The Baltimore Ravens are one of the newer teams in the NFL and play as part of the AFC North division. They joined the NFL after moving from Cleveland to set up an extension franchise in the NFL’s now-defunct AFC Central division, ahead of the 1996 NFL season.
The move saw the city of Baltimore return to the NFL after a dozen years out. Their spell initially ended when the Baltimore Colts relocated to Indiana ahead of the 1984 NFL season. With a newly rebranded team, the city got behind the players wholeheartedly and stuck with them in their four seasons of struggle.
The third season (1998 NFL season) saw Baltimore Ravens move from the historic Memorial Stadium where the Colts played for 30 years to the new M&T Bank Stadium.
Following the relocation, the team’s fortunes turned, and their three-season losing run ended. They finished the 1999 NFL season at 8-8 and in the next campaign; they proved to the league and the country that it wasn’t just a flash in the pan.
The Ravens have excelled in their short time in the NFL with six divisional titles, two conference championships, and two Super Bowl wins.
Their first Super Bowl win as Baltimore Ravens came in the 2000 NFL season. The Ravens cobbled a 12-4 record and finished in the six-team AFC Central behind Tennessee Titans.
Over the course of the regular season, the team made waves over its robust defense that allowed opposing offenses to advance just 970 yards. They conceded just five rushing touchdowns, which stands as a record for a 16-game NFL season.
In the Playoffs, the Ravens’ defense remained imperious, and only the Titans who played them in the divisional round could reach double digits.
On January 28, 2001, Baltimore decimated New York Giants 34-7 at Super Bowl XXXV. Linebacker Ray Lewis claimed the Super Bowl MVP award. He would go on to feature in the franchise’s second Vincent Lombardi Trophy win a dozen years later.
The win was the genesis of the team’s rise in the NFL. They did not fade away and remained a consistent feature in the NFL Playoffs. The Baltimore Ravens have made it past the regular season in 11 of the next 19 seasons, following the Super Bowl triumph.
The Baltimore Ravens are owned by Steve Bisciotti. He purchased part of the franchise ahead of the Super Bowl-winning season in 2000. Per the terms of the purchase, he had the option to buy the Ravens outright, and Biscotti exercised the option ahead of the 2004 NFL season.
He took a bold call to part ways with a Super Bowl-winning coach, but his new hire was justified. John Harbaugh came on board in the same season as Joe Flacco. The duo combined to take the Ravens to a franchise-best four successive postseason appearances and one Super Bowl for the 2012 NFL season.
The Baltimore Ravens made the most of many teams passing up on a Heisman winner and drafted him at #32 overall at the 2018 NFL draft. Lamar Jackson possessed supreme rushing skills, and many regarded him as a running back. However, he remained steadfast on wanting to play quarterback and the team gave him a chance.
Jackson got his chance midway through the 2018 NFL campaign when Super Bowl XLVII MVP Joe Flacco sustained an injury.
In the team’s second season with quarterback Lamar Jackson, the team put together the best run of the NFL regular season. Their 14-2 record had them pegged as Super Bowl favorites. However, they lost in the first playoff round. Nevertheless, the quarterback became only the second player to earn the regular season MVP award with a unanimous vote.
The 2020 season will see Lamar Jackson aim to guide Baltimore Ravens to a third consecutive playoff appearance. His goal will be to win a post-season game and lift the Vincent Lombardi Trophy.
The Baltimore Ravens are a relatively new franchise. Yet they have hit headlines over their logo and had to shake things up near the turn of the century.
The issue arose as the Baltimore dweller was peeved at not getting credit for a design similar to what he had given to the franchise.
After the jury ruled against the franchise, they elected to craft a new logo. The Baltimore Ravens dropped the helmet theme and adopted the crest they use even today. Chiefly, the insignia features a raven looking to the right with the gold-tinted letter ‘B’ plastered on the side of its head.
The Baltimore Ravens have a 52-player roster for the 2020 NFL season. This comprises three quarterbacks, five running backs, six wide receivers, two tight ends, nine offensive linemen, seven defensive linemen, nine linebackers, eight defensive backs, and three special team players.
| Quarterbacks | 3 Robert Griffin III 8 Lamar Jackson 7 Trace McSorley |
| Running Backs | 27 J. K. Dobbins 35 Gus Edwards 43 Justice Hill 21 Mark Ingram Jr. 42 Patrick Ricard FB |
| Wide Receivers | 80 Miles Boykin 15 Marquise Brown 13 Devin Duvernay 10 Chris Moore 11 James Proche 83 Willie Snead |
| Tight Ends | 89 Mark Andrews 86 Nick Boyle |
| Offensive linemen | 77 Bradley Bozeman G 67 Ben Bredeson G 70 D. J. Fluker G 72 Ben Powers G 65 Patrick Mekari C 68 Matt Skura C 79 Ronnie Stanley T 78 Orlando Brown Jr. T 74 Tyre Phillips T |
| Defensive linemen | 93 Calais Campbell DE 95 Derek Wolfe DE 92 Justin Madubuike DE 53 Jihad Ward DE 96 Broderick Washington Jr. DE 98 Brandon Williams NT 71 Justin Ellis NT |
| linebackers | 50 Otaro Alaka ILB 49 Chris Board ILB 48 Patrick Queen ILB 58 L. J. Fort ILB 40 Malik Harrison ILB 99 Matthew Judon OLB 90 Pernell McPhee OLB 54 Tyus Bowser OLB 45 Jaylon Ferguson OLB |
| Defensive backs | 26 Geno Stone SS 36 Chuck Clark SS 41 Anthony Levine SS 44 Marlon Humphrey CB 23 Anthony Averett CB 24 Marcus Peters CB 22 Jimmy Smith CB 32 DeShon Elliott FS |
| Special teams | 46 Morgan Cox LS 4 Sam Koch P 9 Justin Tucker K |
| Founded | 1996 |
| President | Dick Cass |
| Conference | AFC |
| Division | AFC North |
| Head Coach | John Harbaugh |
| Location/Stadium | M&T Stadium |
| Championships | AFC (2000, 2012) AFC North (2003, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2018, 2019) |
| Super Bowl | 2 (2000, 2012) |
| Official website | Baltimore Ravens |
| Mascot | Poe |