PITTSBURGH — Steelers lineman Willie Colon predicts a bloodbath. Ben Roethlisberger anticipates both teams limping out of the stadium. Any player not covered in bruises on Sunday evening, Hines Ward says, won't have played hard enough.

There are talked-about rivalries in the NFL and real ones, and the dislike between the Ravens and Steelers isn't imaginary. Former Steelers safety Lee Flowers once compared it to a college rivalry because of its "straight, genuine hatred."

The intensity for Sunday's rematch was elevated when defensive end Terrell Suggs bragged the Ravens put a bounty on Rashard Mendenhall before Ray Lewis' hard hit Sept. 29 in Pittsburgh ended the Steelers' first-round draft pick's season.

The Steelers (10-3) were 23-20 overtime winners in perhaps the NFL's most physical game this season, but they were littered with injuries afterward. They expect Sunday's game to be no different, especially because the Ravens (9-4) can tie for the division lead by beating them in Baltimore for the sixth season in a row.

"It's going to be a physical ballgame. It always is," said Ward, who referred to himself yesterday as the most hated man in Baltimore. "If you don't come out of this game black and blue, then you didn't do nothing out on the field."

There are bad blood games in the NFL, but also ones in which emotions run high and real blood is spilled. Asked what he expects, Colon said, "A bloodbath, yeah. ... It's not going to be pretty."

"I think a lot of guys are going to be limping out of there on both sides," Roethlisberger said. "I'm just hoping we're up on the scoreboard when we're limping out."

The Steelers didn't talk openly yesterday about possible reprisals for the severe shoulder injury that ended Mendenhall's season. But they remember Lewis gesturing on the field that the running back was done. Mendenhall angered the Ravens by sending fellow rookie Ray Rice a text message that he expected a big game against Baltimore.

On an Atlanta radio show several days later, Suggs said there was a bounty on Mendenhall and Ward, the oft-physical wide receiver and a longtime Baltimore antagonist.

"We definitely like to send messages to rookie running backs who think they've made it. We did a good job of sending a message," Suggs said.

Suggs later said there wasn't a bounty, although the NFL investigated his comments.

ELSEWHERE

Cowboys: Dallas cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones, who came back from a six-game suspension last Sunday, will probably miss the rest of the season because of a bulging disk in his neck. Jones is scheduled to see another doctor today for a second opinion to see if he can play this season.

Giants: The New York Giants have refused to pay suspended receiver Plaxico Burress a $1 million portion of a signing bonus from a contract signed in September. NFL Players Association union spokesman Carl Francis confirmed last night that the Super Bowl champions decided to not make the payment, which was due yesterday.