1996 Baltimore Ravens season
Encyclopedia
The 1996
Baltimore Ravens
season was the franchise's inaugural season in the National Football League
(NFL) and at their home stadium, Memorial Stadium
in Baltimore, Maryland. Baltimore remained without an NFL football franchise for 13 years after the Baltimore Colts
relocated to Indianapolis, Indiana
. In 1996, however, the NFL approved Cleveland Browns
owner Art Modell
's proposal to relocate the franchise to Baltimore, although the records and name of the Browns would remain in Cleveland, Ohio
. After Modell established the franchise in Baltimore, the team was named the "Baltimore Ravens" via a poll conducted by the Baltimore Sun as the team was assigned to play in the American Football Conference
(AFC) Central Division
; afterwards, over 50,000 tickets were sold for the entire season.
The Ravens would finish their first season with a 4–12 record under coach Ted Marchibroda
, who coached the Colts before and after they relocated and has a 41–33 regular season record in Baltimore. At the Ravens' first-ever regular season game, a record attendance of 64,124 was present in their win against the Oakland Raiders
, 19–14, on September 1 at home. Their second victory came in Week 5, against the New Orleans Saints
at home, in which they became 2–2. In Week 7, the Ravens traveled to Indianapolis to play Baltimore's previous team, the Colts
. They, however, lost 26–21 and fell to 2–4 record. Their only other two victories were recorded in Week 9 (against the St. Louis Rams
) and Week 14 (against the Steelers) at home. Although not a winning season, Quarterback
Vinny Testaverde
was voted into the Pro Bowl
, and wide receivers Michael Jackson and Derrick Alexander surpassed the 1,000 yard receiving mark.
Football statistics site Football Outsiders
noted how the 1996 Ravens were the opposite of their defense-heavy/offense-poor reputation over the subsequent ten years: "It seems like the Ravens have combined a great defense with a terrible offense since they first moved to Baltimore, but it turns out that the Ravens have only combined a great defense with a terrible offense since their second year in Baltimore. The 1996 inaugural edition of the Ravens was the complete and total opposite of all the Ravens teams to come: the best offense in the NFL combined with the second-worst defense. The next year, the offense dropped to 19th and the defense rose to 13th, and the Ravens basically stayed like that for the next decade."
1996 NFL season
The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end...
Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
season was the franchise's inaugural season in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) and at their home stadium, Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)
Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...
in Baltimore, Maryland. Baltimore remained without an NFL football franchise for 13 years after the Baltimore Colts
History of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
relocated to Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. In 1996, however, the NFL approved Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
owner Art Modell
Art Modell
Arthur B. Modell is an American businessman, entrepreneur and former National Football League team owner. He owned the Cleveland Browns franchise from 1961–1995 and the Baltimore Ravens franchise from 1996–2004. Modell is the grandson of the late Morris Modell who founded the northeast...
's proposal to relocate the franchise to Baltimore, although the records and name of the Browns would remain in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. After Modell established the franchise in Baltimore, the team was named the "Baltimore Ravens" via a poll conducted by the Baltimore Sun as the team was assigned to play in the American Football Conference
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
(AFC) Central Division
AFC North
The American Football Conference North Division, or AFC North, is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. It was created prior to the 1967 season as the NFL Century Division when the NFL split into four divisions...
; afterwards, over 50,000 tickets were sold for the entire season.
The Ravens would finish their first season with a 4–12 record under coach Ted Marchibroda
Ted Marchibroda
Theodore "Ted" Joseph Marchibroda is a former American football quarterback and head coach in the National Football League.-Player:...
, who coached the Colts before and after they relocated and has a 41–33 regular season record in Baltimore. At the Ravens' first-ever regular season game, a record attendance of 64,124 was present in their win against the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 19–14, on September 1 at home. Their second victory came in Week 5, against the New Orleans Saints
1996 New Orleans Saints season
The 1996 New Orleans Saints season was the team's 30th as a member of the National Football League. They were unable to match their previous season's output of 7–9, winning only three games. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the fourth straight year.-Staff:-Schedule:-References:...
at home, in which they became 2–2. In Week 7, the Ravens traveled to Indianapolis to play Baltimore's previous team, the Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
. They, however, lost 26–21 and fell to 2–4 record. Their only other two victories were recorded in Week 9 (against the St. Louis Rams
1996 St. Louis Rams season
The 1996 St. Louis Rams season was the team's 59th year with the National Football League and the second season in St. Louis. It was marked by a 59-16 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in week 11. The Rams' point tally in that game was the highest by an NFL team since 1989, when the Cincinnati...
) and Week 14 (against the Steelers) at home. Although not a winning season, Quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Vinny Testaverde
Vinny Testaverde
Vincent Frank Testaverde is a former NFL quarterback. Testaverde last played for the Carolina Panthers and had previously played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. Testaverde holds the NFL record for having...
was voted into the Pro Bowl
1997 Pro Bowl
The 1997 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 2, 1997 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was AFC 26, NFC 23. Mark Brunell of the Jacksonville Jaguars was the game's MVP. In the game, Brunell threw for 236 yards...
, and wide receivers Michael Jackson and Derrick Alexander surpassed the 1,000 yard receiving mark.
Football statistics site Football Outsiders
Football Outsiders
Football Outsiders is a website started in July 2003 which focuses on advanced statistical analysis of the NFL. The site is run by a staff of regular writers, who produce a series of weekly columns using both the site's in-house statistics and their personal analyses of NFL games.In 2005 and 2006,...
noted how the 1996 Ravens were the opposite of their defense-heavy/offense-poor reputation over the subsequent ten years: "It seems like the Ravens have combined a great defense with a terrible offense since they first moved to Baltimore, but it turns out that the Ravens have only combined a great defense with a terrible offense since their second year in Baltimore. The 1996 inaugural edition of the Ravens was the complete and total opposite of all the Ravens teams to come: the best offense in the NFL combined with the second-worst defense. The next year, the offense dropped to 19th and the defense rose to 13th, and the Ravens basically stayed like that for the next decade."
NFL Draft
| Round | Player | Position | School/Club Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jonathan Ogden Jonathan Ogden Jonathan Phillip Ogden is a former American football offensive tackle who played for the Baltimore Ravens.-College:He received his education at St. Albans School, excelling not only in football but also in track and field... |
Tackle | UCLA University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses... |
| 1 | Ray Lewis | Linebacker Linebacker A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen... |
Miami University of Miami The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12... |
| 2 | DeRon Jenkins DeRon Jenkins DeRon Charles Jenkins is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League and Arena Football League. He was originally drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft... |
Cornerback Cornerback A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position... |
Tennessee University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States... |
| 5 | Jermaine Lewis Jermaine Lewis Jermaine Edward Lewis is a retired American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was originally drafted in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens, who he played for until 2001... |
Wide receiver Wide receiver A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible... |
Maryland Maryland Terrapins football The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference... |
| 6 | Dexter Daniels | Linebacker | Florida University of Florida The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906... |
| 6 | James Roe | Wide receiver | Norfolk State Norfolk State University Norfolk State University is a four-year, state-supported, coed, liberal arts, historically black university located in Norfolk, Virginia. It is member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund and the Virginia High-Tech Partnership.-Academics:... |
| 7 | Jon Stark | Quarterback Quarterback Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line... |
Trinity |
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 1, 1996 | Oakland Raiders Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 19–14 | 1–0–0 | |
| 2 | September 8, 1996 | at Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
L 31–17 | 1–1–0 | |
| 3 | September 15, 1996 | at Houston Oilers Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter... |
L 29–13 | 1–2–0 | |
| 4 | Bye | ||||
| 5 | September 29, 1996 | New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League .... |
W 17–10 | 2–2–0 | |
| 6 | October 6, 1996 | New England Patriots New England Patriots The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National... |
L 46–38 | 2–3–0 | |
| 7 | October 13, 1996 | at Indianapolis Colts Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League .... |
L 26–21 | 2–4–0 | |
| 8 | October 20, 1996 | at Denver Broncos Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 45–34 | 2–5–0 | |
| 9 | October 27, 1996 | St. Louis Rams St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,... |
W 37–31 OT | 3–5–0 | |
| 10 | November 3, 1996 | Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL... |
L 24–21 | 3–6–0 | |
| 11 | November 10, 1996 | at Jacksonville Jaguars Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 30–27 | 3–7–0 | |
| 12 | November 17, 1996 | at San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
L 38–20 | 3–8–0 | |
| 13 | November 24, 1996 | Jacksonville Jaguars Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 28–25 OT | 3–9–0 | |
| 14 | December 1, 1996 | Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
W 31–17 | 4–9–0 | |
| 15 | December 8, 1996 | at Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL... |
L 21–14 | 4–10–0 | |
| 16 | December 15, 1996 | at Carolina Panthers Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion... |
L 27–16 | 4–11–0 | |
| 17 | December 22, 1996 | Houston Oilers Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter... |
L 24–21 | 4–12–0 | |
Roster
| 1996 Baltimore Ravens roster | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
Jonathan Ogden Jonathan Phillip Ogden is a former American football offensive tackle who played for the Baltimore Ravens.-College:He received his education at St. Albans School, excelling not only in football but also in track and field... Steve Everitt Steven Michael Everitt is a former professional American football offensive lineman in the NFL for seven seasons for the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, and Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at the University of Michigan.... Jeff Blackshear Jeffrey Leon Blackshear is a former American football guard who played nine seasons in the National Football League. He played for the Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers. Blackshear attended Northeast Louisiana University.-External links:*... Orlando Brown Orlando Brown is an American actor and musician. A child actor, his early roles included 3J in Family Matters, Eddie Thomas in That's So Raven, Tiger in Major Payne, and Nelson in The Jamie Foxx Show. He was also the voice of Sticky Web on the animated TV series The Proud Family... Herman Arvie Herman Joseph Arvie is a retired American professional football player who played four seasons in the National Football League as an offensive tackle with the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens. Arvie was drafted by the Browns out of Grambling State University in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL... Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
Mike Caldwell (American football) Isaiah "Mike" Caldwell, Jr. is a former American football linebacker who played 11 seasons in the National Football League. He played college football at Middle Tennessee State University and was drafted in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft... Mike Croel Michael Croel is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League and the XFL.-Career:... Dexter Daniels Dexter Lavista Daniels is a former American college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League for a single season in... Keith Goganious Keith Lorenzo Goganious is a college football coach. As of October 2009 is serving as Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator/linebacker coach at Hampton University. Goganious played linebacker in the NFL for five seasons with the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Baltimore Ravens... Ray Lewis Ray Lewis is a professional American football player.Ray Lewis may also refer to:* Ray Lewis , former English association football referee* Ray Lewis , Canadian track-and-field athlete... Eddie Sutter Eddie Sutter is a former professional American football player who played linebacker for five seasons for the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, and Atlanta Falcons.... Jerrol Williams Jerrol Williams is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the 1989 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue.... Defensive Backs Special Teams
|
||||
Staff
| 1996 Baltimore Ravens staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front Office
Head Coaches
Offensive Coaches
|
Defensive Coaches
Special Teams Coaches
Strength and Conditioning
|
|||||