What's the Greatest Team in Ravens History?
The Baltimore Ravens are coming up on their 30th anniversary soon, and they've been blessed with some great teams over the years.
After an underwhelming first few years - which is to be expected for any new team even if the Ravens weren't a traditional expansion franchise - Baltimore has established itself as one of the league's most consistent teams for nearly a quarter of a century. With two Super Bowls and 15 playoff appearances in 28 seasons, the Ravens have done very well for themselves all things considered.
So when the question of the best team in franchise history comes up, the Ravens have some very strong options. Of course, the discussion will eventually come down to the two championship teams, 2000 and 2012, and of those two, CBS Sports' Brian DeArdo believes the former wins out.
"The Ravens' 2012 championship team may have been a more balanced unit, but the utter dominance of Baltimore's 2000 defense gives them the nod as the franchise's greatest team," DeArdo writes.
"That season, Baltimore's defense, led by Ray Lewis and Hall of Fame safety Rod Woodson, recorded four shutouts during the regular season before allowing a total of 23 points in four postseason games. In Super Bowl XXXV, the Ravens' defense shut out the Giants' offense while holding New York to just 152 total yards."
As DeArdo mentioned, the 2000 Ravens may have the best defense the NFL has ever seen. That unit featured Lewis and Woodson as the headliners, but others like Peter Boulware and Sam Adams were key contributors as well. The Ravens finished at or near the top of the league in most defensive stats, and their 10.3 points allowed per game is a record for a 16-game season.
Baltimore's defense was obviously the highlight that season, but the other units weren't slouches by any means. The offense did more than enough to succeed behind a strong ground game, while Jermaine Lewis was a threat to go deep on nearly every return.
The 2012 Ravens are a great team in their own right, but when comparing them to the 2000 team, the choice is clear. Not only did the 2012 team have no unit come close to the 2000 defense, but that iteration of the Ravens won the Super Bowl mostly because they got hot at the right time, whereas the 2000 team dominated all season. That's not a knock on the 2012 team, they won it all and that's what mattters, but it is a noticeable difference between the two.
Baltimore continues to push for another Super Bowl soon, and if it can get there, then perhaps that team can be in the discussion for the best in franchise history as well.
JON ALFANO