Nothing is more exciting than a game winning play by the Baltimore Ravens. Here are the top five times this has happened:
5. Justin Tucker hits a 61 yard field goal against the Detroit Lions
The Baltimore Ravens have the best kicker in the NFL, maybe even in NFL history. This list could have included a handful of kicks by Tucker. I could have put in the kick he had against the Denver Broncos which sealed a double overtime playoff victory. I could have put the kick he had in the rain this year against the San Francisco 49ers. The point is that Tucker is almost automatic and is very trusted in the clutch moments of a game. To make sure everybody gets their due I have Tucker’s career long as the one field goal that makes the list. There were 11 game winning field goals to choose from. A top 10 Justin Tucker game winning kicks post is a good idea, but that will have to be done on a different day. We have a lot of cool moments to touch on.
Tucker has plenty of leg and the Ravens are always willing to test just how much he has. Tucker lined up to kick the game winner against the Lions with 43 seconds left in the game. The 2013 Ravens were still in the hunt for the playoffs and they needed this game. On this kick Tucker got just enough on it and he was able to sneak the ball just inside the upright.
It was a dramatic kick but it was also Tucker’s sixth field goal of the game. The Ravens didn’t even get one touchdown in the game and they still won. They put Tucker to work, which is another good reason for this to be the one game winning kick on this list. He scored 18 points in a game. At least in the regular season there isn’t a more amazing field goal in Ravens history. It shows you how good this list is that this is just number five.
4. Shannon Sharpe beats the Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars used to be one of the best teams in the AFC and the Ravens had a lot of trouble against them. The 2001 Ravens were able to win two close games against their AFC Central rivals. Yeah, a lot has changed hasn’t it? AFC Central has such an old school sound to it. The Ravens were trying to win a tight game in Jacksonville. Elvis Grbac led the Ravens down the field and with 14 seconds left the Ravens used their last time out and needed a touchdown inside the 10 yard line.
Grbac dropped back and threw it quickly and high for Shannon Sharpe in the back of the end zone. The defensive back didn’t even have time to get into position. Sharpe had a very quick double move to get into the back of the end zone and caught the ball over his shoulder. The most amazing thing about the touchdown was how much Sharpe had to do. On a short pass, with a quick release he had to get open in the end zone. He had to catch the ball and somehow manage to get his feet down in bounds. The throw was where it had to be, but that play was all Sharpe. Those are the kinds of plays you see from the all-time greats.
This is a game you may have forgotten about but it was one of the more exciting finishes in Ravens history and it certainly belongs on this list. The 2001 Ravens were really good. It was basically the Super Bowl team without Jamal Lewis, because of an injury. Yes, Ravens fans will never be keen on the Trent Dilfer to Elvis Grbac switch. This is one moment where Grbac led the Ravens down the field for a win. The Ravens won 10 games and got to there second consecutive trip to the playoffs. It’s good to include the 2001 team here for that reason.
3. Ed Reed breaks a record against the Cleveland Browns:
This is a moment I have definitely written about before but it never gets old does it? Plus, how could you do this list without Ed Reed’s 106 yard interception return to beat the Browns? That would be like listing the top Led Zepplin songs without naming “Stairway to Heaven.” This play was clutch as all get out which makes it one of the more memorable plays from Reed’s highlight reel of a carer. This is also from 2004, the year Reed won the NFL Defensive Player of the year award. Serious question though, how did he win that award only once?
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Here’s what happened. The Browns are driving down the field. If they score a touchdown they win unless the Ravens can come up with a miracle with little time left. The Browns needed a touchdown and an extra point to take a 1 point lead. Instead the Ravens got a touchdown and put the game away. Reed caught a tipped pass in the end zone and ran down the sideline for the 106 yard interception return. At the time it was the longest interception return in NFL history and it was basically a walk off interception. What was starting to look like a comeback win for the Browns turned into a 27-13 win for the Ravens. The fact that Reed broke this record again in 2008 makes this an even more notable pick six.
There was no way that this list could have not had the greatest safety in the history of football. There was just no way Reed could have been left off the list. Reed was one of the most clutch players ever. It felt like if the Ravens really needed a big play in a big moment, Reed was going to give it to them. Loving Ed Reed was always one of the easier parts of being a member of the Ravens Flock, wasn’t it?
2. Ray Lewis crushes Darren Sproles on 4th and 2
This is one you knew would be on the list. It’s a pretty special play because of all the great plays Ray Lewis has made, this may be the best one. The San Diego Chargers needed two yards on fourth down. If they got the conversion it felt like they were going to score and win the game. It was a big moment in a back and forth game. Ray Lewis shot through the offensive line with a purpose. Right when Darren Sproles got the hand-off from Phillip Rivers, he also got a bone crushing hit from an all-time great linebacker.
Lewis knew right away what the play was going to be. He put all his marbles in attacking the football. He shot right by the center and the guard. He was untouched. and he had a full head of steam going. Ray Lewis was one of the most feared defenders in NFL history. This was a reminder that he was the hardest hitting linebacker in football. He hit Sproles with purpose and he knew he was going to do it before the football was even snapped. This play showed Lewis really had it all. He was a great athlete, a football smart player and he had better instincts than just about every linebacker that ever played in the NFL.
This is a top five play in Ray Lewis’s career, but its the best game winning play he made. When you think of the classic Ray Lewis moments, this one comes right up in your mind. This was a potential game winning drive that ended with a tackle behind the line of scrimmage, That’s the best way a linebacker can do his job. This was the most textbook perfect play a linebacker may have ever made. The timing was amazing. It was a jaw dropping moment.
1. Torrey Smith caps a 92 yard drive in Pittsburgh:
The Baltimore Ravens had to march 92 yards down the field to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers. The game was in Pittsburgh. The Ravens had a chance to sweep the Steelers after losing to the Steelers in the playoffs the prior season. Like most Ravens vs. Steelers games it held huge implications in the race for the division title. No pressure right? Well imagine being a Torrey Smith as a rookie in that moment. Imagine dropping a game winning touchdown pass and having another chance at it a few plays later. Could you have dealt with this pressure? Luckily for the 2011 Ravens, Smith stepped up and made the catch.
In all the dramatic moments between the Ravens and the Steelers, this may have been the most tense Ravens fans have ever been. The Steelers came back and took the lead late. It was a breaking point. The Ravens had to stop letting this happen. They had to take control of the division and they had to do it in Pittsburgh. The Ravens would end up winning back to back AFC North titles so this was a huge moment in Ravens history.
For this list we looked only at regular season game winners. However this catch by Torrey Smith felt like a playoff game winning catch. It felt bigger than just one win. It was an emotional moment and it is easily the most memorable play of Smith’s career with the Ravens. Explaining the weight of this moment is hard to do. It’s not up there with the Jacoby Jones Hail Mary against the Broncos but that’s about the one play that can top what this one meant for the Ravens.
The Ravens have had some great game winning plays in the franchise history. Look at the names on this list. Joe Flacco to Torrey Smith. Ray Lewis. Ed Reed, Justin Tucker. Shannon Sharpe. That’s pretty elite company. Those are the names you absolutely expect to be involved in a list like this.