Positive thoughts, fellow Ravens fans. Positive thoughts.
We have plenty of happy Ravens memories to sustain us until the Ravens start winning again. In honor of the Ravens returning home this weekend and hosting the San Diego Chargers, today’s Flashback Friday looks back at the matchup between the two teams from the 2000 season when the Ravens clinched their first ever playoff berth.
The game was played at PSINet Stadium right here in Baltimore on December 10, 2000. The Ravens were entering play at 9-4 on the season and were on the verge of clinching a playoff berth and ending the infamous “P-word” ban. If you recall, head coach Brian Billick banned the word “playoffs” inside the locker room until the team officially clinched. Of course, the players found a way around that by using the phrase “Festivus” when talking about the playoffs. (Festivus was the holiday invented by Frank Costanza on the TV series “Seinfeld”.)
Anyway, the Ravens had a pretty ferocious defense that year in case you didn’t know for some reason. The Chargers were, uhh, terrible in 2000. They arrived in Charm City sporting a fantabulous record of 1-12, and their quarterback was the now-incarcerated Ryan Leaf.
The Chargers’ offense managed a grand total of 128 yards on the afternoon and only had one drive longer than 15 yards during the entire game. And, naturally, they failed to score on that drive. The table below shows the Chargers’ drives throughout the course of the game:
If it wasn’t for the 65 yard drive in the 3rd quarter, the Chargers would have finished the game with 63 total yards and three first downs. They also would have only had the ball for a little over 13 minutes for the entire game.
Their only points came after a Trent Dilfer interception late in the 2nd quarter. It was a fairly sloppy game overall, as the two teams combined for six first half turnovers. The Ravens scored a field goal on their opening drive of the game but failed to score again until late in the half. Dilfer hit WR Qadry Ismail in the corner of the end zone for a 28 yard touchdown on a play that was initially ruled incomplete. Coach Billick challenged the call, and it was overturned, however.
The Ravens got the ball to begin the 2nd half leading 10-3. Following a three-and-out, the Chargers got the ball back. Running back Terrell Fletcher fumbled on the 2nd play of the drive, and the ball was recovered by Rob Burnett. Jamal Lewis was celebrating in the end zone two plays later.
Dilfer hit Brandon Stokley for a 22 yard touchdown reception on the next Ravens drive to go up 24-3. As Gerry Sandusky would say, “The hay is in the barn.” Sorry, Chargers, you never could get passed the Feats of Strength. Festivus lives on.
Oh, and Trent Dilfer is Superman.
