Ravens: Top 30 Moments in Team History
By Brett Foote
Oct 18, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; A Baltimore Ravens fan with a bird on his helmet during the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi
September 1st, 1996 – The Ravens play their first game, defeating the Oakland Raiders 19-14 at Memorial Stadium.
Brett Foote:
To say that Baltimore was hungry for the return of professional football to the Charm City proved to be a bit of an understatement when the 1996 season finally started. A whopping 64,124 fans showed up to see the Ravens host the Raiders, seting a record for the largest crowd in Baltimore professional sports history.
The Ravens rewarded their fans by picking up the win with a score of 19-14. Quarterback Vinny Testaverde scored the team’s first touchdown on a 9 yard run. Ray Lewis and Antonio Langham recorded interceptions on defense, Matt Stover was a perfect 2/2 on field goals, and the Ravens sacked Raiders quarterback Billy Joe Hobert 3 times on their way to a win.
Despite giving up two receiving touchdowns to future Hall of Fame wide receiver Tim Brown and scoring no touchdowns through the air, the Ravens were able to pull out a win with two scores on the ground and Stover’s field goals. It was a fitting start to what has been a winning tradition over the last 20 years.
Next: Time to move