Ravens DE Calais Campbell talks Ngakoue fit and first Steelers matchup

Veteran defensive end Calais Campbell will be facing the Pittsburgh Steelers for the first time as a member of the Baltimore Ravens in Week Eight coming off the bye, however, he won’t be the only newcomer to the stories and heated rivalry.

Among the numerous players that will be participating in the smash mouth AFC North matchup for the first time sporting purple and black along with Campbell will be his close friend and former mentee Yannick Ngakoue who the Ravens acquired via trade last Thursday from the Minnesota Vikings.

The two Pro Bowl pass rushers were teammates in Jacksonville with the Jaguars from 2017-2019 where they were apart of some spectacular defenses and became so close that they see each other like brothers.

Even after Campbell was traded to Baltimore back and before Ngakoue was shipped to Charm City the same way, the two talked to each other about once of week.

Both players are elated to be on the same team again and Campbell believes that Ngakoue will be a great asset that will increase the team’s chances of winning each week.

“Being able to have him on my team, it’s going to be fun again. He’s going to help us win a lot of ball games. I know what his standard is.”

Campbell signed a two year extension worth $25 million with the Ravens in order to facilitate the trade and is signed through the 2021 season.

Ngakoue is playing on a ratified one-year deal that he signed with the Vikings after getting traded from the Jaguars who placed the franchise tag on him earlier this offseason.

He’ll be a unrestricted free agent after this season but Campbell believes that the Ravens are the ideal and team and culture that he could thrive in for the long haul and that he personifies all of the qualities that the coaching staff and front office covets.

“I think this place is perfect for him. He can be a long-term Raven. What it means to a Raven, he possesses that. He’s probably one of the hardest working people I’ve met…I hope this really works out for him and he could become a long-term Raven because this place is special.”

Both players will be making their debuts in the Ravens-Steelers rivalry in Week Eight and Campbell has already been told by more tenured players like outside linebackers Matthew Judon and Pernell McPhee as well as his fellow starting defensive tackle Brandon Williams all about it and what sets it apart from all others in the sports world.

“I’ve been hearing it from everybody really. You can tell this game carries a lot of weight. There’s no bigger rivalry professional sports in my opinion.”

The Ravens will have fans in the home stands for the first time this season when the Steelers come to town and even though it’s not going to be a sold-out crowd, Campbell still welcomes the energy that the 4,300 fans that will be pretermitted to attend will bring with them.

“I hear that this stadium, when it’s full capacity and rocking, is special,” Campbell said. “I’ve been on the other side. Ray Lewis doing his dance, seeing the whole stadium come alive. I can’t wait for those days. But at the same time, having any fans is in the stands is going to be special. As a defensive player, I feed off of energy. I need that energy. Even when we played against the Eagles, they had a few fans there. You could feel the difference. I can’t wait.”

The undefeated Steelers will be led by 17-year veteran, six-time Pro Bowl, and two-time Superbowl champion quarterback Ben Roethlisberger who has Pittsburgh sitting atop the division standings at 6-0 and is playing the best ball of his career in Campbell’s eyes.

“This is the best I’ve seen him,” Campbell said. “He’s always been great. He’s locked in. He’s getting rid of the ball fast, making great reads, getting the ball to his playmakers, still throwing the ball well down the field.”

Pittsburgh are loaded with skill position players that can make plays all over the field and are threats to score from anywhere. Roethlisberger has been distributing the ball well amongst them all at an elite level and as their offense as a whole has been clicking on all cylinders to start the season.

“You got to love what you see on tape when you watch him. He’s a great player, Hall of Fame worthy. They’re rolling. We have our hands full. I’m looking forward to the challenge. He’s definitely up there with the best to do it.”

Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh has seen more then his fair share of Roethlisberger and the Steelers over the last decade plus both in person and on film. He knows what the wily and seasoned signal caller is capable of and holds him in ahigh esteem as well.

“I’ve seen countless hours of him on tape,” Harbaugh said. “Done countless breakdowns, played against him numerous times.”

“Great respect for him. He’s playing at a very high level. The offense is kind of his offense, it’s built around him, for him. It has been for many years, but they’ve also tweaked it, advanced it, doing some different things than they’ve done in the past which has been very effective for them.”