Ravens Seasons That Started With A Bang!
The Baltimore Orioles are going for a 5-0 record tonight, against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Orioles started the season in such an amazing fashion (a Matt Weiters walk-off base hit), that it got me thinking about the best opening games in Ravens history. The Ravens have had some pretty incredible moments to begin the season.
The perfect season opener is a home game. So the Ravens thrilling 10-9 victory over the Jets in 2010 is off the table, for this list. The Ravens also started the 2006 season with a memorable 27-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2006. The 2006 season was probably the best first quarter of the season, the team ever had. They went 4-0 and had dominated their first two opponents. So the top five season openers all happened in Baltimore.
In these five games the Ravens delivered their best performances for their home crowd. These five week oe victories propelled the Ravens to great seasons. Hopefully the Orioles have a tremendous 2016 season. It will certainly make the wait for football a little easier, in Baltimore. For now, please enjoy this trip down memory lane. These are the top season openers for the Baltimore Ravens.
Next: 5. Ravens Host Bears 2001
5. Ravens Host Bears 2001
This is one that is a personal favorite of mine. It was the first Ravens game I ever went to. The Ravens hosted the Chicago Bears and the entire day was a celebration of the Super Bowl victory in the 2000 season. There was an inflated Lombardi Trophy on the field, before the game. The crowd went wild in jubilation before the football was even kicked off. I couldn’t imagine a better day than that. It was my first Ravens game, with my Dad and it was perfect.
The Ravens won the game 17-6. It was a pretty dominant game by the Ravens. Victory was never in question, as Shane Matthews and the Bears offense couldn’t move the ball at all. The Ravens defense picked up where it left off. The Bears managed to get just 56 rushing yards. Matthews was picked off twice (once by Ray Lewis) and threw for only 138 yards. The Ravens defense was unrelenting.
This was an awful game for those who like offensive football. It was a defensive slugfest. Being a Ravens fan, that was the kind of game you wanted. The offense was never the main attraction back in the day. Ray Lewis and the defense put on quite the show.
Next: 4. Joe Flacco Runs Wild In Debut
4. Joe Flacco Runs Wild In His Debut
Joe Flacco dropped back to pass in his first game with the Ravens. The Bengals defense was playing man coverage, and were down the field with the Ravens receivers. Flacco tucked the ball in and ran. He took off for an improbable 37 yard touchdown scamper. That was Flacco’s first touchdown in the NFL. The Ravens beat the Cincinnati Bengals 17-10.
Think about how big of a day that was for the Ravens. They had a new head coach in John Harbaugh. Because of some lucky twists of fate, Flacco had to start the season under center instead of on the bench. It was also the first game for Ray Rice, who went on to be one of the best Ravens of all time (until well, you know). It was a brand new era in Ravens football.
Nobody knew what to expect from the Ravens in that game, or for the season really. This game assured the Ravens faithful, that their team was on the way up. It was a new beginning and it was off to a great start.
Next: 3. Ravens Stomp Chiefs
3. Ravens Stomp Chiefs
The Ravens hosted the Kansas City Chiefs to begin the 2009 season. Joe Flacco had a great game. He threw for 307 yards and three touchdowns. The Ravens beat the Chiefs 38-24. The game was actually closer than it seemed. The Ravens were up 17-14 at the end of the third quarter. The Ravens outscored Kansas City, 21-10 in the action packed fourth quarter.
The Ravens offense started the season with five touchdowns. They only punted three times and they put up 501 total yards. If it weren’t for a Flacco interception, this may have been the perfect performance by the offense. The Ravens dominated time of possession with over 39 minutes with the football.
The signature play from this game was Flacco’s 31 yard touchdown pass to Mark Clayton. Flacco hit him right over his shoulder in the back of the end zone. It was a thing of beauty.
Next: 2. A Super Start To A Super Season
2. A Super Start To A Super Season
The Ravens got off to a strong start in the 2012 season against the Bengals. This was an absolute beat down of the Bengals, as the Ravens won 44-13. The Ravens scored five touchdowns, including a 34 yard interception return by Ed Reed. Joe Flacco had a flawless performance in the opener, throwing for 299 yards and two touchdown passes. It was the kind of start a Super Bowl season should have.
Flacco was on fire in this game. He threw a beautiful 10 yard touchdown pass to Dennis Pitta over a defender. He threw a 34 yard bomb to Anquan Boldin for a score. Flacco and the Ravens were unstoppable that night. If ever there was a game where everything just went the Ravens way, this was it. This was the Ravens night.
The Ravens would go on to win their second straight division championship, the AFC Championship and most importantly, the Super Bowl. It was a classic Ravens game. Ray Lewis and Haloti Ngata both got a sack. Ed Reed had a pick six, and Flacco was throwing fire. It was awesome.
Next: 1. Ravens Crush The Steelers
1. Ravens Crush The Steelers
It was the season opener of the 2011 season, and the Ravens Super Bowl. They hosted their arch rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers were the hump the Ravens just couldn’t get over… until the 2011 season began. In an emotional game that meant more than starting off 1-0, the Ravens won 35-7. It was the greatest jubilation a Ravens fan could ask for.
The Steelers turned it over seven times that day. Ben Roethlisberger who fumbled when Haloti Ngata crushed him, also threw three interceptions. That game was cathartic to say the very least. Joe Flacco had 224 yards and three touchdowns. Flacco’s touchdown pass to Ed Dickson was a big deal, because he fooled Troy Polamalu, with his eyes. This was a big step in Flacco’s confidence against the Steelers.
Next: Ravens History Of Great Defense
If you were going to make a Hollywood script about a Ravens fans perfect day… it would read a lot like this massacre of the Steelers. The game began with a quick touchdown pass to Anquan Boldin. The emotion in that first strike against the Steelers was easy to feel. It was the Ravens revenge, and it felt so good.