Baltimore Ravens

Overview

The Baltimore Ravens are a franchise of the National Football League (NFL) based in Baltimore, Maryland. The team was founded in 1996, after Art Modell, the owner of the Cleveland Browns franchise, reached a deal to relocate his organization to Baltimore but leave behind its name and franchise history. The Ravens therefore became an expansion team, joining the American Football Conference (AFC). They originally competed in the AFC Central division and moved to the AFC North in 2002.

After posting poor records during their first few seasons, the Ravens emerged as a frequent playoff contender in the early twenty-first century, known especially for their focus on defense. In the 2000 season, Baltimore not only reached the postseason for the first time, but went on to defeat the New York Giants 34–7 in Super Bowl XXXV. They reached the Super Bowl again in the 2012 season and beat the San Francisco 49ers 34–31 to win their second championship title. The Ravens' sustained success and devoted fan base helped make the franchise among the top fifty most valuable sports teams in the world into the 2020s.

Quick Facts

Inaugural season: 1996

Home field: M&T Bank Stadium

Owner(s): Steve Bisciotti

Team colors: Purple, black, metallic gold

History

The city of Baltimore, Maryland, was home to a few different professional American football teams over the years. The original Baltimore Colts played in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) from 1947 to 1949 and then the National Football League (NFL) in 1950 before dissolving. A second NFL franchise called the Baltimore Colts began play in 1953. However, the Colts relocated to Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1984 amid much controversy; owner Bob Irsay moved the team out in the middle of the night because Baltimore planned to use the government power of eminent domain to keep the franchise in the city. Many Baltimore residents were outraged by the move, and the city worked for years to get another NFL team. However, attempts to include Baltimore in the league's planned expansion in 1995 fell through.

Meanwhile, the Browns franchise in Cleveland, Ohio, was facing financial challenges and tensions with the city government. Offered incentives by Baltimore, Browns owner Art Modell announced that he was moving the team to Maryland after the 1995 season. Despite Cleveland voting to approve $175 million to update the Browns' stadium, Modell persisted, drawing legal challenges from the city of Cleveland and Browns fans. In early 1996, the NFL reached a compromise in which Modell was allowed to move his team, retaining current player and staff contracts, but would begin operations in Baltimore as a new franchise. The Browns name and team records would remain in Cleveland, where the NFL promised to bring back a team (the Browns franchise was ultimately reactivated for the 1999 season).

Modell announced the name of the new Baltimore team on March 29, 1996, following a fan poll by the Baltimore Sun newspaper. Of the final three name options, "Ravens" was the clear favorite with 21,108 votes. "Americans" came in second with 5,597 votes, closely trailed by 5,583 votes for "Marauders." The winning name was drawn from the poem "The Raven" by famed writer Edgar Allan Poe, who was buried in Baltimore. Modell reportedly had attempted to buy the Colts name but did not like the asking price. Among other names considered, Bombers and Marauders referenced the B-26 planes built near Baltimore during World War II; Americans was a nod to a locomotive built in Baltimore; and Railers and Steamers were also inspired by the city's train heritage.

The Ravens were assigned to play in the American Football Conference (AFC) Central Division beginning in the 1996 season. More than fifty thousand season tickets were sold within two weeks, and all ten home games, including two preseason games, sold out. The team opened the Owens Mills training facility on April 1, 1996. The Ravens’ first draft pick, Jonathan Ogden, was made on April 20.

The team first settled into Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium, where it would remain for another year. The Ravens' first regular-season game saw them defeat the Oakland Raiders, 19–14. However, Baltimore ended its debut season with just a 4–12 record under head coach Ted Marchibroda, a former Colts coach. Marchibroda remained with the Ravens through the 1998 season, when he was replaced by Brian Billick. In 1998, the team also relocated to a new home facility, originally called Ravens Stadium but officially renamed PSINet Stadium in 1999 and then M&T Bank Stadium in 2003.

The Ravens struggled financially for several years. The NFL responded by telling Modell to sell the franchise. He agreed to sell 49 percent of the team to Steve Bisciotti. The deal, which the NFL approved on March 27, 2000, gave Bisciotti the option of buying Modell’s 51 percent in 2004 for $325 million. The NFL approved Bisciotti’s purchase of the majority stake in the franchise on April 9, 2004.

Meanwhile, the Ravens' on-field fortunes improved drastically. After posting losing records again in 1997 and 1996 and going 8–8 in 1999, they went 12–4 in 2000, securing their first-ever playoff berth. The 2000 team especially stood out on defense, setting an NFL record with just 165 points allowed in the regular season. Baltimore then beat the Denver Broncos in the wild card round, the Tennessee Titans in the divisional round, and the Oakland Raiders in the AFC Championship Game. Reaching Super Bowl XXXV, the Ravens dominated the New York Giants to win the first championship in franchise history.

Baltimore remained fairly competitive through most of the 2000s, continuing their defense-first reputation. Billick coached the team to postseason appearances in 2001, 2003, and 2006 (when they went 13–3 to win the AFC North), although they failed to advance past the divisional round. John Harbaugh took over as head coach in the 2008 season and quickly led the Ravens to a period of even more consistent success. The team went 11–5 in 2008 and reached the AFC Championship before falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Ravens had winning records and made the playoffs in each of the next four seasons. This strong run culminated in the 2012 season, when the franchise earned its second Super Bowl appearance and title, defeating the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII.

The Ravens then went through a relative downturn, reaching the playoffs only once over the next five years. The improved again in the late 2010s and early 2020s, however. Late in the 2018 season, rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson took over from longtime starter Joe Flacco and quickly emerged as a major NFL star. Jackson helped the Ravens secure back-to-back division titles in 2018 and 2019, notably going 14–2 in the latter season. They also made the playoffs in 2020, 2022, and 2023, when they again won the AFC North and made it to the conference championship game.

Notable Players

As a relatively young NFL franchise, only a few players known primarily for their time with the Ravens have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Jonathan Ogden, the Ravens’ first-ever draft pick, was also the franchise's first athlete to achieve this honor. He was inducted in 2013 after playing twelve NFL seasons, all with Baltimore. Ogden was an eleven-time Pro Bowler and part of the Super Bowl XXXV winning team.

Linebacker Ray Lewis also played his whole professional career with Baltimore, from the team's first season in 1996 through 2012. He led the team in tackles during his rookie season and repeated that feat thirteen more times, becoming a linchpin of the Ravens' formidable defense. A two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award winner, he was also named the most valuable player (MVP) for Super Bowl XXXV. Widely regarded as one of the best linebackers in football history, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.

Safety Ed Reed was the third player to reach the Hall of Fame as a Raven, inducted in 2019. He had seventy-three career interceptions during his eleven seasons in Baltimore from 2002 to 2012. Reed set several NFL records during his career, including for most interception return yards and longest interception return. He was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2004.

Many other players have had highly distinguished careers with the Ravens. Some of the most notable have been inducted into the team's own Ring of Honor. Terrell Suggs played in Baltimore from 2003 to 2018 and is regarded as one of the NFL’s all-time greatest pass rushers. Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata is considered one of the best defenders in NFL history. He was a first-round draft pick by the Ravens in 2006 and remained with the team through 2014, making five Pro Bowls and playing a key role in the team's run to Super Bowl XLVII. Guard Marshal Yanda was drafted by the Ravens in 2007 and over the next twelve years earned seven All-Pro selections and eight Pro Bowl selections.

While most famous for their defense, the Ravens also benefited from steady quarterback play on offense for many years. Quarterback Joe Flacco was drafted by Baltimore in 2008 and was the team's leading passer over the next decade. He helped the Ravens to two AFC North titles, six playoff appearances, three AFC Championship appearances, and victory in Super Bowl XLVII, for which he earned the Super Bowl MVP Award. After Flacco was sidelined by an injury in 2018, he was succeeded at quarterback by Lamar Jackson. Flacco was then traded away before the 2019 season and Jackson emerged as the new face of the franchise, known for his ability as both a rusher and a passer. Jackson broke multiple NFL records for quarterback rushing and won the NFL MVP Award in 2019 and 2023.

Bibliography

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McNally, Brian. “How the Ravens are Trying to Replace the Legendary Terrell Suggs.” NBC Sports, 24 July 2019, www.nbcsports.com/washington/ravens/how-ravens-are-trying-replace-legendary-terrell-suggs. Accessed 25 July 2019.

Mink, Ryan. “Haloti Ngata Returning to Retire as a Raven.” Baltimore Ravens, 28 May 2019, www.baltimoreravens.com/news/haloti-ngata-returning-to-retire-as-a-raven. Accessed 25 July 2019.

Shaffer, Jonas. “Twenty Years Ago, the Ravens Got Their Name. Here Were the Other Serious and Silly Options.” Baltimore Sun, 29 Mar. 2016, www.baltimoresun.com/sports/bal-20-years-ago-the-ravens-got-their-name-here-were-the-other-serious-and-silly-options-20160329-story.html. Accessed 25 July 2019.

Sibilla, Nick. “Over Thirty Years Ago, Maryland Tried to Seize an NFL Team.” Forbes, 28 Mar. 2014, www.forbes.com/sites/instituteforjustice/2014/03/28/thirty-years-ago-baltimore-tried-to-use-eminent-domain-to-seize-an-nfl-team/#4af3544741f5. Accessed 25 July 2019.