Nov 1, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis gets introduced during the first quarter against the San Diego Chargers at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
December 31st, 2000 – The Ravens beat the Denver Broncos 21-3 in the first postseason game in franchise history, a home bout in the AFC Wild Card game.
The 2000 season was special for a lot of reasons, much of that courtesy of the Ravens’ historic defensive efforts. One moment that is often forgotten from that magical year was the Ravens’ very first playoff game, one that began their dominant run that ended in a Super Bowl victory.
This game was as dominant of a road victory as you can get. The Ravens rushed for 122 yards and 2 touchdowns while limiting the Broncos to 42 total rushing yards. The defense sacked Broncos quarterback Gus Frerotte 5 times, limiting him to a 47% completion rate.
The Ravens didn’t need to do much in the passing game thanks to their dominant defense and running game, and neither did kicker Matt Stover, who only had to hit his 3 extra point attempts. Quarterback Trent Dilfer only attempted 14 passes on the day, connecting on 9 for 130 yards and a touchdown.
This was a game that started a historic postseason run in which the Ravens outscored their opponents by a whopping 95-23, one of the most dominant showings in NFL history.
Next: The first Lombardi