The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland. They are members of the National Football League (NFL) as part of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the AFC North division. Established in 1996, the Ravens have played their home games at M&T Bank Stadium since 1998.
The team originated in the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy in 1995. Art Modell, then owner of the Browns, intended to relocate the team to Baltimore, a move which resulted in legal action that allowed Modell to retaining the Browns' existing player and staff contracts to spawn a new franchise, while Cleveland retained the Browns' name, history, and archives, then begin play in 1999 after a three-year period of "deactivation".
Modell's team was named the "Baltimore Ravens" after a fan contest and began play in the 1996 season. The team's name is a reference to the poem "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe, a famous writer who lived in the city. The Ravens victory over the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV to conclude the 2000 season was their first championship. They also won Super Bowl XLVII over the San Francisco 49ers to conclude the 2012 season. They are one of two teams with multiple Super Bowl appearances that are undefeated in the Super Bowl, along with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Ravens have faced the Green Bay Packers in seven head-to-head contests, with the Packers holding the edge, five wins to Baltimore's two.
On November 6, 1995, then Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell announced his intention to move the team to Baltimore, citing the inadequacy of Cleveland Stadium and the lack of a sufficient replacement along with his heavy debt. The decision triggered a flurry of legal activity that ended when representatives of Cleveland and the National Football League (NFL) reached a settlement on February 8, 1996. It stipulated that the Browns' name, colors, and history of the franchise were to remain in Cleveland, including past records and the attribution of its Pro Football Hall of Fame players. A reactivated Cleveland Browns team would then begin play in 1999, while Modell's relocated club would technically and legally be a "new franchise", but avoiding the growing pains of a true expansion team.
The selection of the nickname "Ravens" was inspired by the poetry of former Baltimore resident, Edgar Allan Poe. From a list of more than 100 possible nicknames presented, the list was trimmed to Ravens, Marauders and Americans. Fans were then invited to participate in a phone-in poll conducted by the Baltimore Sun. Out of more than 30,000 votes, nearly two-thirds picked Ravens.
The 2000 season saw the Ravens defense set a new NFL record in holding opposing teams to 165 total points. Inspired by linebacker Ray Lewis, who was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Baltimore won their last seven games of the regular season, finishing 12–4 as a wild-card team to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. The Ravens defeated the Denver Broncos 21-3, Tennessee Titans 24-10, and Oakland Raiders 16-3 on their way to reach Super Bowl XXXV.
Baltimore then went to Tampa for Super Bowl XXXV against the New York Giants, cruising to a 34–7 win for their first championship in franchise history. The Ravens recorded four sacks and forced five turnovers, one of which was an interception returned for a touchdown by Duane Starks. Ray Lewis was named the Super Bowl MVP for his leadership, as the defense allowed only 152 yards and no points (New York's only points were from a kick-off touchdown return).
The 2012 season saw the Ravens go 10-6 and win the AFC North. Buoyed by the return of Ray Lewis from a torn tricep and the play of quarterback Joe Flacco, the Ravens went on a remarkable run. In the playoffs, they beat the Indianapolis Colts 24-9, upset the Denver Broncos 38-35 in double overtime in the "Mile High Miracle", and the New England Patriots 28-13 (avenging their heartbreaking conference championship game loss from 2011) to reach Super Bowl XLVII. Coincidently, the San Francisco 49ers were coached by John Harbaugh's brother, Jim.
The Ravens jumped out to a 21-6 halftime lead behind Flacco's passing. Jacoby Jones returned the second half kickoff for a 108 yard touchdown (breaking Desmond Howard's Super Bowl record), and then a power outage occurred resulting in a 30 minute delay. The 49ers pulled to within five, but the Ravens made a defensive stand and took an intentional safety after running the clock down. They then made a tackle on the free kickoff to seal the win. Flacco was named Super Bowl MVP after completing 22 of 33 passes for 287 yards and 3 touchdowns. This was Lewis's final game.
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