2000 Ravens & 2005 Redskins

The Hogster · Post by **The Hogster** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 3:02 pm

This synopsis is eerily similar to the present day Redskins, even down to the mid-season 3 game losing skid and being HEAVY underdogs in the divisional stage of the playoffs. Check out below. I put the text from the Ravens website in orange. What'ya think? I think if our defense can hold teams to 10 pts or less then wen can definitely advance. We took care of the #1 defense last week, this week we can take care of the NFC's #1 offense. The Ravens won their remaining 7 games that year, we won our remaining 5. They were not picked to win against the high powered Raiders offense, or the tough Titans team, but behind a stellar defense they prevailed. The story of the Seattle game is not their offense, but rather our defense. If they play their best games to close out the year, we are looking at a SuperBowl berth, and the answer to all of our prayers.

2000: The Ravens get off to a solid start winning 3 of 4 games in September including 2 shutout victories over division opponents. In October they continued to win winning their first 2 games despite not scoring a TD, while posting another shutout. However, the Ravens offensive struggles caught up with them as they lost 3 straight closing the month of October without a TD. Sitting at 5-4 the Ravens had a stellar defense, but QB Tony Banks struggles were hurting the team. This led to backup Trent Dilfer getting the starting nod for the rest of the season. Statistically Dilfer was not much better, but the Ravens won all 7 games he started to finish with a 12-4 record and qualify for a Wild Card berth. In their final 7 games the Ravens outscored their opponents 193-63 as their defense led by Ray Lewis who overcame an off season in which he faced murder charges to win Defensive Rookie of the year set a16-game record with only 165 points allowed. Along the way the Ravens defense shut their opponents out 4 times and allowed less then 10 points 9 times. In the first playoff game at PSInet Stadium the Ravens defense continued to overwhelm the opposition shutting down the Denver Broncos 21-3. A week later in Tennessee the Ravens were heavy underdogs facing the Titans in the Divisional Playoffs. The Titans controlled the game most of the way but the Ravens defense held the game tied at 10 going into the 4th Quarter. However, the Titans appeared on the verge of taking the lead as PK Al Del Greco set up for a short Field Goal. The Ravens defense would step up and snatch the game away as Anthony Mitchell blocked and returned the kick 90-yards for a go ahead TD. The Ravens would seal the game 24-10 on a 50-yard Interception return by Ray Lewis moments later. In the AFC Championship at Oakland the Ravens were heavy underdogs again facing the Raiders. The Ravens grabbed control early as Trent Dilfer hit TE Shannon Sharpe on a96-yard TD pass. It was all the points the Ravens would need as the defense smothered the Raiders in a 16-3 win to earn a trip to the Super Bowl.

Irn-Bru · Post by **Irn-Bru** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 3:36 pm

The Ravens' website needs an editor. . .

This post reminded me of how lucky the Ravens' run to the Superbowl really was. They have to be the worst team ever to win an NFL championship. I hope that, should we win it all, we're not remembered the same way. . . :!:

The Hogster · Post by **The Hogster** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 3:52 pm

FanfromAnnapolis wrote:The Ravens' website needs an editor. . .

This post reminded me of how lucky the Ravens' run to the Superbowl really was. They have to be the worst team ever to win an NFL championship. I hope that, should we win it all, we're not remembered the same way. . .

Is this sarcasm? :lol:

I don't think they are remembered as the "luckiest" Superbowl champ. Everytime anyone speaks of them they speak of the dominance of their defense, and not luck.

I don't think any Superbowl Champ has ever been remembered as lucky, more like Champs. The Pats beat the Panthers by 3 pts after the Panthers kicker shanked a kickoff out of bounds and they got the ball at the 40. That is luck, but no one cares.

The Giants beat the Bills in 1990 after Scott Norwood missed a FG...that is luck, but no one cares.

I would love to be remembered as a Superbowl champ, and we can let the media decide if we were lucky or not. :wink:

Irn-Bru · Post by **Irn-Bru** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 4:21 pm

Don't get me wrong, Hoster. I'm not saying that the Ravens' Superbowl victory was luck. In fact, as I recall, they dominated that game.

When it comes to luck, I'm instead refering to the playoff games leading up to the Superbowl. Reading the summary, I see how many gamebreaker plays (the blocked FG, the INT return for a TD, the 94-yard pass to Sharpe that I remember watching, etc.) is took for them to win game after game. It's a much different road to the Superbowl than that of, say, the Patriots or the late 80's / early 90's Redskins, who played a solid game all the way through.

The reason I call the Ravens the worst team to ever win a Superbowl is because of how consistently poor their offense was all season. Yes, their defense was great--historically great--but I think there were a few teams in the NFC that could have given them a run for their money. Somehow the Giants made it all the way and choked.

I don't think the media will call that Ravens squad the worst ever to win a championship. My opinion of them, however, differs from that of the media. Maybe it's the associations that I have with Ravens fans in Annapolis (who now seem to be former-Ravens-fans, by the way) that makes me dislike them so much. I'm not sure.

I'm young and foolish, and right now I'm just excited to watch the Skins in the playoffs in an hour or so!