The big ball has dropped, confetti has rained from the sky and final kisses with loved ones were had to signify the 2010s are officially over. It’s been a great decade for the Baltimore Ravens, who have won 98 regular-season games, made the postseason six times and won Super Bowl XLVII. But there have been many defining moments in Ravens history over this last decade and plenty of key memories for fans.
To help ring in the new decade, we here at Ravens Wire take a quick look at the best moments for Baltimore over the last one.
Matthew Stevens:
Joe Flacco’s historic playoff run
Fans might not remember it now but the Ravens were not exactly known for great quarterback play prior to Flacco. They had gone through a list of names even the most diehard of fans would be hard-pressed to remember. From Tony Banks to Jeff Blake and Stoney Case, it was rough sledding for Baltimore until Flacco was drafted in 2008.
But even leading up to their Super Bowl run in 2012, most pundits were still doubtful Flacco could even be a consistently mediocre quarterback, much less an “elite” one. So it felt like beautiful vindication when Flacco heated up in the postseason to put together a historically impressive run.
Over three games in the playoffs, Flacco threw for 853 yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions to get the Ravens into Super Bowl XLVII. There against the San Francisco 49ers, Flacco threw for another 287 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions to win the Super Bowl MVP.
While Flacco had put together an amazing number of wins in his career prior to this playoff run, it was still too easy for pundits to take credit from Baltimore’s quarterback and place it on their defense or the whole team. But his 11 touchdowns and no interceptions tied NFL great Joe Montana for postseason stats, which couldn’t be ignored or brushed away. For at least a little while, Flacco was legitimately the league’s best quarterback.
Though some fans have been quick to dismiss Flacco’s meaning to the franchise with Lamar Jackson’s emergence, this was a key moment in Baltimore’s franchise history and put them on a road to continued success.