Antonio Brown put up a season-high 213 yards against Baltimore last December while Jimmy Smith, the Ravens' top cornerback, was injured.
What will the game's best wide receiver do for an encore?
On Tuesday, the NFL announced that Smith has been suspended four games -- down from a possible six -- for violating the league's personal conduct policy. That suspension will include the Ravens' Sunday night game at Heinz Field on Sept. 30.
The Ravens said in a statement that the NFL “found evidence of threatening and emotionally abusive behaviors by Jimmy toward his former girlfriend that showed a pattern of improper conduct.”
Micaela Sanchez, the mother of Smith's first child, said that the 30-year-old Smith has a “history of substance abuse and illicit drug usage” and “a history of being physically violent” toward her.
Smith has denied the allegations but offered his apologies in a statement Tuesday:
“I would like to sincerely apologize to my former girlfriend, the NFL, the Ravens organization, my coaches, my teammates, my fiancée and all our fans,” Smith said. “I'm very disappointed that my past actions have led to this suspension. I promise that I have already learned much and will continue to learn more from this experience. I believe I am, and will continue to try to be, a better person and a better father because of this. I am committed to being the best I can be, both on and off the field.
“I take full responsibility for my past conduct. Moving forward, I will work with the NFL and the Ravens to ensure that what happened in the past will never happen again. I will take all necessary steps to be a positive role model for both my sons, for the NFL and for the entire Ravens community."
It is Smith’s second suspension in eight months after serving a four-game ban at the end of last season for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. That ban was served while Smith on was season-ending IR after suffering a torn Achilles. An accelerated recovery enabled Smith to appear in Baltimore's Aug. 9 preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams. He missed Monday night's game against Indianapolis with what coach John Harbaugh called an excused absence.
The Ravens, who were heavily criticized for the handling of the Ray Rice domestic abuse case in 2014, announced that they will welcome Smith back when he's finished serving his suspension on Oct. 1.
In addition to Brown and the Steelers, Smith will miss games against Kelvin Benjamin and Buffalo, A.J. Green and Cincinnati, along with Demariyus Thomas and Denver. The Steelers will travel to Baltimore on Nov. 4.
