The Baltimore Ravens franchise, based in Baltimore, Maryland, is a professional American football team (gridiron). They play in the AFC North division in the American Football Conference (AFC) of the National Football League (NFL). The Ravens team is headquartered in Owings Mill, Maryland, and plays its home games at the M&T Bank Stadium.
The team, which was established in 1996, is one of the newer ones in the NFL. At that time, the then owner of the Cleveland Browns, Art Modell, announced his plans to move the franchise over to Baltimore from Cleveland. As a part of the settlement between Cleveland and the league, Modell was asked to leave behind the Browns completely – the team history, their colors and even their records for the city’s future replacement team.
In return for this sacrifice, he was allowed to relocate his own team and personnel over to Baltimore. This personnel would then create a new expansion team, which was valued at $2.98 billion in recent years. According to one source, the Ravens were valued at $3.9 billion (US) in early 2023 (source: Christina Gough, statistica). Relative to most sports franchises on the North American frontier, the Baltimore Ravens are very successful financially.
All About the Baltimore Ravens
Although it is a relatively new team on the NFL frontier, it is certainly one of the more successful teams since it was created. The Ravens have managed to achieve a 259-202-1 overall record (with a regular-season record of 243-190-1) and a postseason record of 16-12.
Moreover, the franchise has also qualified for the NFL playoffs an impressive 13 times since 2000. The franchise also has two Super Bowl wins at Super Bowl XXXV in 2000 and Super Bowl XLVII in 2012. Accordingly, they have also won two AFC Championship titles (also in 2000 and 2012) and have appeared in two additional AFC Championship games, losing in 2008 and 2011. The Ravens have won six AFC North division titles. They also hold a co-distinction with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the only franchises that are undefeated in Super Bowl appearances (with at least two appearances required).
At its inception, Ozzie Newsome led as the as General Manager from 1996 all the way until 2018. Under him, there were only three head coaches – Ted Marhibroda, Brian Billick, and John Harbaugh. At the time of writing, the latter remains the team’s head coach as they prepare for the 2023/24 NFL season. He has been in the role since 2008, making for a lengthy tenure.
The Baltimore Ravens had a record-breaking defensive lineup in the 2000 season and ever since have established an impressive reputation for defensive play. They have had several players, such as middle linebacker Ray Lewis, offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden, and safety Ed Reed earn a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The Baltimore Ravens Player Personnel
- Owner: Steve Bisciotti
- President: Sashi Brown
- Head coach: John Harbaugh
- General manager: Eric DeCosta
In November 1995, Modell announced that he intended to relocate his NFL Cleveland team over to Baltimore in 1996, enticed by the $25 million yearly operating subsidy that had been promised and the money available for a world-class stadium.
This did create some controversy, which came to an end when the NFL and representatives of Cleveland reached a settlement in February 1996. The city of Cleveland was promised that there would be another NFL team located there – either through expansion or relocation – and this would happen by 1999 at the latest. They also agreed that the Cleveland Browns colors, name, franchise record and even uniform design would stay in Cleveland. The franchise history doesn’t just include team wins and records, but even connections with Pro Football Hall of Fame players.
However, Modell could keep all his current player contracts but it would be considered a new expansion team – a new franchise, losing all of its past. So, Modell moved the Browns to Baltimore and thus became the owner of the new Ravens all the way through to 2003.
After the relocation, he hired Ted Marchibroda as the new Baltimore team Head Coach. He had already established himself as the Head Coach of the Baltimore Colts in the 1970s – and then the Indianapolis Colts in the early nineties. Modell then signed Ozzie Newsome as the director of football operations – and he was later promoted to Vice-President/General Manager.
The Ravens played their first two seasons at the Memorial Stadium, which was the former home of the Baltimore Colts, the Baltimore Orioles and the Baltimore Stallions of the Canadian Football League. In 1998, they moved to their new stadium, the M&T Bank Stadium next to Camden Yards.
The Baltimore Ravens Main Rivalries
The Baltimore Ravens main rivals in the NFL are:
The Pittsburgh Steelers
Without any shadow of a doubt, the Baltimore Ravens’ biggest rivals are the Pittsburgh Steelers – partly because of their geographical location. These two teams are separated by under 5 hours on the road along Interstate 70. However, on top of this, both of these teams are famous for their highly physical game style. As part of the AFC North, these two teams play each other twice every year and have met in the playoffs another four times. To date, up until the end of the 2022/23 season, it is Pittsburgh who leads the all-time series 33-25. They also hold a 3-1 advantage in Playoff games in the postseason.
The matchups between the Ravens and Steelers are usually too close to call – and in most of them in recent years, there have been less than four points in their matchups. Their two games from the 2022/23 season were separated by just 2 points and 3 points. As such, it is no surprise that the rivalry between these is not only significant, but it is also one of the most intense rivalries in the league today. The games are known for producing competitive endings.
The New England Patriots
The Baltimore Ravens and the New England Patriots first faced each other in 1996, but it wasn’t until 2007 that the rivalry really started to blossom. However, it started to escalate even more in 2009, when the Patriots defeated the Ravens 27-21 in a matchup that included a notable confrontation between the Ravens linebacker, Terrell Suggs and the Patriots quarterback, Tom Brady. Both of these players continued the rivalry after the game had concluded – taking verbal potshots at each other through the medium of the post-game media.
Although, by the end of the 2022/23 season, it was the Patriots that led the overall series 11-5, they have played each other four times in the postseason. They games have been right down the middle – 2 wins each. In the 2009 Wild Card Round, the Ravens won as they did in the 2012 AFC Championship Game. However, the 2011 AFC Championship Game was won by the Patriots as was the 2014 Divisional Round.
The Tennessee Titans
The interdivisional rivalry between the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans originally started back in the early 2000s, when both teams were playing in the AFC Central Division. Both teams had some bitter and tough games between them. It was the Ravens that was the first team to defeat the Titans at their new Adelphia Coliseum in the 2000 season. The Ravens went on to knock out the Tennessee Titans later on in the NFL playoffs that season.
Although there was a slight lull in the intensity, the rivalry saw a reemergence in the late 2010s. Although there isn’t any evident animosity between the cities of Nashville and Baltimore, the games between these two teams have recently become heated – including several hot-tempered verbal exchanges between both players and coaches. These franchises do not meet every season and the head-to-head record is limited but they have split it 13-13.
Baltimore Ravens Facts
Everything you need to know about the Baltimore Ravens…
Baltimore Ravens Nicknames
- Purple Pain
Championships Wins:
In NFL history, the Baltimore Ravens have won the Super Bowl Championships final game twice:
- 2000: Super Bowl XXXV
- 2012: Super Bowl XLVII
NFL/NFC Conference Championships
In the Baltimore Ravens history, they have won the AFC Conference Championships twice:
- 2000
- 2012
Division Championships
The Baltimore Ravens NFL team has won 13 Division championships – all as part of the AFC North division:
- 2003
- 2006
- 2011
- 2012
- 2018
- 2019
Playoff Berth Appearances
The Baltimore Ravens clinched NFL playoffs spots 13 times since they were first established as part of the AFC North division:
2000, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022.
Baltimore Ravens Home Fields
Since they were first created, the Baltimore Ravens have had two main home fields:
- The Memorial Stadium from 1996 until 1997
- The M&T Bank Stadium from 1998 until present
Baltimore Ravens Pro Football Hall of Famers
Here are the players who have spent all or part of their football careers playing for the Baltimore Ravens and who have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Players
- No. Player Position Dates Induction
- 26 Rod Woodson S 1998–2001 2009
- 82 Shannon Sharpe TE 2000–2001 2011
- 37 Deion Sanders CB 2004–2005 2011
- 75 Jonathan Ogden OT 1996–2007 2013
- 52 Ray Lewis LB 1996–2012 2018
- 20 Ed Reed S 2002–2012 2019
Coaches and Contributors
- Name Position Seasons Inducted
- Mike Singletary LB and Coach 2003–2004 1998
- Ozzie Newsome Executive and GM 1996–2018 1999
Baltimore Ravens Most Valuable Player Awards
In the history of the Super Bowl, they have had two Super Bowl MVP players,
- Season Player Position
- 2000 Ray Lewis LB
- 2012 Joe Flacco QB
Baltimore Ravens FAQs
Where Can I Bet on the Ravens Winning the Super Bowl?
For anyone living in a legal betting state, then there are more NFL sites for betting than in history. Pick a legislated bookmaker, click on Super Bowl, menu, teams and scroll through for the Ravens. Either bet on the team performance or single-player playlist playoffs performances such as touchdowns or rushing yards.
Before choosing your bet, check out the current location network news, pause and make an educated decision on what bet to make. Check out the Ravens’ Instagram, Twitter, Facebook pages, look through gamepass games insights etc to get find stats and information on the game. Pick a trustworthy betting site that has been endorsed. Preferably one that offers services such as live streaming, an audio gallery, promo offers and more.
Can I Make NFL Fantasy Bets on NFL Sites?
Yes, you can if you live in a regulated state. Choose a regulated fantasy football site and download draft fantasy filter. Search for your favorite Ravens players. You can then look through the draft fantasy menu games and put your managerial skills on display. However, be sure to only use recommended, legal and regulated sites before taking part.
Why is Baltimore Called Ravens?
The name was inspired by Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven. It was chosen in a competition to name the new team. It honors Poe, who spent the early part of his career in Baltimore and this is where he is buried. The name also fits in with other birds in town – like the Orioles.
