Baltimore Ravens · Franchise era 2 of 5
Defense wins the first title: the Baltimore Ravens story
Franchise era
2000—2006
Defense wins the first title
Baltimore Ravens
The story in one sentence
The 2000 defense overwhelmed the postseason and won Super Bowl XXXV; Reed and Jamal Lewis then helped Baltimore remain a yearly threat.
A historic unit sets the franchise standard
Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Jamal Lewis gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for flacco's january run.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 2000
What came before
The Ravens used their first draft to select Lewis and Ogden, giving a young franchise two Hall of Fame pillars before the wins arrived.
2001-01-07
Divisional Round: Baltimore Ravens vs Tennessee Titans
2001-01-14
Conference Championship: Baltimore Ravens vs Oakland Raiders
2001-01-28
Super Bowl: Baltimore Ravens vs New York Giants
After 2006
What came next
John Harbaugh and Flacco reached the playoffs in each of their first five seasons together, culminating in four road-or-neutral wins and the Super Bowl XLVII title.
The core