Tag: 2000 Baltimore Ravens

Ravens’ defense unshakeable in 20-10 win vs Chargers

The Ravens held the Chargers offense scoreless in the second and third quarter, sacked Justin Herbert three times, and forced three fumbles.

The Baltimore Ravens kept the Los Angeles Chargers offense nullified on Sunday night.

Holding the Chargers scoreless in the second and third quarters, the Ravens sacked quarterback Justin Herbert three times, forced three fumbles, and picked up one interception.

Chargers’ wide receiver, Keenan Allen had 14 catches for 106 yards, likely due to the absence of the Ravens’ defensive back, Marlon Humphrey.  Still, the Ravens held the Chargers to just one touchdown and just 26:37 total time of possession.

The Ravens offense converted just 30.7% of their third-down attempts.

However, the Baltimore defense was so unshakeable that the Chargers failed to build momentum. The Ravens now rank No. 2 in points allowed per game in the NFL. If this dominance continues, their chances of winning the AFC may materialize.

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is taking sacks and here’s why

The Baltimore Ravens allowed the Arizona Cardinals four sacks on QB Lamar Jackson in Week 8, and this should be an area of concern.

The Baltimore Ravens allowed the Arizona Cardinals to sack quarterback Lamar Jackson four times in Week 8. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken should be concerned as the Ravens head into the latter half of the season.

 
 
 
 
 
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Monken opted for a heavy pass attack versus the Cardinals and Jackson only completed 66.7% of his 27 pass attempts.

Monken’s dominance coaching at Georgia leads him to thinking he can approach NFL teams with lesser prestige with test schemes. Well, this approach can be costly in the NFL.

The Ravens saw their unwillingness to commit to running the ball backfire on Oct. 8, when they allowed 14 fourth-quarter points in a loss to the Steelers. On Sunday, the Ravens allowed 17 fourth-quarter points to Arizona, a result of fatigue for a Ravens defense that was on the field for 71 plays. Monken needs to take a lesson from these two games.

GLENDALE, ARIZONA – OCTOBER 29: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens walks off the field after his team’s 31-24 win against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on October 29, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

 

Ravens ILB Roquan Smith shares thoughts on mentality of team’s defense late in season

Ravens inside linebacker Roquan Smith talks about the mentality of the defense towards the end of the season

The Baltimore Ravens’ defense has been playing lights out ever since the team traded for inside linebacker Roquan Smith.  Smith arrived during Week 9 and the rest is history, as the unit has turned into one of the best in the NFL.

Smith and fellow linebacker Patrick Queen are the dynamic duo of the inside linebacker corps and compliment each other well. Smith talked to the media after practice in preparation for the Pittsburgh Steelers and was asked about the mentality of the defense heading into the end of the season.

“Honestly, I really don’t care. You can roll the ball out … See man – whatever. I’m here, and I think most of the guys have that same mindset. We’re ready regardless of the offense. It could be a spread, it could be a power-I; I think we can do it all, and we’ve got the pieces to handle any offense throughout the league.”

With the offense struggling since before the bye week, the Ravens’ defense has been stepping up in almost each and every game. They say defense wins championships, so the team will need their defense to help carry them heading into the playoffs.

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New ’30 for 30′ trailer on 2000 Ravens released

ESPN released a trailer for a 30 for 30 on the 2000 Baltimore Ravens

Over the summer, it was announced that ESPN was making a 30 for 30 documentary on the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, which is widely regarded as the most dominant defense of all time. Around an hour before the Ravens were set to play the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football, a trailer for the 30 for 30 was released.

In the trailer, we see clips of the defense dominating play in and play out.  The 2000 Ravens defense were labeled as “bullies”, which is a fair assessment to many.  If you played Baltimore in that era, the defense would keep opposing offenses up at night considering how good they were.

The 30 for 30 episode on the 2000 Baltimore Ravens is set to air in February 2023. It will feature odes to many different players, including inside linebacker Ray Lewis and the late-Tony Siragusa.

ESPN Films announces production of 30-for-30 documentary on 2000 Ravens

ESPN is starting to produce a 30-30 Film on the 2000 Ravens.

The Baltimore Ravens already have a storied history despite their franchise’s first year coming in 1996. They’ve been consistently competitive, and have secured two Super Bowl championships in a relatively short amount of time.

It was announced that ESPN Films has started a 30-30 film on the 2000 Baltimore Ravens.  Having a 30-30 made about that team is a massive accomplishment for the organization.  It’s going to be to see how the show is produced and what kind of behind-the-scenes footage can be shown.

The 2000 Ravens were a very close-knit group, so it should be great hearing from multiple people involved with the Super Bowl-winning team. They also had a swagger to them that made them fun to watch, even though the offense wasn’t very high powered. ESPN films has produced many great 30-for-30 masterpieces before, and it will be exciting to see what they put together to document what the 2000 Baltimore team was able to do on their magical championship run.

Relive the Ravens’ first Super Bowl win on the 20th anniversary

On this day 20 years ago, the Baltimore Ravens beat the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV for the team’s first Lombardi Trophy

As the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers prepare for Super Bowl LV, it’s worth taking a trip back in time to remember the Baltimore Ravens’ former glory.

On this day 20 years ago, the Ravens played in and won their first Super Bowl in franchise history. Baltimore decimated the New York Giants, 34-7, at Super Bowl XXXV, bringing home the first of what is two Lombardi Trophies sitting at the Under Armour Performance Center.

It had been an interesting season for the Ravens, the second year under coach Brian Billick. Known as an offensive genius during his time as an offensive coordinator with the Minnesota Vikings, Billick didn’t have quite the same touch in Baltimore. The offense was downright bad at points, quite famously going several weeks without scoring a single touchdown. Ultimately, it was a stifling defense and the steady leg of kicker Matt Stover that ended up being Billick’s legacy with the Ravens.

Baltimore’s defense, led by linebacker Ray Lewis, had not just broken but shattered a previous defensive milestone along the way. The Ravens’ defense broke the 1986 Chicago Bears’ record for the fewest points allowed in a season, besting it by 1.4 points-per-game. In a league that often breaks records previously thought to be untouchable, this is a record that legitimately could be held by Baltimore forever.

Yet, the Ravens weren’t heavy favorites over the Giants entering Super Bowl XXXV. Despite its historic defense and an offense that surprisingly found its groove in the postseason, outscoring their three playoff opponents 61-16, Baltimore opened as one-point favorites against New York, according to ESPN.

Ultimately, you know the way the story finishes. The Ravens went on to bully the Giants in all three phases of the game. Baltimore’s defense was the first to pitch a shutout as New York’s only points came on a punt return for a touchdown. This ended up being one of the early milestones in a Hall of Fame career for Ray Lewis. And Baltimore, painted purple throughout the postseason, got its first Lombardi Trophy.

Take a trip down memory lane with the NFL’s recap of Super Bowl XXXV below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNRtwijYhlo

Former Ravens DT Tony Siragusa drank shots out of Lombardi Trophy after Super Bowl XXXV

The former Ravens DT had some wild times with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the Ravens victory in Super Bowl XXXV

Looking back to the early weeks of 2001, there was clearly all manner of celebrations that occurred following the Baltimore Ravens victory over the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV, bringing the city of Baltimore it’s first football championship since 1971. The wildest, and perhaps oddest, celebrations likely came in private with defensive tackle Tony Siragusa.

Speaking during a watch party of the game for the Baltimore Ravens’ official site, Siragusa revealed he got some quality time with the trophy, getting to take it home with him.

Following the AFC Championship victory over the Oakland Raiders, Siragusa “told” David Modell — son of the Ravens owner Art Modell and a front office executive — that once Baltimore won the Super Bowl, Siragusa wanted one week with the trophy.

“After we won the Super Bowl, I went right over on the sideline and told [David Modell] I want that thing for a week and he gave it to me! He had a limo bring it up to me in Jersey. There was some crazy stuff, man.”

Siragusa was well known for his personality and jokes, as he frequently displayed on the “Hard Knocks” program the following offseason. So it comes as no surprise that Siragusa took full advantage of having the trophy for a week and got up to some pretty interesting antics.

“I made a lot of money, guys wanting to sleep with the Vince Lombardi Trophy. I took it to a bar, we turned it upside down and we were taking shots out of it. It was quite a thing.”

The NFL has changed a bit in the last two decades, but I still can’t help but wonder if there is a member of the current roster who would follow in Siragusa’s footsteps and have the Vince Lombardi Trophy accompany them on a night out following a Ravens victory. Let’s hope we get a chance to find out.

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