Derrick Henry is on his way to one of the most productive returning seasons in NFL history, let alone for the Baltimore Ravens.

But in one respect he has been told he is not yet fully taken with the team.

There’s a saying often heard at the Ravens’ Under Armor Performance Center headquarters that may be as ubiquitous as “The standard is the standard” in Pittsburgh.

You’re not a raven until you beat the Steelers.

“I heard it,” Henry told reporters in Baltimore on Wednesday. “It’s something they’ve had here for a while, and I don’t think I’ll be a Raven until we get the ‘W.’ ”

Ravens-Steelers is a circle-the-date game on each team’s schedule. The first of the two-game season series is Sunday at 1 p.m. at Acrisure Stadium. First place in the AFC North is at stake.

Of course it is. Since the division was created in 2002, the Steelers (nine) and Ravens (seven) have combined to win 16 of 22 AFC North championships.

“It’s a game with a lot of tradition – a lot of great games, a lot of close games and two teams battling each other,” veteran Baltimore tight end Mark Andrews said. “It’s an exciting one. It’s one of the best rivalries there is.”

Since Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh took over as respective coaches, 26 of 32 regular season games have been decided by one or fewer possessions.

However, the Steelers have won seven of the past eight meetings since the start of the decade. Despite doing his best to downplay the rivalry in general during his media presence Wednesday, four-year Ravens receiver Rashod Bateman admitted the Steelers had trash-talking privileges.

“They have the right to speak,” said Bateman, who has never played in a win against the Steelers. “They’re winning games, they have to be confident, but I don’t think they’ve faced an opponent like us (with) Lamar Jackson and all the weapons we have. It will definitely be a good battle and I am looking forward to playing in it.”