40 through the air and 19 through the ground at the break. Pittsburgh capitalized on all four possessions in the first half as the Ravens’ pass rush made Wilson’s life worth it.

One of the early drives advanced to third-and-2 midfield. When Wilson found tight end, Pat Freiermuth, in the flat, the play was blown up by Ar’Darius Washington, a fearless Baltimore safety with a 9-inch height disadvantage. Wilson noted the stoppage in particular when trying to explain how the game “felt like it was out of control.”

By the end of the night, the defense had racked up four sacks – one less than their season high. Once they got the lead, defensive coordinator Zach Orr “unhooked his horse,” Odafe Oweh said. Madubuike contributed two sacks. Michael Pierce and Oweh each contributed one.

The Ravens have held their AFC North rivals to at least 14 points just once in the previous 10 meetings dating back to 2020. Saturday marked the fewest total yards they have allowed (280) in three meetings this season. The team’s effort largely felt like they were getting past the black-and-gold hurdles that had bedeviled them for years.

Asked if this felt like a classic Ravens defensive performance, Smith said that’s what the playoffs are all about. “Playing tough, stingy defense.” Several posters of the day showed up to witness it firsthand. Seeing Hall of Fame quarterback Ray Lewis emerge from the tunnel to dance and whip the crowd into a frenzy “gets me excited,” Smith said. “Then Haloti Ngata during the coin toss, it was amazing to see.” Terrell Suggs, who was honored as Legend of the Game, was also there.

Smith has good reason to be so confident in his group that begins the playoffs with Super Bowl aspirations.

At his best, which we’ve seen plenty of over the past six weeks, is why Smith mentioned he’s keeping a receipt from anyone who underestimated Baltimore’s defense when they were among the worst in the NFL. But the going got tougher after the Steelers went into free fall, losing five straight to end their season. If the Bills beat the Broncos on Sunday, the Ravens will fly to Buffalo to meet Most Valuable Player Award candidate Josh Allen. A win would likely mean a trip to Kansas City to take on Patrick Mahomes and the two-time defending champion Chiefs in a rematch of the AFC championship.

“If we were ourselves, it would make any quarterback’s life hell,” Smith said. “We just have to stay calm and do that throughout the game. Yes, there were some difficulties throughout the game, but there were also difficulties throughout the season and we stood tall.”

On Saturday night, the adversity caused a slight feeling of unease among the 70,546 people in attendance for the third quarter.

Ravens punter Jordan Stout delivered a 49-yard field goal that put Pittsburgh within 2. Stout shouted some choice words to the sideline afterward. The Steelers made nine plays, scoring a 98-yard touchdown in nearly seven minutes. The marathon march ended with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Van Jefferson, who torched cornerback Brandon Stephens down the left sideline.

On the next possession, George Pickens caught the ball deep past rookie defensive back Nate Wiggins. He spun through Washington for a 36-yard touchdown, making it a two-score game.

“We gave ourselves a chance and a little hope,” Wilson said of their third-quarter push.

The Ravens quickly closed that window.

They lost the first of three meetings with Pittsburgh this year, a game filled with errors, in November. Baltimore toyed with the Steelers when they met again before Christmas. And they won again with the season on the line. The Ravens’ defense improved drastically, but Smith’s message never changed. It fakes them for these times.

“We realize who we are, realize where we are,” Oweh said. “I think last year we took it for granted. As Ro said, teams that don’t deserve to be on the field with us, it’s better to kill them right there. Keep your feet on his neck.”

Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn.

Gaming Hub

A gaming hub can refer to a central platform or space dedicated to gaming, where players can access games, interact with other gamers, and enjoy related content. Here are a few different kinds of gaming hubs you might be referring to:

Physical Gaming Hubs:

Gaming Cafés: Physical locations where players can rent time on high-end gaming PCs or consoles to play popular multiplayer or single-player games.
Esports Arenas: Specialized venues for competitive gaming tournaments where players or teams face off in games like League of Legends, CS
, or Fortnite.
Digital Gaming Hubs:

Steam, Epic Games Store, or GOG: Digital storefronts where you can purchase and play games, join online communities, and access updates and patches.
Game Launchers: Platforms like Steam, Blizzard’s Battle.net, and Xbox Game Pass often act as hubs where gamers can access multiple titles and keep track of their library.
Cloud Gaming Platforms: Services like NVIDIA GeForce Now or Xbox Cloud Gaming that allow players to stream games on various devices without needing high-end hardware.
Social/Community Gaming Hubs:

Discord Servers: Dedicated communities for games where players can chat, share tips, and find others to play with.
Reddit Communities: Subreddits dedicated to specific games or gaming news.
Gaming Consoles as Hubs:

Systems like the PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch act as central hubs for playing games, interacting with friends, and even streaming content like Netflix or Twitch.
If you meant something specific by “gaming hub,” let me know and I can elaborate further!