WEBVTT - The 2000 Baltimore Ravens: Best Defense? 0:00:00.840 --> 0:00:04.240 Welcome to Special Teams, a production of My Heart Radio 0:00:19.680 --> 0:00:23.079 Greetings and Welcome inside Special Teams with Jason Smith and 0:00:23.120 --> 0:00:25.360 Mike Harmon, our podcast that takes a look every week 0:00:25.400 --> 0:00:30.000 back at a specific team, a specific year in sports history, 0:00:30.520 --> 0:00:34.760 and the imprint they leave on the world of sports. 0:00:35.280 --> 0:00:39.000 We go through football, baseball, basketball. We had a big 0:00:39.479 --> 0:00:42.480 Christmas one not too long ago that we went through 0:00:42.560 --> 0:00:46.800 Hollia sorry holiday holiday, holiday holiday one. And today we 0:00:46.880 --> 0:00:50.000 stick in the National Football League by looking back at 0:00:50.080 --> 0:00:54.560 the year that was the two thousand Baltimore Ravens, a 0:00:54.600 --> 0:00:58.680 season that started with a cloud of uncertainty and controversy 0:00:58.720 --> 0:01:01.840 and ended with a debate. Maybe this might be the 0:01:01.840 --> 0:01:04.760 best defense that we have ever seen in the NFL. 0:01:04.880 --> 0:01:09.200 I know that's very difficult for you. I know, I know, 0:01:09.040 --> 0:01:10.720 I know, any buddy, buddy, I know, I know. I 0:01:10.720 --> 0:01:14.240 have a list of people that will agree with me. Okay, 0:01:14.520 --> 0:01:17.360 your members and your brothers and people who lived in 0:01:17.440 --> 0:01:21.760 Chicago don't count. I have a petition. I think that 0:01:23.080 --> 0:01:25.360 I made sure before we talked about the Ravens that 0:01:25.400 --> 0:01:28.160 I got a petition. I loaded up. I got Isabel 0:01:28.280 --> 0:01:30.880 from down the street. She's very unhappy about this. I 0:01:30.920 --> 0:01:33.959 got a lot of people who live right outside Wrigley 0:01:34.000 --> 0:01:36.480 Field upset about this. Now they're Cup fans, I don't 0:01:36.480 --> 0:01:39.120 have them, oh well, but but I actually know there's 0:01:39.120 --> 0:01:41.959 a great bar community there, so I can really get 0:01:42.000 --> 0:01:44.840 a lot of signatures as there. We're hitting the final 0:01:44.920 --> 0:01:48.720 call at two in the morning, all right, So I 0:01:48.800 --> 0:01:50.680 just want to make sure that you all rally around 0:01:50.720 --> 0:01:52.960 the Bears. I mean, you know, it's the South side 0:01:53.000 --> 0:01:55.920 for the White Sox. Oh no, everybody rallies around the Bears. Alright, 0:01:56.040 --> 0:01:58.480 very good. Okay, So with that in mind, we'll get 0:01:58.480 --> 0:02:01.400 to the debate coming up later on by podcast. But 0:02:01.560 --> 0:02:05.560 the year for the two thousand Baltimore Ravens began under 0:02:05.600 --> 0:02:09.720 a cloud of incredible controversy as Ray Lewis, star linebacker, 0:02:10.280 --> 0:02:16.520 was involved in a murder charge January thirty one of 0:02:16.600 --> 0:02:20.200 two thousand, following of the Super Bowl thirty four party 0:02:20.240 --> 0:02:24.720 in Atlanta. This is when the Rams beat the Tennessee Titans. 0:02:24.760 --> 0:02:28.040 A fight broke out between Louis and his companions another 0:02:28.040 --> 0:02:31.560 group of people that resulted in the stabbing deaths of 0:02:31.639 --> 0:02:34.640 two people just since Baker and Richard Lawler. Lewis and 0:02:34.639 --> 0:02:38.120 his two companions Reginald Oakley Joseph Sweeting were questioned by 0:02:38.160 --> 0:02:41.320 Atlanta police, and eleven days later they were indicted on 0:02:41.440 --> 0:02:45.280 murder and aggravated assault charges. This fight occurred in the 0:02:45.440 --> 0:02:50.640 Buckhead Village neighborhood, which is the big downtown area in 0:02:50.680 --> 0:02:53.880 Atlanta that has seen a lot of activity. The white 0:02:53.919 --> 0:02:55.560 suit that ray Lewis was wearing the night of the 0:02:55.639 --> 0:02:58.440 killings has never been found. The d A said the 0:02:58.520 --> 0:03:01.000 blood stained suit was probably dumped in a garbage bin 0:03:01.080 --> 0:03:04.200 outside of fast food restaurant. There was a knife found 0:03:04.200 --> 0:03:07.560 at the scene, no fingerprints or DNA on it. Lewis 0:03:07.600 --> 0:03:11.079 subsequently testified that Oakley and Sweeting had bought knives earlier 0:03:11.120 --> 0:03:14.440 in the Super Bowl week when Lewis was signing autographs, 0:03:14.480 --> 0:03:17.200 and the blood of one of the victims was found 0:03:17.360 --> 0:03:21.160 inside of ray Lewis's limousine. Two weeks into the trial, 0:03:21.720 --> 0:03:25.000 ray Lewis reached a plea agreement in which the murder 0:03:25.120 --> 0:03:28.600 charge was dismissed in exchange for his testimony against Oakley 0:03:28.600 --> 0:03:33.880 and Sweeting. He wound up getting a year's probation, also 0:03:34.000 --> 0:03:37.640 fine two fifty thousand dollars by the NFL, which was 0:03:37.720 --> 0:03:42.080 then probably the highest fine levied against someone for something 0:03:42.120 --> 0:03:44.960 that wasn't involving drugs or or something else like that. 0:03:45.400 --> 0:03:50.080 So now ray Lewis is okay to play football. Oakley 0:03:50.120 --> 0:03:53.520 and Sweeting were acquitted of the charges in June. No 0:03:53.640 --> 0:03:57.120 other suspects were ever arrested for the incident. This is 0:03:57.160 --> 0:03:59.800 something that is very high profile that everybody knows about 0:03:59.800 --> 0:04:03.400 this ray Lewis story. What I can't believe is that 0:04:04.480 --> 0:04:07.760 this happened and ray Lewis was allowed to play in 0:04:07.800 --> 0:04:11.480 the NFL this season. He was involved in a murder charge, 0:04:11.840 --> 0:04:15.640 he negotiated a plea agreement. All of this evidence was 0:04:15.680 --> 0:04:19.040 out there, and this is back when Paul Tagley was 0:04:19.080 --> 0:04:21.159 running the NFL and it was hey, whatever you whatever 0:04:21.200 --> 0:04:24.160 you do, but you can still play on Sundays. I 0:04:24.200 --> 0:04:26.640 can't believe that he was allowed to play in the 0:04:26.760 --> 0:04:29.120 NFL to go right back to play, because if that 0:04:29.160 --> 0:04:31.200 happened now, he'd be out of the league for at 0:04:31.279 --> 0:04:33.520 least a couple I'd like to think the NFL would say, hey, 0:04:33.640 --> 0:04:35.000 you're out of the league for a couple of years 0:04:35.040 --> 0:04:38.000 because there's protect the Shield, and there's hey, guys who 0:04:38.000 --> 0:04:40.839 were killed, their blood is in your limousine. What was 0:04:40.880 --> 0:04:43.080 your involvement in this, which we never know. We have 0:04:43.120 --> 0:04:46.960 never known. Even the relatives of the two victims say 0:04:47.279 --> 0:04:49.160 it's hard to watch ray Lewis, hard to watch him 0:04:49.200 --> 0:04:52.120 play football because he knows more about these deaths, and 0:04:52.360 --> 0:04:55.320 no one's ever said anything. I can't believe they would 0:04:55.320 --> 0:04:58.400 have allowed him to play different NFL under Roger Goodell, 0:04:58.480 --> 0:05:01.640 it's a much different time and if nothing else, you 0:05:01.720 --> 0:05:05.719 go on the exempt list and there you sit. I 0:05:05.760 --> 0:05:07.839 mean part of this is also, look how swiftly it 0:05:07.839 --> 0:05:11.400 got resolved in terms of getting to a plea agreement. Right. 0:05:11.480 --> 0:05:14.479 It happened in an off season, so he was able 0:05:14.520 --> 0:05:16.680 to get back in. I not often do you have 0:05:16.720 --> 0:05:19.320 a case move so swiftly either, So I mean that 0:05:19.320 --> 0:05:22.280 that's kind of an outlier in that regard. But from 0:05:22.320 --> 0:05:25.840 the NFL perspective undertag lebou and that's just the way 0:05:25.880 --> 0:05:28.839 they operated, you know, it was as long as you're 0:05:28.960 --> 0:05:32.240 literally on the field, suited up and ready to go, 0:05:32.360 --> 0:05:34.479 it didn't matter. And that was one of the things 0:05:34.520 --> 0:05:37.000 as Goodell took over, trying to clean it up. Hasn't 0:05:37.000 --> 0:05:42.960 been imperfect, absolutely hasn't been an unmitigated disaster in certain circumstances, 0:05:43.279 --> 0:05:45.440 no question about it. But there was at least an 0:05:45.440 --> 0:05:48.880 attempt too, and I hate the term, but protect the 0:05:48.880 --> 0:05:53.799 shield to where there is some standard, some code of conduct, uh, 0:05:53.839 --> 0:05:56.599 to where you're you're held to at least a bit 0:05:56.640 --> 0:05:59.479 of a higher standard with this, I mean. And it's 0:05:59.480 --> 0:06:04.240 always bad, right. It remains something that if you watch 0:06:04.880 --> 0:06:08.320 any NFL show that Ray Lewis is part of, you're 0:06:08.320 --> 0:06:11.560 gonna see commentary on social media about it. Just like 0:06:11.960 --> 0:06:14.600 you know, in terms of Captain c for a Pro Bowl, 0:06:14.680 --> 0:06:18.280 you have Michael Vick, you know, for for the season. 0:06:18.360 --> 0:06:22.000 It's the same thing or for the Pro Bowl when 0:06:22.000 --> 0:06:25.680 it's actually played, but just that same idea that these 0:06:25.680 --> 0:06:29.720 things still stand and people wanting to get to an 0:06:29.720 --> 0:06:33.640 answer but also trying to figure out where that fandom stops. 0:06:34.080 --> 0:06:36.520 He's allowed to play, he goes back and he has 0:06:36.560 --> 0:06:38.839 one of the great all time seasons in NFL history, 0:06:38.880 --> 0:06:42.400 which also I think bears a lot of the brunt 0:06:42.440 --> 0:06:44.960 of boy nothing ever really happened to this guy, because 0:06:45.160 --> 0:06:46.720 not only was he able to go back and play, 0:06:46.720 --> 0:06:48.640 but he goes back and plays is he leads his 0:06:48.680 --> 0:06:50.280 team to the super Bowl. It's one of the great 0:06:50.320 --> 0:06:52.800 defenses of all time. And here's ray Lewis a year 0:06:52.839 --> 0:06:55.440 after Hey, dude, you were involved in a in a 0:06:55.520 --> 0:06:58.120 murder to hey, I'm going to Disney World. You know 0:06:58.200 --> 0:07:01.159 that that's a very difficult optic to be able to 0:07:01.200 --> 0:07:03.320 go from one year to the next. And hey, he 0:07:03.480 --> 0:07:05.680 was all we talked about for a while and then 0:07:05.680 --> 0:07:07.120 it was oh no, now he's playing and now he's 0:07:07.120 --> 0:07:10.280 a hero. Didn't Trent Jifer actually got to do they 0:07:10.320 --> 0:07:13.520 I'm going to Disney World tech But yeah, they didn't 0:07:13.520 --> 0:07:16.400 go to ray Lewis part. But the whole thing wasted. 0:07:16.960 --> 0:07:21.320 Celebrated DP to Bonham and and especially because this has 0:07:21.360 --> 0:07:24.800 become such an historic team. So all this is going on, 0:07:24.880 --> 0:07:27.200 the Ravens are getting set for their season and they 0:07:27.240 --> 0:07:30.000 make two big moves, one in draft and one in 0:07:30.040 --> 0:07:33.400 free agency. They signed Shannon Sharp to play tight end 0:07:33.400 --> 0:07:36.880 and they draft running back Jamal Lewis out of Tennessee. 0:07:36.960 --> 0:07:40.280 Brian Billick, the offensive genius that he was, was hired 0:07:40.320 --> 0:07:43.840 away from the Minnesota Vikings in his second year now 0:07:43.880 --> 0:07:47.720 with the Baltimore Ravens, and it's kind of odd that 0:07:47.920 --> 0:07:50.760 he winds up being a guy that wins the Super Bowl. 0:07:51.080 --> 0:07:53.840 He was an offensive genius and he wins on the 0:07:53.840 --> 0:07:56.120 back of one of the greatest defenses ever and an 0:07:56.160 --> 0:07:59.640 offense that barely scored enough points over the course of 0:07:59.640 --> 0:08:01.760 the sea. And that's that's such an odd thing for 0:08:01.800 --> 0:08:03.520 a coach to come in and go, yep, it's me. 0:08:03.640 --> 0:08:05.600 My offense is coming in. This is what we're gonna do, 0:08:05.680 --> 0:08:08.080 and we're gonna light the world on fire. And it no, no, no, 0:08:08.160 --> 0:08:11.320 it's it's really the defense and defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, 0:08:11.600 --> 0:08:13.520 who is gonna wind up being the guy getting most 0:08:13.520 --> 0:08:15.280 of the credit. Well, that's it. I mean, you had 0:08:15.360 --> 0:08:18.080 five games where you didn't score an offensive touchdown, as 0:08:18.120 --> 0:08:21.080 we'll go through the regular season and their run to 0:08:21.120 --> 0:08:24.960 the playoffs, but five games without a an offensive touchdown. 0:08:25.240 --> 0:08:29.200 You got Trent Dilfer under center. Wide receivers most couldn't 0:08:29.280 --> 0:08:32.880 name any member of that receiving corps except for Shannon 0:08:32.960 --> 0:08:35.920 Sharpe that's Hall of Fame tight end. And then you've 0:08:35.920 --> 0:08:38.720 got Jamal Lewis and a young guy named Priest Holmes 0:08:39.160 --> 0:08:41.640 getting after it. So you know, offensively, you had a 0:08:41.640 --> 0:08:44.320 couple of guys who made their mark and certainly want 0:08:44.480 --> 0:08:47.480 a number of fantasy titles for people both in in 0:08:47.600 --> 0:08:51.960 Ravens uniforms and out. But yeah, Brian Billick knew what 0:08:52.000 --> 0:08:55.360 he had. You know, run the ball, played good defense, 0:08:56.080 --> 0:08:58.880 and do what you can to protect the football. So 0:08:58.960 --> 0:09:01.920 all those are your quote offensive weapons. Also included Jermaine Lewis, 0:09:01.920 --> 0:09:04.040 who we're gonna get to in a bit, Brandon Stokely. 0:09:04.800 --> 0:09:07.880 That star studded defense. It wasn't just Ray Lewis. It 0:09:07.960 --> 0:09:12.600 was Sam Adams and Rob Burnett and Michael McCrary, Tony Sira, Goose, 0:09:12.920 --> 0:09:17.600 Dahlias Thomas, Peter Bullware, Dwayne Starks, Chris McAllister, Rod Woodson 0:09:17.640 --> 0:09:20.880 the secondary. And when you look and see these were 0:09:20.880 --> 0:09:22.720 the guys they had, it really kind of makes sense 0:09:22.720 --> 0:09:25.120 they had that kind of season because you would expect 0:09:25.160 --> 0:09:28.600 to succeed when you have eight guys of that caliber 0:09:28.679 --> 0:09:31.600 playing and you're starting a Hall of famers, pro perennial 0:09:31.679 --> 0:09:35.200 Pro Bowlers, guys who went on to great careers in 0:09:35.320 --> 0:09:38.920 media because of their celebrity and their success with the 0:09:39.120 --> 0:09:41.920 this team and rolling through their NFL careers. I mean, 0:09:42.000 --> 0:09:44.520 you just go back and watch, just do yourself a 0:09:44.520 --> 0:09:47.720 favor of a quip a couple of quick YouTube highlight 0:09:47.840 --> 0:09:50.560 videos and watch how these guys hit It's a different 0:09:50.640 --> 0:09:55.360 NFL in because this was still a bit of the 0:09:55.400 --> 0:09:57.719 throwback and a couple of those names you mentioned when 0:09:57.720 --> 0:10:00.719 you have Obviously we talked about Ray Lewis, but when 0:10:00.760 --> 0:10:04.160 you get into the way, you know Woodson played or 0:10:04.400 --> 0:10:07.760 or Sharper at the other linebacker position. I mean, you've 0:10:07.760 --> 0:10:11.280 got guys that were heavy hitters and really set the 0:10:11.320 --> 0:10:14.120 tone for a game on that first possession. So while 0:10:14.160 --> 0:10:16.320 the Ravens are getting set for what they hope is 0:10:16.360 --> 0:10:18.600 going to be a great year, let's take a look 0:10:18.640 --> 0:10:23.079 at some other things that happened in the year two thousands. 0:10:25.720 --> 0:10:27.760 Back when Conan O'Brien was on TV a lot and 0:10:27.760 --> 0:10:29.480 everybody watched him kind of a big deal, you know 0:10:29.480 --> 0:10:31.160 what I mean now, the whole TBS thing, But back 0:10:31.200 --> 0:10:34.640 when you know he was Conan O'Brien was whoa Conan O'Brien. 0:10:35.000 --> 0:10:36.960 He was that guy that was writing for the Simpsons, 0:10:36.960 --> 0:10:39.800 and everybody was excited about leaves and a the Y 0:10:39.880 --> 0:10:43.040 two K bug was all the rage. Remember, everybody thought 0:10:43.080 --> 0:10:45.439 every all machinery in the United States was gonna go down. 0:10:45.520 --> 0:10:48.520 When we turned the calendar from two thousand, I lost 0:10:48.520 --> 0:10:51.720 three days of my life being locked in the Yahoo 0:10:51.840 --> 0:10:55.400 facility in case something really bad really did happen. I 0:10:55.440 --> 0:10:57.360 got a lot of free meals out of here, you did, 0:10:57.440 --> 0:11:01.560 But what a miserable Hey, you gotta be there, why this? 0:11:02.320 --> 0:11:04.120 Because if it goes to hell, we've got to be 0:11:04.160 --> 0:11:07.360 there to fix it. The Florida election recount, which then 0:11:07.400 --> 0:11:10.199 spawned an HBO movie as we didn't know who was 0:11:10.200 --> 0:11:13.040 going to win the election between Al Gore and President 0:11:13.080 --> 0:11:18.520 George Bush. Gladiator. One best picture that when Russell Crowe 0:11:18.559 --> 0:11:21.600 was like the Star, the beautiful mind and Gladiator, that 0:11:21.679 --> 0:11:23.760 was like his two or three year run of being 0:11:24.040 --> 0:11:26.040 He's the biggest star in the world. And now Joaquin 0:11:26.160 --> 0:11:30.640 Phoenix laughs at him and you stab me, And now 0:11:30.679 --> 0:11:34.400 I have a We sequalize that in uh, you know, 0:11:34.760 --> 0:11:40.920 the Afterlife sequelized Gladiator. Gladiator too. In The Afterlife done 0:11:41.960 --> 0:11:47.800 the most popular song of the year, Breathe. Faith Hill 0:11:47.840 --> 0:11:49.320 had to run of being the hottest woman on the 0:11:49.320 --> 0:11:51.440 planet for a little while, and she was waiting all 0:11:51.520 --> 0:11:54.520 day for Sunday night. That's that's you better get ready 0:11:54.600 --> 0:11:57.080 and I her whole tight yeah, And I celebrate all 0:11:57.080 --> 0:12:00.520 of Tim McGraw's catalog and and obviously they've been aread forever. 0:12:00.520 --> 0:12:05.200 So that's great. Breathe again and breathe again. Now that's 0:12:05.200 --> 0:12:07.120 that's a song, isn't it. I can hear you breathe. 0:12:07.600 --> 0:12:10.280 I can hear you breathe logic and I don't remember 0:12:10.280 --> 0:12:13.280 all the lyrics, but it's not yours breathe, a different 0:12:13.360 --> 0:12:17.960 breathe again. You're channeling somebody else. I can hear you breathe. 0:12:18.200 --> 0:12:20.240 I can feel you need Yeah, Okay, that's the breathe. 0:12:20.240 --> 0:12:23.720 There's a there's a couple of breathe songs, and there's 0:12:23.800 --> 0:12:27.760 just just Breathe by Pearl, just that breathe. Okay, there's 0:12:27.760 --> 0:12:30.400 that too. Okay. So that's where we are in the 0:12:30.480 --> 0:12:34.800 year two thousand. Coming up next, the big touchdown drought 0:12:34.920 --> 0:12:38.680 a big quarterback change, and the drama continues for the 0:12:38.720 --> 0:12:41.720 Baltimore Raven Special Teams with Jason Smith in my card. 0:12:56.480 --> 0:12:58.280 All Right, you've looked it up on the computer, No, 0:12:58.360 --> 0:13:01.360 I I remember, I didn't, you know, Butcher? The song 0:13:02.760 --> 0:13:06.760 can feel no breathe because I can feel you breathe. 0:13:06.880 --> 0:13:10.520 It's washing over me and suddenly I'm mounting into you. 0:13:11.720 --> 0:13:16.240 Breathe again. There's nothing left to prove, baby to be 0:13:16.559 --> 0:13:19.199 he Well, you know what if if Faith Will ever 0:13:19.200 --> 0:13:21.280 stops doing concerts, I think you can step in fourth. 0:13:21.600 --> 0:13:24.440 I mean, I'm not singing full throaty. Let you know 0:13:24.520 --> 0:13:27.800 you let me go in front of a crowd. We 0:13:27.840 --> 0:13:29.840 take this show on the road. Let's get this guy 0:13:29.840 --> 0:13:32.200 in front of a crowd. Let's get it. So. The 0:13:32.320 --> 0:13:35.960 Baltimore Ravens start the year two thousand with three shutouts 0:13:35.960 --> 0:13:39.800 in their first five games. They blank Pittsburgh sixteen nothing, 0:13:40.080 --> 0:13:44.679 Sincinnati thirty seven nothing, Cleveland twelve nothing. In the middle 0:13:44.720 --> 0:13:47.960 of that, a big win over the Jaguars thirty six, 0:13:48.400 --> 0:13:53.040 and everything looks great. But then that's when the problems start. 0:13:53.080 --> 0:13:57.720 As you referenced earlier, the Ravens go five games without 0:13:57.760 --> 0:14:03.480 a touchdown, five games, and quarterback Tony Banks loses his 0:14:03.559 --> 0:14:07.160 job to Trent Dilfer after the loss to Tennessee. People 0:14:07.240 --> 0:14:11.600 forget Tony Banks started the season as the Ravens quarterback 0:14:11.640 --> 0:14:14.120 and he lost his job midway through to Trent Dilfor. 0:14:14.520 --> 0:14:18.480 I remember being high on Tony Banks fantasy wise going 0:14:18.520 --> 0:14:21.160 into this year, thinking, Oh, I like, Tony Banks had 0:14:21.160 --> 0:14:23.840 the big game against Jacksonville and I'm like, oh, Tony Banks, 0:14:23.840 --> 0:14:26.360 Tony Banks. I remember really liking him in fantasy, and 0:14:26.400 --> 0:14:28.280 then he lost the job, and it was what Tony 0:14:28.280 --> 0:14:30.480 Banks has done well, some of the metrics we didn't 0:14:30.480 --> 0:14:33.080 we didn't look at necessarily the same way back then. 0:14:33.480 --> 0:14:39.080 Fifty four point seven percent completion rate. That wasn't awful, right, 0:14:39.120 --> 0:14:42.280 I mean, it's a different and that was kind of 0:14:42.360 --> 0:14:44.520 all right, that's the middle of the pack, or maybe 0:14:44.520 --> 0:14:47.640 a little below, but certainly not the train wreck it 0:14:47.680 --> 0:14:50.480 would be perceived as now as you know, when so 0:14:50.520 --> 0:14:53.000 many guys completing two thirds of their passes, as you 0:14:53.040 --> 0:14:56.400 get more of the tight end running backs involved and 0:14:56.400 --> 0:14:59.920 and less shots down field. But eight touchdowns, eight and 0:15:00.000 --> 0:15:03.240 receptions had the five and three record, but they weren't 0:15:03.280 --> 0:15:06.880 generating much at all as we got to this stretch, uh, 0:15:06.960 --> 0:15:09.880 not moving the ball effectively. The run game obviously then 0:15:09.960 --> 0:15:13.720 bogs down, and now you've got a self fulfilling just 0:15:13.760 --> 0:15:16.520 a cycle and that happens, and you make the change. 0:15:17.280 --> 0:15:20.280 But I remember Tony Banks and trying to figure out 0:15:20.400 --> 0:15:23.400 whether he was going to be able to just come 0:15:23.400 --> 0:15:26.400 back and steal the job back. But the door never opened. 0:15:27.200 --> 0:15:31.720 He winds up playing against the Jaguars and beating them 0:15:31.760 --> 0:15:35.200 fifteen ten game without a touchdown. Then they lose to 0:15:35.240 --> 0:15:38.800 the Redskins ten three. They lose to the Titans fourteen six, 0:15:38.840 --> 0:15:40.120 and he came out of the game, and that was 0:15:40.160 --> 0:15:43.040 when they decided, Okay, Trent Dilford is gonna be our guy. Well, 0:15:43.040 --> 0:15:45.720 Trent Dilfor didn't like the world on fire his first start. 0:15:45.760 --> 0:15:48.400 They lost to the Steelers nine to six. So now 0:15:48.440 --> 0:15:51.480 suddenly a season that began. Look at this all world 0:15:51.480 --> 0:15:54.400 Baltimore Ravens defense there at the midweight point of the 0:15:54.440 --> 0:15:56.080 season five and four, and it's like, are they ever 0:15:56.080 --> 0:15:58.560 gonna score a touchdown? But that's the funny thing about it, 0:15:58.680 --> 0:16:01.000 right in that three game losing Street, they gave up 0:16:01.080 --> 0:16:07.120 thirty three points. Unfortunately they only scored fifteen. He's thinking 0:16:07.120 --> 0:16:10.440 about what what would happen now? I mean, look at 0:16:10.560 --> 0:16:13.440 what team doesn't score twenty four points in a week's 0:16:14.240 --> 0:16:19.520 offense is bugging man? You know, you know the miskick 0:16:19.680 --> 0:16:23.200 or you know this red zone opportunity, and everybody's losing 0:16:23.240 --> 0:16:26.360 their minds this type of offense in the middle of 0:16:26.360 --> 0:16:29.240 what was a promising start to a season, you're calling 0:16:29.240 --> 0:16:32.800 for heads roll. It's amazing that they were able to 0:16:32.840 --> 0:16:37.160 stick together but then after Dilfer got through that first 0:16:37.200 --> 0:16:41.960 start against Pittsburgh, the Ravens started rolling and they won games. 0:16:42.000 --> 0:16:46.400 They scored over twenty points in the next five weeks 0:16:47.000 --> 0:16:51.720 to win five in a row. They beat Arizona thirteen seven. 0:16:52.200 --> 0:16:54.720 They're eleven and four. They get to the final game 0:16:54.760 --> 0:16:57.960 of the season. They play the New York Jets. They're 0:16:57.960 --> 0:17:01.120 playing at home, and the Jets needed this game to 0:17:01.160 --> 0:17:03.960 potentially get into the playoffs. And it started off great 0:17:04.000 --> 0:17:06.040 because I remember this game. I remember the Jets scored 0:17:06.200 --> 0:17:09.560 two touchdowns in the first quarter. Testaverdi was playing really, 0:17:09.600 --> 0:17:11.600 really well, and I thought, hey, we're gonna get the 0:17:11.680 --> 0:17:15.000 Ravens here. The Ravens were unbeatable after they solved their 0:17:15.000 --> 0:17:17.880 mid season problems because they beat everybody. And now Trent 0:17:17.960 --> 0:17:20.399 Dilfer's putting points on the board. We're gonna get them. 0:17:20.440 --> 0:17:23.640 We're up fourteen nothing. Well, but look at the points again. Happened, Yeah, 0:17:23.680 --> 0:17:26.760 points against Once they started getting things together, seven a 0:17:26.880 --> 0:17:33.320 narrow victory over Tennessee Dallas zero points allowed, seven points 0:17:33.320 --> 0:17:35.440 allowed to the Browns, sending the bye week, and then 0:17:35.440 --> 0:17:39.479 they come back San Diego beat them three, give up 0:17:39.520 --> 0:17:41.399 seven to the Cardinals and then all of a sudden, 0:17:41.400 --> 0:17:44.919 you've got Diedrich Warren and Richie Anderson running free, and 0:17:44.920 --> 0:17:48.000 he's like, wait a minute, what's going on here? You 0:17:48.160 --> 0:17:51.320 had turnovers by the Jets. You had Jermaine Lewis returning 0:17:51.320 --> 0:17:53.800 a kick for a touchdown, which was one of the 0:17:53.840 --> 0:17:57.480 other storylines of the season that people don't really remember 0:17:57.480 --> 0:17:59.840 when it comes to this Ravens because when you look 0:17:59.880 --> 0:18:01.560 at the nuts and bolts, it's okay, it's the Ray 0:18:01.640 --> 0:18:05.520 Lewis murder trial, it's the great defense. Oh yeah, that's right. 0:18:05.560 --> 0:18:08.480 They had trouble scoring. Trent Dilford was the quarterback. But 0:18:08.560 --> 0:18:11.960 as good as their defense was, their special teams were phenomenal, 0:18:12.000 --> 0:18:14.399 and Jermaine Lewis and one of the all time great 0:18:14.480 --> 0:18:17.879 seasons returning kicks for them. They relied on him and 0:18:17.960 --> 0:18:21.439 Jamal Lewis to do everything for that offense. It's Jamal 0:18:21.520 --> 0:18:24.040 Lewis on the ground and he had a great season, 0:18:24.040 --> 0:18:26.680 he said, And Priest Holmes, who you know, hey, who 0:18:26.760 --> 0:18:28.800 knew he was gonna turn to the running back he did. 0:18:29.040 --> 0:18:31.720 But Jermaine Lewis, it seemed like every week would have 0:18:31.720 --> 0:18:34.480 a big return for a touchdown, would spark things with 0:18:34.520 --> 0:18:37.440 a big play on special teams. And when you had 0:18:37.480 --> 0:18:42.160 those three facets working defense, working number one, special teams 0:18:42.200 --> 0:18:44.639 working right behind it, that greases things up for the 0:18:44.680 --> 0:18:46.639 offense a little bit. In the offense doesn't have to 0:18:46.680 --> 0:18:48.880 do way too much. They just had to do enough. 0:18:48.880 --> 0:18:50.720 And that's what they did. Yeah, I mean winning the 0:18:50.760 --> 0:18:54.159 battle of field position. We'll talk about Kyle Richardson all right, 0:18:54.320 --> 0:18:57.520 his efforts, Matt Stover taking care of business. Uh that 0:18:57.560 --> 0:19:00.760 you're kicker, But Corey Harris your kickoff for earned specialists 0:19:00.840 --> 0:19:04.679 averaging twenty three a return. That's that's unheard of in 0:19:04.720 --> 0:19:08.879 today's NFL. Likewise, Louis was averaging over sixteen yards a 0:19:08.920 --> 0:19:12.920 punt return. They finished twelve and four, but they finished 0:19:12.920 --> 0:19:16.320 behind Tennessee, who had had a phenomenal season, so they 0:19:16.359 --> 0:19:18.960 have to play three games who advance the Super Bowl. 0:19:19.000 --> 0:19:21.639 But before we get to that, this is where the 0:19:21.720 --> 0:19:26.480 Ravens defense sat following the regular season. Fewest points per 0:19:26.480 --> 0:19:32.520 game allowed in NFL history, three, fewest rush yards ever allowed, 0:19:32.840 --> 0:19:36.280 nine d and seventy didn't allow a thousand yards rushing 0:19:36.720 --> 0:19:42.240 on the season. Forty nine forced turnovers, not twenty nine 0:19:42.880 --> 0:19:46.240 forty nine forced turnovers. You don't get to that number 0:19:46.320 --> 0:19:48.840 very often. You'll get you'll get up to you to 0:19:48.920 --> 0:19:53.080 fifty turnovers. You're talking about three turnovers a game. I mean, 0:19:53.119 --> 0:19:55.760 who averages that three turnover game? We saw it in 0:19:56.560 --> 0:19:58.680 with the Bears. Yes, they had to go there one 0:19:58.720 --> 0:20:01.119 of the outlines because every week Khalil Matt had a 0:20:01.160 --> 0:20:03.160 strip sack in a fumble. So that that's why it works. 0:20:03.160 --> 0:20:06.159 But you see how much different. Uh, you know, one 0:20:06.280 --> 0:20:09.960 or two injuries, changes, I'm scheming to try to take 0:20:10.000 --> 0:20:12.160 a guy away, But I mean this this team from 0:20:12.200 --> 0:20:14.800 the defensive front, from Sara Goose and all those guys 0:20:15.720 --> 0:20:17.639 to the to the back seven. I mean, they were 0:20:17.680 --> 0:20:19.919 just opportunistic and then once they got up on you 0:20:20.160 --> 0:20:24.159 forget about it. So that's where the Ravens are and 0:20:24.200 --> 0:20:27.600 they're already getting the Hey, is this the best defense 0:20:27.640 --> 0:20:31.439 we've ever seen? Conversation? As we get into the playoffs again, 0:20:31.760 --> 0:20:35.720 three games they had to play to win the Super Bowl. 0:20:36.040 --> 0:20:38.960 Their first wild card game was against the Denver Broncos, 0:20:39.600 --> 0:20:43.640 and this game is known for one play, the Shannon 0:20:43.720 --> 0:20:47.000 Sharp tip touchdown pass off of Jamal Lewis that goes 0:20:47.040 --> 0:20:51.760 for fifty eight yards that really won the game. For Baltimore. 0:20:51.880 --> 0:20:55.720 It's a pass in the flat that Trent Dilfer throws 0:20:55.800 --> 0:20:59.520 and it goes off the hands of Jamal Lewis. Now 0:20:59.680 --> 0:21:02.960 for him, reason, well, it's the Ravens. It's their offense 0:21:03.000 --> 0:21:06.480 wasn't that great. But for some reason, Shannon Sharpe was 0:21:06.600 --> 0:21:10.880 right there. He grabs the ball a little bit outside 0:21:11.000 --> 0:21:13.879 of the flat where Jamal Lewis was, and because he 0:21:13.920 --> 0:21:16.639 catches the defense flat footed, he takes it all the 0:21:16.640 --> 0:21:19.240 way down the sideline and into the end zone for 0:21:19.280 --> 0:21:23.080 a touchdown. And that really just won the game because 0:21:23.240 --> 0:21:25.440 you could tell that the will of the Broncos was like, 0:21:26.600 --> 0:21:28.960 come on, really, you know that that's the play they get. 0:21:29.000 --> 0:21:30.920 They get a big tip play like that, it goes 0:21:30.960 --> 0:21:33.600 their way. They win that game twenty one to three. 0:21:33.640 --> 0:21:36.640 The Broncos never really threatened and it was a very 0:21:36.720 --> 0:21:40.760 typical Ravens game in which the offense did enough. The 0:21:40.800 --> 0:21:43.760 defense was able to keep the Broncos, who had a 0:21:43.760 --> 0:21:46.680 pretty good offense back then, I was able to keep 0:21:46.720 --> 0:21:48.840 them off the board except for a field goal in 0:21:48.840 --> 0:21:51.359 the second quarter, and this game was never really in doubt. 0:21:51.520 --> 0:21:57.520 Gus fro Yard gust Farrott hundred, twenty four yards in 0:21:57.600 --> 0:22:00.280 an interception in this forget gust Farrott played for the Broncos, 0:22:00.600 --> 0:22:02.479 didn't he just play for the Redskins. It was him 0:22:02.480 --> 0:22:04.959 and Heath Shulert. No, no, no, started that playoff game 0:22:05.000 --> 0:22:08.240 for the Broncos. Four sacks and then Jerry's Jackson actually 0:22:08.240 --> 0:22:10.880 got some time as well, five and ten fifty four 0:22:11.000 --> 0:22:14.160 yards Notre Dame. Right, Yeah, he absorbed a sack as well. 0:22:14.440 --> 0:22:16.640 I man, just really nothing going. This was the Mike 0:22:16.720 --> 0:22:20.199 Anderson year when he was the thousand yard rusher and 0:22:20.280 --> 0:22:23.080