They say ‘imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.’ Whoever said that didn’t have the gift or foresight. They knew nothing of a Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers rivalry that would be born decades later.

While these proud franchises often take inspiration from one another and base many of their decisions on each other’s actions, they are not inclined to be “sincere” or “flattering” towards one another. Despite recognizing each other’s greatness professionally, their rivalry remains intact.

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“Not at this moment… Not at any time…”

There’s a lot of respect here. We hear it each time Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh step in front of a microphone in the days leading up to yet another showdown vs. one another. The next Steelers-Ravens matchup will mark the 39th time they have shared pre- and post-game handshakes. These two head coaches, along with the front offices they work with, have been preparing for that showdown all offseason.

Two teams couldn’t admire each other more while also despising one another so deeply. The NFL is what we would refer to as a ‘copycat league.’ Struggling teams raid those that are more successful to poach former front-office executives, players, and coaches. Schemes are duplicated and copied. So are draft strategies and play calls. If it appears that schemes and strategies are familiar, don’t try to talk yourselves out of what you are feeling.

Baltimore and Pittsburgh have been the premier franchises in the AFC North for some time now. They are well-run organizations. They also keep one eye on what the other is doing.

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Alan Saunders of Steelers Now believes Pittsburgh has been copying a few pages out of Baltimore’s playbook. He believes that the Steelers aren’t just constructing their roster to beat the Ravens. He laments that they are also doing so to become them.

“A hundred percent the Steelers are trying to be the Ravens and are trying to defeat the Ravens with their own game. Let’s be honest: If the Steelers win the AFC North, if they go out and they’re better than the Ravens, beat them on the field, win the division, that’s what they need to do to put themselves in the best possible scenario to go win a playoff game or two.”

Saunders believes Pittsburgh’s offense is built similarly to the one in Baltimore, but is it a stretch to suggest the Steelers’ blueprint mirrors that of the Baltimore Ravens‘ or “The Flock”? Successful arguments can be made to support that theory.

The Steelers added Aaron Rodgers and Jalen Ramsey post-draft, but every team makes moves like that, right? Every team knows it needs competent play at the quarterback position. Every team knows they need exceptional play from their secondary.

Pittsburgh probably didn’t need Baltimore to do anything so that they might discover that.

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What can be argued is that Pittsburgh and Baltimore share similar personalities. They stick with their head coaches. They want to build their teams a certain way. That’s why it’s easy to agree with Saunders and even easier to expect others to debate. He does hit the bullseye, however, with his next theory.

The 28-14 defeat the Ravens handed the Steelers this past January caused a shift in Pittsburgh’s draft strategy.

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that you give up 299 yards rushing in a playoff game and then you go use your first-round pick on a defensive tackle,” Saunders said. “Oh, and by the way, another pick on a defensive tackle, and an edge rusher who specializes in stopping the run. And then you sign away Baltimore’s biggest linebacker [Malik Harrison]. That happens directly because of what happened in that playoff game.”

We’ve heard many of these statements before: “Changing the game,” “Raising the bar,” “Setting the standard,” and “Shifting the paradigm.” Each makes sense when we discuss how Baltimore has set the standard in the AFC North.

Pittsburgh has six Lombardi Trophies on the shelf. Baltimore owns two, but make no mistake. The Steelers are playing catch-up now, and they’re aware of it. We’ll see who is in the driver’s seat when we reach the end of the regular season.

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This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Ravens continue to force the rival Steelers to rethink everything