2008 Baltimore Ravens season
Encyclopedia
2008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
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 13th season for the team in the NFL. Despite having one of the toughest schedules in the NFL, the Ravens completed a major turnaround from the 2007 season, finishing the season with an 11–5 record and a playoff
Playoff
The playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a game or series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, usually but not always with a single-elimination system, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade.In the U.S...
berth. They defeated the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, and then in the divisional round they defeated the Tennessee Titans
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...
, who had compiled the best record in the AFC over the regular season. However, in the AFC championship game, the Ravens' season came to an end as they were defeated by eventual Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
champion 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...
.
Head Coach
On December 31, 2007, Brian BillickBrian Billick
Brian Harold Billick is a National Football League game analyst for Fox, and is also an analyst for the network's Bowl Championship Series coverage. He was previously an NFL coach, most recently with the Baltimore Ravens from January 19, 1999 to December 31, 2007...
was fired after coaching the team to a 5–11 record, finishing last overall in the AFC North Division. Three weeks later, on January 18, 2008, John Harbaugh was hired to replace Brian Billick as the third head coach in the franchise's young history. Harbaugh was the defensive secondary coach for the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, coaching such players as Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
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...
Lito Sheppard
Lito Sheppard
Lito Decorian Sheppard is an American football cornerback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football for the University of Florida.Sheppard has also played for the New York...
and free safety Brian Dawkins
Brian Dawkins
Brian Patrick Dawkins is an American football safety for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
. As the Baltimore Ravens Head Coach, he is scheduled to serve in that capacity until at least the end of the 2011 season, after signing a four year contract with the team.
Coordinators
After not having a true offensive coordinatorOffensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
during the 2007 season (Billick had assumed those duties early in the 2006 season after firing Jim Fassel
Jim Fassel
-Professional:-Personal life:Before the 2003 NFL season, Fassel was reunited with a son, John Mathieson, whom he and his wife Kitty gave up for adoption in 1969. The couple was unmarried when he was born....
(although Rick Neuheisel
Rick Neuheisel
Richard Gerald "Rick" Neuheisel, Jr. , is an American football coach, former player, and attorney. He was most recently the head football coach at University of California, Los Angeles, a position he held from 2008 to 2011...
had been listed on the coaching staff in that capacity),) addressing this position was as much of a priority for new Head Coach John Harbaugh as it was for owner Steve Bisciotti
Steve Bisciotti
Stephen J. Bisciotti is the current majority owner of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League.-Background:...
to find a new Head Coach for his team, at the time. Recently dismissed as head coach from the Miami Dolphins, Malcolm 'Cam' Cameron
Cam Cameron
-External links:...
was highly sought after for his offensive expertise from his time in San Diego with the Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. After some deliberation amongst offers he received from around the league, Cameron chose to come to the Ravens, and John Harbaugh announced him as the offensive coordinator on January 23, 2008.
Rex Ryan
Rex Ryan
Rex Ryan is an American football head coach for the New York Jets of the National Football League . After serving as an assistant coach for twenty-two years, Ryan attained his first head coaching job in the NFL with the Jets in 2009...
was 'released from duty' as the team's defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
, but was still under contract to the Ravens as a defensive coordinator in name for one more year, should new Head Coach John Harbaugh decide to hire him onto his staff, thus making him ineligible to accept the same position with any other NFL football team. Ryan, at the time was applying for a head coaching position himself, but got no offers for any of the four head coaching vacancies in Atlanta
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, his own team in Baltimore, Miami, or in Washington
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. On January 28, 2008, Ryan was re-hired as the Ravens' Defensive Coordinator and was subsequently promoted to Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator after rumors of potential Redskins Head Coach Jim Zorn circulated that he wanted Ryan to coach the Redskins as its defensive coordinator.
Personnel
Offseason / Free agency
During the 2008 Free Agency period, the Ravens acquired linebackerLinebacker
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...
Brendan Ayanbadejo from the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and cornerback Frank Walker from the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
. Both were added to the Ravens roster primarily for their special teams ability, but also to fulfill a pressing need for depth at two positions which were diminished by injuries as the 2007 season
2007 Baltimore Ravens season
-Game summary:The Ravens began their 2007 campaign on the road against their AFC North foe, the Cincinnati Bengals, in the first game of a Monday Night Football doubleheader. In the first quarter, Baltimore lost two fumbles early on, with the Bengals turning the second fumble into QB Carson...
wore on. On February 28, 2008, center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
Mike Flynn
Mike Flynn (offensive lineman)
Michael Patrick Flynn is an American football center who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 1997...
was released after failing his annual physical. Flynn was one of the few players remaining from the team's Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
championship season in 2000.
After suffering multiple injuries and having to be placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
during the 2007 season
2007 Baltimore Ravens season
-Game summary:The Ravens began their 2007 campaign on the road against their AFC North foe, the Cincinnati Bengals, in the first game of a Monday Night Football doubleheader. In the first quarter, Baltimore lost two fumbles early on, with the Bengals turning the second fumble into QB Carson...
, veteran quarterback Steve McNair
Steve McNair
Stephen LaTreal McNair was an American football quarterback who spent the majority of his NFL career with the Tennessee Titans....
announced his retirement from the NFL after 13 combined seasons with the Ravens and Titans on April 17, 2008. After being voted to 11 Pro Bowls in 12 seasons, (but only playing in 10 due to a hyperextended big toe) veteran left tackle and the first ever draft selection by the newly created Baltimore Ravens franchise in 1996, 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...
announced his retirement on June 12, 2008.
2008 NFL Draft
The Baltimore Ravens had nine selections going into in the 2008 NFL Draft2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
, including four compensatory selections. The Ravens traded the eighth overall pick to the Jaguars for Jacksonville's first-round choice (26th overall) as well as two third-round selections (71st and 89th) and a fourth-round (125th) pick. The Ravens then traded the 26th overall pick as well as their third-round (89th) and sixth-round (173) picks to Houston for its first-round (18th) pick. The Ravens traded their 38th overall pick to the Seattle Seahawks for their second-round pick and gained another selection in the third-round, which were at 55 and 86, respectively. The Ravens then traded their second fourth-round pick (125th overall) to the Oakland Raiders for cornerback Fabian Washington
Fabian Washington
-Oakland Raiders:During his rookie year he played all 16 games with 11 starts and recorded 40 tackles. In his second season with the Raiders, Washington started in all 14 games he played in and had 43 tackles and four interceptions . During his third season with the Raiders in 2007 he played in 15...
.
| Compensatory Selection |
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | School/Club Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 | Joe Flacco Joe Flacco Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, becoming the highest drafted player ever from the University of Delaware... |
QB 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... |
Delaware |
| 2 | 55 | Ray Rice Ray Rice Raymell Maurice Rice is an American football running back for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Rutgers. He is currently ranked as the Baltimore Ravens third all-time rusher in... |
RB Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... |
Rutgers Rutgers Scarlet Knights football The Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team represents Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision play... |
| 3 | 71 | Tavares Gooden Tavares Gooden -Baltimore Ravens:He had only 5 tackles in 4 games of the 2008 season. Gooden started at ILB alongside Ray Lewis for the 2009 season. He was oft-injured and only played 12 games. He made 47 tackles. Back to being a backup in 2010, Gooden had just another mediocre season with 18 tackles.He was... |
LB 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 (Fl.) Miami Hurricanes football The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships... |
| 3 | 86 | Tom Zbikowski Tom Zbikowski Thomas Michael Zbikowski is an American football safety for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League, and an occasional professional boxer. He was drafted by the Ravens in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft... |
SS | Notre Dame Notre Dame Fighting Irish football Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an... |
| 3 | 99 | Oniel Cousins Oniel Cousins Oniel Theodore Cousins is an American football guard for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas-El Paso.-Baltimore Ravens:Cousins was selected by the Baltimore Ravens... |
OG | UTEP UTEP Miners football The UTEP Miners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Texas at El Paso . With a history dating back to 1914, UTEP currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of Conference USA . UTEP currently plays their home games at the Sun Bowl... |
| 4 | 106 | Marcus Smith | WR 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... |
New Mexico |
| 4 | 133 | David Hale David Hale (American football) David Hale is an American football offensive lineman who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He attended Fremont High School and played college football at Weber State University... |
OT | Weber State |
| 6 | 206 | Haruki Nakamura Haruki Nakamura Haruki Robert Nakamura is an American football safety for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League.-Early life:... |
FS | Cincy |
| 7 | 215 | Justin Harper | WR 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... |
VT Virginia Tech Hokies football The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over... |
| 7 | 240 | Allen Patrick Allen Patrick Allen Patrick is an American football running back and is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oklahoma.... |
RB Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... |
OU Oklahoma Sooners football The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association... |
Strength of schedule
The Ravens, in addition to facing its AFC NorthAFC 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...
counterparts, faced opponents from the AFC South
AFC South
The AFC South is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. It was created before the 2002 season when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams...
Division and the NFC East
NFC East
The NFC East is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins....
Division. They also faced 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...
from the AFC West
AFC West
The AFC West is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference, currently comprising the Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Oakland Raiders.-History:...
Division and the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
from the AFC East
AFC East
The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. There are four members: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots , and New York Jets...
Division based on the 2002–2009 NFL scheduling formula because of their fourth place finish in the AFC North Division.
The Ravens and Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
had the fourth toughest strength of schedule in the NFL based on its aforementioned opponents' win to loss ratio from the 2007 season
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
, with its opponents winning 55.1% of their scheduled games in 2007. The only three teams with tougher strength of schedules are the 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...
(3rd) with a 55.9% opponents' winning percentage, the 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 ....
(2nd) with a 59.4% opponents' winning percentage, and the 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...
have the toughest strength of schedule in the 2008 season with an opponents' winning percentage of 59.8%.
Broadcast changes
The first and last pre-season games will be simulcastSimulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
on television and radio, a first in the NFL. The Ravens' games will be broadcast on WBAL-TV 11, WBAL-AM Radio (1090), and WIYY-FM Radio (97.9). The radio broadcast team of Gerry Sandusky, Stan White, and former Ravens defensive tackle Rob Burnett will voice the televised pre-season games. The second and third games will be broadcast on WMAR Channel 2 due to NBCs Olympic Coverage.
Preseason
| Week | Opponent | Date | TV Network | Time (EDT) | Stadium | Location | Results | Record | Match Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New England Patriots 2008 New England Patriots season The 2008 New England Patriots season was the 39th season for the team in the National Football League and 49th season overall. Despite finishing the regular season with an 11–5 record, the Patriots did not qualify for the playoffs—becoming the first 11-win team since the expansion to a 12-team... |
Thursday, August 7, 2008 | CBS NFL on CBS The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:... / WBAL WBAL-TV WBAL-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station in Baltimore, Maryland. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 11. It is one of the flagship stations of Hearst Television, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Hearst Corporation, which also owns sister radio stations WBAL and... |
7:30 p.m. | Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution... |
Foxboro, Massachusetts | W 16 – 15 | 1–0 | Recap |
| 2 | Minnesota Vikings 2008 Minnesota Vikings season The 2008 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 48th season in the NFL, and the 17th season in which they won their division. They won the NFC North with a 10–6 record, but had to play in the wild card round of the playoffs... |
Saturday, August 16, 2008 | Fox NFL on FOX NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports... / WMAR |
7:30 p.m. | M & T Bank Stadium | Baltimore, Maryland | L 15 – 23 | 1–1 | Recap |
| 3 | St. Louis Rams 2008 St. Louis Rams season The 2008 St. Louis Rams season was the 71st season for the team in the National Football League and their 14th in St. Louis, Missouri. They hoped to improve upon their 3-13 record from last season but the season was a complete disaster, and their worst season ever. Not only did they fail to... |
Saturday, August 23, 2008 | CBS / WMAR | 8:00 p.m. | Edward Jones Dome Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome (more formally known as the Edward Jones Dome at America's Center, and previously known as The Trans World Dome (from 1995–2001) is a multi-purpose stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, and home of the St. Louis Rams of the NFL. It was... |
St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St... |
L 10 – 24 | 1–2 | Recap |
| 4 | Atlanta Falcons 2008 Atlanta Falcons season The 2008 Atlanta Falcons season was the 43rd season for the team in the National Football League. Overcoming a disappointing 4-12 record, quarterback Michael Vick's dog fighting scandal and head coach Bobby Petrino's abrupt resignation in 2007, the Falcons, who were expected to be in a rebuilding... |
Thursday, August 28, 2008 | Fox / WBAL | 7:00 p.m. | M & T Bank Stadium | Baltimore, Maryland | L 9 – 10 | 1–3 | Recap |
Regular season
| Week | Opponent | Date | TV Network | Time (ET) | Stadium | Location | Results | Record | Match Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cincinnati Bengals 2008 Cincinnati Bengals season The 2008 Cincinnati Bengals season was the 39th season for the team in the National Football League and their 41st overall season. The team finished the season with 4 wins, 11 losses, and 1 tie, and did not qualify for the playoffs for the 3rd consecutive year.-Coaching changes:This season marked... |
Sunday, September 7, 2008 | CBS | 1:00 p.m. | M & T Bank Stadium | Baltimore, Maryland | W 17–10 | 1–0 | Recap |
| 2 | Bye week Bye (sports) A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing... |
||||||||
| 3 | Cleveland Browns 2008 Cleveland Browns season The 2008 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 62nd season as a franchise and was the team's 58th season as a member of the National Football League. The Browns finished with a 4–12 record and failed to qualify for the playoffs. The season marked Romeo Crennel's fourth year as head coach of the... |
Sunday, September 21, 2008 | CBS | 4:15 p.m. | M & T Bank Stadium | Baltimore, Maryland | W 28–10 | 2–0 | Recap |
| 4 | Pittsburgh Steelers 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 76th season in the National Football League . The season concluded with the team winning Super Bowl XLIII to become the first franchise in the NFL with six Super Bowl titles.... |
Monday, September 29, 2008 | ESPN Monday Night Football Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series... |
8:30 p.m. | Heinz Field Heinz Field Heinz Field is a stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football teams, members of the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association respectively... |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States... |
L 20–23 | 2–1 | Recap |
| 5 | Tennessee Titans 2008 Tennessee Titans season The 2008 Tennessee Titans season was the 49th season for the team in the National Football League, their twelfth in Tennessee, and their tenth as the Titans. Despite being expected by most sportswriters to finish third or even fourth in the AFC South, they compiled a 13–3 regular season record and... |
Sunday, October 5, 2008 | CBS | 1:00 p.m. | M & T Bank Stadium | Baltimore, Maryland | L 10–13 | 2–2 | Recap |
| 6 | Indianapolis Colts 2008 Indianapolis Colts season The 2008 Indianapolis Colts season was the 56th season for the team in the National Football League and the 25th in Indianapolis. It was the first season since 2002 that the Colts did not win the AFC South title. However, after a 3–4 start on the season Peyton Manning led the Colts to a nine-game... |
Sunday, October 12, 2008 | CBS | 1:00 p.m. | Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The stadium celebrated its grand opening on August 24, 2008, and its ribbon-cutting ceremony August 16, 2008. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. The stadium was built 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... |
L 3–31 | 2–3 | Recap |
| 7 | Miami Dolphins 2008 Miami Dolphins season The 2008 Miami Dolphins season was the organization's 39th season in the National Football League and 43rd overall. During the regular season the Dolphins completed the greatest single-season turnaround in NFL history, going from a 1–15 regular season record in 2007 to an 11–5 record in 2008... |
Sunday, October 19, 2008 | CBS | 1:00 p.m. | Dolphin Stadium Dolphin Stadium Sun Life Stadium is an American football stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, a suburb of Miami. It is the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins National Football League team, and the University of Miami Hurricanes football team. It also hosts the Orange Bowl, an annual college football bowl game. It... |
Miami, Florida Miami, Florida Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625... |
W 27–13 | 3–3 | Recap |
| 8 | Oakland Raiders 2008 Oakland Raiders season The 2008 Oakland Raiders season was the team's forty-ninth season. The Raiders improved upon their 4–12 record from 2007. This was also the first time in four seasons that the team did not play both contestants from the previous Super Bowl, playing the New England Patriots, but not the New York... |
Sunday, October 26, 2008 | CBS | 1:00 p.m. | M & T Bank Stadium | Baltimore, Maryland | W 29–10 | 4–3 | Recap |
| 9 | Cleveland Browns 2008 Cleveland Browns season The 2008 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 62nd season as a franchise and was the team's 58th season as a member of the National Football League. The Browns finished with a 4–12 record and failed to qualify for the playoffs. The season marked Romeo Crennel's fourth year as head coach of the... |
Sunday, November 2, 2008 | CBS | 1:00 p.m. | Cleveland Browns Stadium Cleveland Browns Stadium -See also:* List of current National Football League stadiums* Chronology of home stadiums for current National Football League teams* List of American football stadiums by capacity* List of U.S. stadiums by capacity* List of North American stadiums by capacity... |
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... |
W 37–27 | 5–3 | Recap |
| 10 | Houston Texans 2008 Houston Texans season The 2008 Houston Texans season was the 7th season for the team in the National Football League. Though the Texans lost their first four games of the season, they rallied and won five of their last six games, to finish with an 8–8 record for the second consecutive year.The 2008 season also marked... |
Sunday, November 9, 2008** | CBS | 1:00 p.m. | Reliant Stadium Reliant Stadium Reliant Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Houston, Texas, USA. Reliant Stadium has a seating capacity of 71,500, a total square footage of with of natural grass playing surface.... |
Houston, Texas Houston, Texas Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ... |
W 41–13 | 6–3 | Recap |
| 11 | New York Giants 2008 New York Giants season The 2008 New York Giants season was the franchise's 84th season in the National Football League as the team looked to defend its Super Bowl XLII title. They improved upon their 10–6 record from 2007, becoming NFC East champions and finished with the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs with a 12-4 record... |
Sunday, November 16, 2008* | CBS | 1:00 p.m. | Giants Stadium Giants Stadium Giants Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Maximum seating capacity was 80,242. The building itself was 230.5 m long, 180.5 m wide and 44 m high from service level to the top of the seating bowl and 54 m high to... |
East Rutherford, New Jersey East Rutherford, New Jersey East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,913. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan.... |
L 10–30 | 6–4 | Recap |
| 12 | Philadelphia Eagles 2008 Philadelphia Eagles season The 2008 Philadelphia Eagles season was the team's 76th season as a franchise in the National Football League. The Eagles improved upon their 8–8 record and fourth-place finish in the NFC East in the 2007 season by going 9–6–1 and earning the 6th seed in the NFC Playoffs. The team lost in the... |
Sunday, November 23, 2008* | Fox | 1:00 p.m. | M & T Bank Stadium | Baltimore, Maryland | W 36–7 | 7–4 | Recap |
| 13 | Cincinnati Bengals 2008 Cincinnati Bengals season The 2008 Cincinnati Bengals season was the 39th season for the team in the National Football League and their 41st overall season. The team finished the season with 4 wins, 11 losses, and 1 tie, and did not qualify for the playoffs for the 3rd consecutive year.-Coaching changes:This season marked... |
Sunday, November 30, 2008* | CBS | 1:00 p.m. | Paul Brown Stadium Paul Brown Stadium Paul Brown Stadium is an American sports stadium located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the home venue of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. It opened on August 19, 2000. The stadium was named after Bengals' founder Paul Brown. The stadium is located on approximately of land and... |
Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's... |
W 34–3 | 8–4 | Recap |
| 14 | Washington Redskins 2008 Washington Redskins season The 2008 Washington Redskins season was the 76th season for the team in the National Football League. They failed to improve upon their 9-7 record from 2007... |
Sunday, December 7, 2008* | NBC | 8:15 p.m. | M & T Bank Stadium | Baltimore, Maryland | W 24–10 | 9–4 | Recap |
| 15 | Pittsburgh Steelers 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 76th season in the National Football League . The season concluded with the team winning Super Bowl XLIII to become the first franchise in the NFL with six Super Bowl titles.... |
Sunday, December 14, 2008* | CBS | 4:15 p.m. | M & T Bank Stadium | Baltimore, Maryland | L 9–13 | 9–5 | Recap |
| 16 | Dallas Cowboys 2008 Dallas Cowboys season The 2008 Dallas Cowboys season was the 49th season for the team in the National Football League. The season was most noted for week 17, when the Cowboys were blown out by the Philadelphia Eagles 44–6, their worst loss since the 1985 Chicago Bears came to Texas Stadium and beat the Cowboys 44–0... |
Saturday, December 20, 2008 | NFL Network Run to the Playoffs Thursday Night Football is the brand name used by NFL Network for its schedule of live regular season telecasts of National Football League games on Thursday nights. Also included in the package are some Saturday specials.... |
8:00 p.m. | Texas Stadium Texas Stadium Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675... |
Irving, Texas Irving, Texas Irving is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Dallas County. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 216,290. Irving is within the Dallas–Plano–Irving metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, designated... |
W 33–24 | 10–5 | Recap |
| 17 | Jacksonville Jaguars 2008 Jacksonville Jaguars season The 2008 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the 14th season for the team in the National Football League. The Jaguars failed to improve upon their 11–5 record from 2007 and did not make the playoffs, contrary to many preseason predictions.-2008 NFL Draft picks:... |
Sunday, December 28, 2008* | CBS | 4:15 p.m. | M & T Bank Stadium | Baltimore, Maryland | W 27–7 | 11–5 | Recap |
NBC Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color...
on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
.
Week 1: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
| Week One: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens — Summary |
|---|
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Leading Passers
Leading Rushers
Leading Receivers
Leading Tacklers
|
The Ravens began their 2008 campaign at home against their AFC North foe, the Cincinnati Bengals
2008 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 2008 Cincinnati Bengals season was the 39th season for the team in the National Football League and their 41st overall season. The team finished the season with 4 wins, 11 losses, and 1 tie, and did not qualify for the playoffs for the 3rd consecutive year.-Coaching changes:This season marked...
. In the first quarter, Baltimore opened the scoring with WR Mark Clayton scoring on a 42-yard TD run from a double-reverse play. In the second quarter, the Ravens increased their advantage with Matt Stover
Matt Stover
John Matthew "Matt" Stover is a former American Football placekicker. As of the start of the 2009 NFL season, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the National Football League. He is of Greek origin. He has played for the New York Giants, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore...
kicking a 21-yard field goal. The Bengals responded with Shayne Graham
Shayne Graham
Michael Shayne Graham is an American football placekicker. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2000, and most recently played with the New England Patriots...
kicking a 43-yard field goal to end the first half. In the third quarter, Baltimore responded with rookie QB Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco
Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, becoming the highest drafted player ever from the University of Delaware...
scoring on a 38-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter, Cincinnati tried to rally as CB Johnathan Joseph
Johnathan Joseph
Johnathan Joseph is an American football cornerback with the Houston Texans, drafted 24th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals out of South Carolina.-College career:...
returned a fumble 65 yards for a touchdown. Ultimately, the Ravens defense stopped a potential Bengals scoring drive on fourth down late in the fourth quarter and won the game.
With the win, the Ravens began their season at 1–0.
Joe Flacco in his rookie debut, completed 15 of 29 passes for 129 yards (along with a touchdown run).
Week 2: Bye week
The Houston Texans – Baltimore Ravens game was postponed from September 14 to November 9 due to structural damage to Reliant StadiumReliant Stadium
Reliant Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Houston, Texas, USA. Reliant Stadium has a seating capacity of 71,500, a total square footage of with of natural grass playing surface....
caused by Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike was the second-costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States, the costliest hurricane ever to impact Cuba and the second most active hurricane to reach the Canadian mainland in the Great Lakes Region after Hurricane Hazel in 1954...
.
Week 3: vs. Cleveland Browns
| Week Three: Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens — Summary |
|---|
First Quarter Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Leading Passers
Leading Rushers
Leading Receivers
Leading Tacklers
|
Coming off an unexpected bye week, the Ravens looked to improve their division standing in the AFC North, playing host to the 0–2 Cleveland Browns. Joe Flacco threw his first career interception in the first quarter, which was scoreless for both teams. The Browns, however, capitalized on the turnover by driving 52 yards for a touchdown, finishing the drive with Derek Anderson
Derek Anderson (American football)
Derek Matthew Anderson is an American football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
completing a 19 yard pass to Jerome Harrison
Jerome Harrison
-Cleveland Browns:Harrison was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft.In his first season he made ten appearances including one start. He made his NFL debut against the New Orleans Saints on September 10, 2006...
. Baltimore would respond with Willis McGahee
Willis McGahee
Willis Andrew McGahee III is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
scoring on a 5 yard touchdown run, his first of the season. The Browns closed out the first half with a Phil Dawson
Phil Dawson
Philip Drury Dawson is an American football placekicker for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League. He holds the franchise record for most field goals made, passing Hall of Famer Lou Groza in 2010...
Field goal to make the score 10 – 7, Browns, at the half. Strong Safety Dawan Landry
Dawan Landry
Dawan Frank Landry is an American football safety of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Landry was a successful college safety for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets from 2002 to 2005, and was drafted in the 5th round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Ravens.-College:While at Georgia Tech, he majored in Management...
suffered a mild spinal injury and was taken to the hospital, where X-rays were negative for damage. In the second half, Baltimore won the turnover battle and their defense proved to be the deciding factor in this contest. After Ray Lewis delivered a big hit on Browns' Tight End Kellen Winslow
Kellen Winslow
Kellen Boswell Winslow is a former American football tight end with the Missouri Tigers and the San Diego Chargers. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest tight ends in the history of the game. He is currently the athletic director at Central State University.Winslow did not play high...
while deflecting a pass, Chris McAlister
Chris McAlister
Christopher James McAlister is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona....
intercepted the tipped ball and returned the interception to the Browns 10 yard line. Four plays later, Fullback Le'Ron McClain
Le'Ron McClain
- Baltimore Ravens :McClain signed with the Ravens on July 27, 2007. He scored his first career touchdown on a Kyle Boller pass against the San Diego Chargers on November 25, 2007...
would score on a 1 yard run. On the next possession, Ed Reed
Ed Reed
Edward Earl Reed Jr. is an American football free safety for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens 24th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
intercepted a Derek Anderson pass intended for Tight End Steve Heiden
Steve Heiden
Steve Allen Heiden is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent in the National Football League.-College career:...
and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown. After forcing another 3-and-out, Baltimore would capitalize on a Browns personal foul from the 50 yard line, driving 35 yards for a touchdown, finishing the drive with a 1 yard run from Le'Ron McClain. The Browns tried to rally late in the game, but Samari Rolle
Samari Rolle
Samari Toure Rolle is a retired American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
intercepted Derek Anderson with less than two minutes to play, ensuring no chance of a comeback.
With the win, and the Pittsburgh Steelers
2008 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 76th season in the National Football League . The season concluded with the team winning Super Bowl XLIII to become the first franchise in the NFL with six Super Bowl titles....
losing 15 – 6 to the Philadelphia Eagles
2008 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 2008 Philadelphia Eagles season was the team's 76th season as a franchise in the National Football League. The Eagles improved upon their 8–8 record and fourth-place finish in the NFC East in the 2007 season by going 9–6–1 and earning the 6th seed in the NFC Playoffs. The team lost in the...
, the Ravens not only improve to 2–0; they now lead the AFC North after 3 weeks.
Week 4: at Pittsburgh Steelers
| Week Four: Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers — Summary |
|---|
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Overtime
Leading passers
Leading rushers
Leading receivers
Leading tacklers
|
Heinz Field
Heinz Field is a stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football teams, members of the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association respectively...
for their first road game of the year, as they played a Week 4 MNF duel with the throwback-clad 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...
. In the first quarter, Baltimore trailed early as Steelers kicker Jeff Reed got a 49-yard field goal. The Ravens responded with kicker Matt Stover
Matt Stover
John Matthew "Matt" Stover is a former American Football placekicker. As of the start of the 2009 NFL season, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the National Football League. He is of Greek origin. He has played for the New York Giants, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore...
getting a 33-yard field goal. Baltimore gained the lead in the second quarter as Stover kicked a 20-yard field goal, while rookie QB Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco
Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, becoming the highest drafted player ever from the University of Delaware...
completed his first career touchdown pass as he hooked up with TE Daniel Wilcox
Daniel Wilcox
Daniel Wilcox is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He has played for the Baltimore Ravens, the New York Jets and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has played in the National Football League since 2001...
from 4 yards out.
In the third quarter, Pittsburgh took the lead with QB Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
completing a 38-yard TD pass to WR Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Ohio State...
, along with LB James Harrison forcing a fumble from Flacco with LB LaMarr Woodley returning the fumble 7 yards for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, the Steelers increased their lead with Reed getting a 19-yard field goal. Afterwards, the Ravens tied the game with RB Le'Ron McClain
Le'Ron McClain
- Baltimore Ravens :McClain signed with the Ravens on July 27, 2007. He scored his first career touchdown on a Kyle Boller pass against the San Diego Chargers on November 25, 2007...
getting a 2-yard TD run. However, despite winning the coin toss in overtime, Baltimore was unable to gain ground. In the end, Pittsburgh sealed Baltimore's fate as Reed nailed the game-winning 46-yard field goal.
With the loss, the Ravens fell to 2–1.
Week 5: vs. Tennessee Titans
| Week Five: Tennessee Titans vs. Baltimore Ravens — Summary |
|---|
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Leading Passers
Leading Rushers
Leading Receivers
Leading Tacklers
|
Hoping to rebound from their tough divisional road loss to the Steelers, the Ravens went home for a Week 5 defensive duel with the Tennessee Titans
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...
. Baltimore scored in the first quarter on a 38-yard field goal by kicker Matt Stover
Matt Stover
John Matthew "Matt" Stover is a former American Football placekicker. As of the start of the 2009 NFL season, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the National Football League. He is of Greek origin. He has played for the New York Giants, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore...
. In the second quarter, the Titans tied the game as kicker Rob Bironas
Rob Bironas
James Robert Douglas "Rob" Bironas is an American football placekicker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football at Auburn University and Georgia Southern.Bironas was an All-Pro...
made a 35-yard field goal. In the third quarter, the Ravens reclaimed the lead on a 1-yard TD run by RB Le'Ron McClain
Le'Ron McClain
- Baltimore Ravens :McClain signed with the Ravens on July 27, 2007. He scored his first career touchdown on a Kyle Boller pass against the San Diego Chargers on November 25, 2007...
. However, in the fourth quarter, Tennessee pulled away with Bironas nailing a 26-yard field goal and QB Kerry Collins
Kerry Collins
Kerry Michael Collins is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers with the fifth overall pick of the 1995 NFL Draft, the first choice in the franchise's history...
completing an 11-yard TD pass to TE Alge Crumpler
Alge Crumpler
-Atlanta Falcons:Crumpler was drafted by the Falcons in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. Crumpler made the first start of his NFL career against the Carolina Panthers on September 23, 2001. He caught his first two passes for a total of 13 yards. His first touchdown was scored against the...
.
With the loss, Baltimore fell to 2–2.
Week 6: at Indianapolis Colts
| Week Six: Baltimore Ravens vs. Indianapolis Colts — Summary |
|---|
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Leading Passers
Leading Rushers
Leading Receivers
Leading Tacklers
|
Trying to snap a two-game losing streak, the Ravens flew to Lucas Oil Stadium
Lucas Oil Stadium
Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The stadium celebrated its grand opening on August 24, 2008, and its ribbon-cutting ceremony August 16, 2008. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. The stadium was built to...
for a Week 6 duel with the 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 ....
. In the first quarter, Baltimore trailed early as Colt QB Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
completed a 67-yard TD pass to WR Marvin Harrison
Marvin Harrison
Marvin Daniel Harrison is a former American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse...
and a 22-yard TD pass to WR Reggie Wayne
Reggie Wayne
Reginald "Reggie" Wayne is a professional American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. Wayne was selected in the 1st round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Colts...
, along with kicker Adam Vinatieri
Adam Vinatieri
Adam Matthew Vinatieri is an American football placekicker currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts. He has played in six Super Bowls, four with the New England Patriots and two with the Colts, winning four. Vinatieri won a Super Bowl in 2006 with Indianapolis and won Super Bowls in 2001,...
getting a 37-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Ravens continued to struggle as Manning completed a 5-yard TD pass to Harrison. In the third quarter, Indianapolis pulled away as RB Dominic Rhodes
Dominic Rhodes
Dominic Dondrell Rhodes is an American football running back for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He attended Cooper High School in Abilene, Texas. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2001...
got a 1-yard TD run. Baltimore would get its only score as kicker Matt Stover
Matt Stover
John Matthew "Matt" Stover is a former American Football placekicker. As of the start of the 2009 NFL season, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the National Football League. He is of Greek origin. He has played for the New York Giants, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore...
got a 37-yard field goal.
With their third-straight loss, the Ravens fell to 2–3.
Week 7: at Miami Dolphins
| Week Seven: Baltimore Ravens vs. Miami Dolphins — Summary |
|---|
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Leading Passers
Leading Rushers
Leading Receivers
Leading Tacklers
|
Trying to snap a three-game losing streak, the Ravens flew to Dolphin Stadium
Dolphin Stadium
Sun Life Stadium is an American football stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, a suburb of Miami. It is the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins National Football League team, and the University of Miami Hurricanes football team. It also hosts the Orange Bowl, an annual college football bowl game. It...
for a Week 7 duel with the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In the first quarter, Baltimore trailed early as Dolphins kicker Dan Carpenter
Dan Carpenter
Daniel Roy Carpenter is an American football placekicker for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League...
got a 21-yard field goal. The Ravens would respond with kicker Matt Stover
Matt Stover
John Matthew "Matt" Stover is a former American Football placekicker. As of the start of the 2009 NFL season, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the National Football League. He is of Greek origin. He has played for the New York Giants, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore...
getting a 47-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Baltimore took the lead as LB Terrell Suggs
Terrell Suggs
Terrell Raymonn Suggs is an American football linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens tenth overall in the 2003 NFL Draft after playing his college football at Arizona State....
returned an interception 44 yards for a touchdown. Miami would answer with Carpenter making a 26-yard field goal, yet the Ravens replied with rookie QB Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco
Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, becoming the highest drafted player ever from the University of Delaware...
completing an 11-yard TD pass to WR Derrick Mason
Derrick Mason
Derrick James Mason is an American football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan State.Mason has also played for the Baltimore Ravens where he...
.
In the third quarter, Baltimore increased its lead with Stover nailing a 28-yard field goal. The Dolphins tried to rally as QB Chad Pennington
Chad Pennington
James Chadwick "Chad" Pennington is an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for ten years. He is currently a football analyst with FOX Sports though he plans to return to playing after recovering from an injury...
completed a 7-yard TD pass to WR Davone Bess
Davone Bess
Davone Atrayo Bess is an American football wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
. Fortunately for the Ravens, in the fourth quarter, the Ravens scored on a 5-yard TD run by RB Willis McGahee
Willis McGahee
Willis Andrew McGahee III is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
.
With the win, Baltimore improved to 3–3.
Week 8: vs. Oakland Raiders
| Week Eight: Oakland Raiders vs. Baltimore Ravens — Summary |
|---|
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Leading Passers
Leading Rushers
Leading Receivers
Leading Tacklers
|
Coming off their road win over the Dolphins, the Ravens went home for a Week 8 duel with 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...
. In the first quarter, Baltimore rookie LB Jameel McClain
Jameel McClain
Jameel Leshawn McClain is an American football linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was signed by the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
sacked Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell
JaMarcus Russell
JaMarcus Trenell Russell is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. Russell played college football for the LSU Tigers where he finished 21–4 as a starter and was named MVP of the 2007 Sugar Bowl. The Oakland Raiders selected Russell with the first overall pick of the 2007...
in his own endzone for a safety. In the second quarter, the Ravens increased their lead with a 1-yard TD run by RB Willis McGahee
Willis McGahee
Willis Andrew McGahee III is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
, a 70-yard TD pass to WR Demetrius Williams
Demetrius Williams
Demetrius Terrell Williams is an American football wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
by rookie QB Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco
Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, becoming the highest drafted player ever from the University of Delaware...
, and a 38-yard field goal by kicker Matt Stover
Matt Stover
John Matthew "Matt" Stover is a former American Football placekicker. As of the start of the 2009 NFL season, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the National Football League. He is of Greek origin. He has played for the New York Giants, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore...
.
In the third quarter, Oakland responded with a 22-yard field goal by kicker Sebastian Janikowski
Sebastian Janikowski
Sebastian Janikowski is a left-footed Polish placekicker who plays for the National Football League's Oakland Raiders. He is nicknamed The Polish Cannon because he is considered to have one of the strongest kicking legs in the league, and leads the NFL in kickoffs for touchbacks. He lives in...
, yet Baltimore answered with Stover 30-yard field goal. The Raiders tried to rally as Russell completed a 2-yard TD pass to RB Justin Griffith
Justin Griffith
Justin Montrel Griffith is an American football fullback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
. In the fourth quarter, the Ravens extended their lead on a Flacco 12-yard TD run.
With the win, Baltimore improved to 4–3.
Week 9: at Cleveland Browns
| Week Nine: Baltimore Ravens vs. Cleveland Browns — Summary |
|---|
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Leading Passers
Leading Rushers
Leading Receivers
Leading Tacklers
|
Coming off their home win over the Raiders, the Ravens traveled to Cleveland Browns Stadium
Cleveland Browns Stadium
-See also:* List of current National Football League stadiums* Chronology of home stadiums for current National Football League teams* List of American football stadiums by capacity* List of U.S. stadiums by capacity* List of North American stadiums by capacity...
for a Week 9 AFC North rematch with the 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...
. In the first quarter, Baltimore's first drive ended with a 41-yard field goal by kicker Matt Stover
Matt Stover
John Matthew "Matt" Stover is a former American Football placekicker. As of the start of the 2009 NFL season, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the National Football League. He is of Greek origin. He has played for the New York Giants, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore...
, while rookie QB Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco
Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, becoming the highest drafted player ever from the University of Delaware...
completed a 47-yard TD pass to WR Mark Clayton. The Browns immediately responded with WR Joshua Cribbs
Joshua Cribbs
Joshua "Josh" Cribbs is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He played collegiately for Kent State University. He holds the NFL record with eight kickoff returns for touchdowns...
returning a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown. In the second quarter, Cleveland tied the game with a 23-yard field goal by kicker Phil Dawson
Phil Dawson
Philip Drury Dawson is an American football placekicker for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League. He holds the franchise record for most field goals made, passing Hall of Famer Lou Groza in 2010...
. The Ravens answered with Stover making a 32-yard field goal, yet the Browns closed out the half with Dawson making a 54-yard field goal.
In the third quarter, Cleveland took the lead as QB Derek Anderson
Derek Anderson (American football)
Derek Matthew Anderson is an American football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
completed a 28-yard TD pass to WR Braylon Edwards
Braylon Edwards
-Cleveland Browns:-2005:Edwards began his rookie season as Cleveland's third wide receiver – he would have started higher, but a hold-out caused him to miss the beginning of training camp. Early in the season Edwards revealed that he had a staph infection, and missed a few weeks as a result of it....
and a 7-yard TD pass to RB Jason Wright. Baltimore closed out the quarter with a 1-yard TD run by FB Le'Ron McClain
Le'Ron McClain
- Baltimore Ravens :McClain signed with the Ravens on July 27, 2007. He scored his first career touchdown on a Kyle Boller pass against the San Diego Chargers on November 25, 2007...
. In the fourth quarter, the Ravens rallied with Flacco completing a 28-yard TD pass to WR Derrick Mason
Derrick Mason
Derrick James Mason is an American football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan State.Mason has also played for the Baltimore Ravens where he...
, Stover nailing a 22-yard field goal, and LB Terrell Suggs
Terrell Suggs
Terrell Raymonn Suggs is an American football linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens tenth overall in the 2003 NFL Draft after playing his college football at Arizona State....
returning an interception 42 yards for a touchdown.
With the season-sweep, Baltimore improved to 5–3.
Week 10: at Houston Texans
| Week Ten: Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans — Summary |
|---|
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Leading Passers
Leading Rushers
Leading Receivers
Leading Tacklers
|
Coming off their season-sweep over the Browns, the Ravens flew to Reliant Stadium
Reliant Stadium
Reliant Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Houston, Texas, USA. Reliant Stadium has a seating capacity of 71,500, a total square footage of with of natural grass playing surface....
for a Week 10 duel with the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Both Baltimore and Houston were originally scheduled to play each other during Week 2 of the 2008 NFL season, but the game was rescheduled to Week 10 due to structural damage to Reliant Stadium, which was caused by Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike was the second-costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States, the costliest hurricane ever to impact Cuba and the second most active hurricane to reach the Canadian mainland in the Great Lakes Region after Hurricane Hazel in 1954...
. Week 10 was originally set to be the team's bye week. This contest would be the eighth of a record fifteen consecutive games for the Ravens.
In the first quarter, Baltimore took flight as rookie QB Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco
Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, becoming the highest drafted player ever from the University of Delaware...
completed a 43-yard TD pass to WR Yamon Figurs
Yamon Figurs
Yamon Figurs is an American football wide receiver and return specialist who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
. In the second quarter, the Texans responded with a 23-yard field goal by kicker Kris Brown
Kris Brown
Kristopher "Kris" Clayton Brown is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent.He was originally drafted in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the first six years of his NFL career, he has converted 132 of 173 field goals and scored 573 points...
. The Ravens would punt on the ensuing drive, pinning the Texans at their 3-yard line. On the next play, Texans OT Duane Brown
Duane Brown
Duane Anthony Brown is an American football offensive tackle for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies. He was drafted in the first round by the Texans in the 2008 NFL Draft...
committed a holding penalty while in his own endzone, giving the Ravens a safety. Baltimore would increase their lead as rookie kicker Steven Hauschka
Steven Hauschka
Steven Hauschka is an American football placekicker for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
got a 54-yard field goal. The Texans would close out the half as Brown nailed a 48-yard field goal.
In the third quarter, the Ravens increased their lead as RB Willis McGahee
Willis McGahee
Willis Andrew McGahee III is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
got a 1-yard TD run. Houston would answer as QB Sage Rosenfels
Sage Rosenfels
Sage Rosenfels is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Iowa State before he was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played with the Miami Dolphins from 2002–2005, the Houston Texans from...
completed a 60-yard TD pass to WR Kevin Walter
Kevin Walter
Kevin Patrick Walter is an American football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
. In the fourth quarter, Baltimore steamrolled their way to victory with Flacco completing a 1-yard TD pass to TE Todd Heap
Todd Heap
Todd Benjamin Heap is an American football tight end for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State-Early years:At Mountain View High School, in Mesa, Arizona,...
(with a 2-point conversion pass to WR Derrick Mason
Derrick Mason
Derrick James Mason is an American football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan State.Mason has also played for the Baltimore Ravens where he...
), QB Troy Smith
Troy Smith
Troy James Smith is an American football quarterback for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State.Smith has also played for the San Francisco 49ers. He...
completing a 14-yard TD pass to Heap, and McGahee rushing four yards for a TD.
With the win, the Ravens improved to 6–3.
Week 11: at New York Giants
| Week Eleven: Baltimore Ravens vs. New York Giants — Summary |
|---|
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Leading Passers
Leading Rushers
Leading Receivers
Leading Tacklers
|
Coming off their road win over the Texans, the Ravens flew to Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Maximum seating capacity was 80,242. The building itself was 230.5 m long, 180.5 m wide and 44 m high from service level to the top of the seating bowl and 54 m high to...
for a Week 11 interconference duel with the defending Super Bowl champions, the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In the first quarter, Baltimore trailed early as Giants RB Brandon Jacobs
Brandon Jacobs
-New York Giants:Going into the 2006 season Jacobs stated that he studied film of famed power running back Eddie George in an effort to refine his running style. George, like Jacobs, was a large, power running back. In the 2006 season, Jacobs carried the ball 96 times for 423 yards and nine...
got back-to-back 1-yard TD runs (with a failed PAT on the latter). In the second quarter, the Ravens continued to struggle as QB Eli Manning
Eli Manning
Eli Nelson Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning...
completed a 1-yard TD pass to TE Darcy Johnson
Darcy Johnson
Darcy Johnson is an American football tight end for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at UCF....
. Baltimore closed out the half with kicker Matt Stover
Matt Stover
John Matthew "Matt" Stover is a former American Football placekicker. As of the start of the 2009 NFL season, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the National Football League. He is of Greek origin. He has played for the New York Giants, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore...
getting a 38-yard field goal.
In the third quarter, the Ravens tried to rally as rookie QB Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco
Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, becoming the highest drafted player ever from the University of Delaware...
completed a 10-yard TD pass to FB Le'Ron McClain
Le'Ron McClain
- Baltimore Ravens :McClain signed with the Ravens on July 27, 2007. He scored his first career touchdown on a Kyle Boller pass against the San Diego Chargers on November 25, 2007...
. However, New York answered with CB Aaron Ross returning an interception 50 yards for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, the Giants closed out the game as kicker Lawrence Tynes
Lawrence Tynes
Lawrence James Henry Tynes is an American football placekicker for the New York Giants. He was originally signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2001.-Early years:...
nailed a 19-yard field goal.
With the loss, Baltimore fell to 6–4.
The Ravens' top-ranked rushing defense gave up 207 yards, which is the most since October 1997 against the 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...
.
Week 12: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
| Week Twelve: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Baltimore Ravens — Summary |
|---|
First Quarter Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Leading Passers
Leading Rushers
Leading Receivers
Leading Tacklers
|
Hoping to rebound from their road loss to the Giants, the Ravens went home for a Week 12 interconference duel with the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Baltimore scored the first points of the game late in the second half with a 44-yard field goal by kicker Matt Stover
Matt Stover
John Matthew "Matt" Stover is a former American Football placekicker. As of the start of the 2009 NFL season, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the National Football League. He is of Greek origin. He has played for the New York Giants, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore...
, while rookie QB Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco
Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, becoming the highest drafted player ever from the University of Delaware...
and TE Daniel Wilcox
Daniel Wilcox
Daniel Wilcox is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He has played for the Baltimore Ravens, the New York Jets and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has played in the National Football League since 2001...
connected on a 1-yard TD pass, set up by an interception by safety Ed Reed
Ed Reed
Edward Earl Reed Jr. is an American football free safety for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens 24th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
. The Eagles would close out the half with safety Quintin Demps
Quintin Demps
Quintin Lamon Demps is an American football safety for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas-El Paso....
returning a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. In the third quarter, the Ravens answered with rookie LB Jameel McClain
Jameel McClain
Jameel Leshawn McClain is an American football linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was signed by the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
blocking a punt that resulted in a safety. In the fourth quarter, Baltimore scored additional unanswered points as Stover nailed a 42-yard field goal, Flacco completed a 53-yard TD pass to WR Mark Clayton, Reed set an NFL record with a 108-yard interception return for a touchdown, and FB Le'Ron McClain
Le'Ron McClain
- Baltimore Ravens :McClain signed with the Ravens on July 27, 2007. He scored his first career touchdown on a Kyle Boller pass against the San Diego Chargers on November 25, 2007...
scored on a 1-yard TD run.
With the win, the Ravens improved to 7–4.
Week 13: at Cincinnati Bengals
| Week Thirteen: Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals — Summary |
|---|
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Leading Passers
Leading Rushers
Leading Receivers
Leading Tacklers
|
Coming off their home win over the Eagles, the Ravens flew to Paul Brown Stadium
Paul Brown Stadium
Paul Brown Stadium is an American sports stadium located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the home venue of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. It opened on August 19, 2000. The stadium was named after Bengals' founder Paul Brown. The stadium is located on approximately of land and...
for a Week 13 AFC North rematch with the 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...
. In the first quarter, Baltimore scored first with a 27-yard field goal by kicker Matt Stover
Matt Stover
John Matthew "Matt" Stover is a former American Football placekicker. As of the start of the 2009 NFL season, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the National Football League. He is of Greek origin. He has played for the New York Giants, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore...
. In the second quarter, the Ravens increased their lead as Stover made a 21-yard field goal, while rookie QB Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco
Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, becoming the highest drafted player ever from the University of Delaware...
completed a 4-yard TD pass to TE Todd Heap
Todd Heap
Todd Benjamin Heap is an American football tight end for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State-Early years:At Mountain View High School, in Mesa, Arizona,...
. The Bengals would close out the half as kicker Shayne Graham
Shayne Graham
Michael Shayne Graham is an American football placekicker. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2000, and most recently played with the New England Patriots...
nailed a 21-yard field goal.
In the third quarter, Baltimore pulled away as WR Mark Clayton (on a trick play) threw a 32-yard TD pass to WR Derrick Mason
Derrick Mason
Derrick James Mason is an American football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan State.Mason has also played for the Baltimore Ravens where he...
and caught a 70-yard TD pass from Flacco. In the fourth quarter, the Ravens sealed the victory as safety Jim Leonhard
Jim Leonhard
James Andrew "Jim" Leonhard is an American football safety for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2005. Leohnard has also played for the Baltimore Ravens...
returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown.
With the win, not only did Baltimore improve to 8–4, but they swept the season series from Cincinnati for the first time since 2002.
Week 14: vs. Washington Redskins
| Week Fourteen: Washington Redskins vs. Baltimore Ravens — Summary |
|---|
First Quarter: BAL-TD: Le'Ron McClain 8 yard run(Matt Stover Kick is good) 7–0, BAL. BAL-TD: Ed Reed 22 yard fumble return(Matt Stover Kick is good) 14–0, BAL. Second Quarter: No Scoring Third Quarter: BAL-FG: Matt Stover 32 yards,17–0,BAL. Fourth Quarter: WAS-FG: Shaun Suisham 43 yards,17–3,BAL. WAS-TD:Antwaan Randle El, 5 yard pass from Jason Campbell(Shaun Suisham Kick is good) 17–10,BAL. BAL-TD: Derrick Mason, 28 yard pass from Joe Flacco(Matt Stover Kick is good) 24–10,BAL.
Leading Passers
Leading Rushers
Leading Receivers
Leading Tacklers
|
The Ravens wore their alternate uniforms in the game, hosting cross-conference rivals The Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
at M&T Bank Stadium
M&T Bank Stadium
M&T Bank Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the home of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. The stadium is immediately adjacent to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the home of the Baltimore Orioles. Served by the Hamburg Street station of...
. The Ravens scored early following an Ed Reed
Ed Reed
Edward Earl Reed Jr. is an American football free safety for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens 24th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
interception that set up a short touchdown pass from Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco
Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, becoming the highest drafted player ever from the University of Delaware...
to Le'Ron McClain
Le'Ron McClain
- Baltimore Ravens :McClain signed with the Ravens on July 27, 2007. He scored his first career touchdown on a Kyle Boller pass against the San Diego Chargers on November 25, 2007...
. With just under ten minutes to go, Washington ran Clinton Portis
Clinton Portis
Clinton Earl Portis is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
up the middle for a first down, but Portis fumbled. Raven Ed Reed recovered the ball and advanced it for a touchdown; the Redskins unsuccessfully challenged, contending Portis was down by contact. Those would be the only points on the board for either team in the first half.
In the second half, a long Ravens drive beginning at just under eleven minutes to go in the third quarter set up a 32-yard Matt Stover
Matt Stover
John Matthew "Matt" Stover is a former American Football placekicker. As of the start of the 2009 NFL season, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the National Football League. He is of Greek origin. He has played for the New York Giants, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore...
field goal. The Redskins answered with a drive starting late in the third quarter and ending in the early fourth quarter that set up a 43-yard Shaun Suisham
Shaun Suisham
Shaun Christopher Suisham is a Canadian placekicker of American football for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League . He was signed by the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2005...
field goal. Receiving the kickoff, Baltimore ran just two plays before surrendering the ball to Washington on a Willis McGahee
Willis McGahee
Willis Andrew McGahee III is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
fumble that led to a short drive capped by a touchdown pass from Jason Campbell
Jason Campbell
Jason Campbell is an American football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
to Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He attended Indiana University, after turning down a Major League Baseball draft selection by the Chicago Cubs in 1997...
. Another kickoff led to a very long Baltimore drive that consumed most of the remaining time. Ten of twelve plays were runs by Le'Ron McClain. A 28-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Mason
Derrick Mason
Derrick James Mason is an American football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan State.Mason has also played for the Baltimore Ravens where he...
capped this drive. With three and a half minutes left, the Redskins next drive ended in an Ed Reed interception that enabled Baltimore to burn most of the remaining time. The Redskins took possession for their final series with 0:16 remaining but could not score.
With the win, Baltimore improved to 9–4.
Week 15: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
| Week Fifteen: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens — Summary |
|---|
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Leading Passers
Leading Rushers
Leading Receivers
Leading Tacklers
|
Coming off their win over the Redskins, the Ravens stayed at home for a crucial Week 15 AFC North rematch with the 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...
with the division title on the line.
After a scoreless first quarter, Baltimore scored in the second quarter with a 28-yard field goal by kicker Matt Stover
Matt Stover
John Matthew "Matt" Stover is a former American Football placekicker. As of the start of the 2009 NFL season, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the National Football League. He is of Greek origin. He has played for the New York Giants, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore...
. The Steelers would respond with a 31-yard field goal from kicker Jeff Reed, yet the Ravens gained the halftime lead as Stover kicked a 26-yard field goal. Baltimore would increase their lead in the third quarter as Stover made a 28-yard field goal. However, in the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh would win the game as Reed nailed a 30-yard field goal, followed by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
completing a 4-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Ohio State...
.
With the loss, the Ravens fell to 9–5.
Week 16: at Dallas Cowboys
| Week Sixteen: Baltimore Ravens vs. Dallas Cowboys — Summary |
|---|
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Leading Passers
Leading Rushers
Leading Receivers
Leading Tacklers
|
Hoping to rebound from an upsetting home loss to the Steelers, the Ravens flew to Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...
for a Week 16 interconference duel with the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. Baltimore would trail early in the first quarter as Cowboys running back Tashard Choice
Tashard Choice
Tashard J. Choice , is an American football running back for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He played collegiately at Georgia Tech. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft.Choice began his collegiate career at The University of Oklahoma but...
got a 2-yard touchdown run. The Ravens would respond with a 26-yard field goal from kicker Matt Stover
Matt Stover
John Matthew "Matt" Stover is a former American Football placekicker. As of the start of the 2009 NFL season, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the National Football League. He is of Greek origin. He has played for the New York Giants, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore...
. In the second quarter, Baltimore would take the lead as Stover made a 29-yard and a 37-yard field goal. The Ravens would then use the third quarter to add onto their lead as rookie quarterback Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco
Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, becoming the highest drafted player ever from the University of Delaware...
completed a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Derrick Mason
Derrick Mason
Derrick James Mason is an American football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan State.Mason has also played for the Baltimore Ravens where he...
. In the fourth quarter, Dallas would answer with kicker Nick Folk
Nick Folk
Nicholas "Nick" Alexander Folk is an American football kicker who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
getting a 35-yard field goal, yet Baltimore equally answered with Stover's 35-yard field goal. The Cowboys would try to rally as quarterback Tony Romo
Tony Romo
Antonio Ramiro "Tony" Romo is a professional American football quarterback in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys. Romo's career passer rating - at 95.8 - ranks third-best all time. Tony Romo didn't play in the regular season in 2003, 2004, or 2005...
completed a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Owens has been one of the dominant receivers of his era...
, yet the Ravens immediately responded with running back Willis McGahee
Willis McGahee
Willis Andrew McGahee III is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
scoring on a 77-yard touchdown run. Dallas tried to come back as Romo completed a 21-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jason Witten
Jason Witten
Christopher Jason Witten is an American football tight end who plays for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Tennessee....
, yet Baltimore closed out the game with fullback Le'Ron McClain
Le'Ron McClain
- Baltimore Ravens :McClain signed with the Ravens on July 27, 2007. He scored his first career touchdown on a Kyle Boller pass against the San Diego Chargers on November 25, 2007...
rushing for an 82-yard touchdown (the longest TD run by a Cowboys opponent in Texas Stadium).
With the win, the Ravens kept their playoff hopes alive at 10–5.
Week 17: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
| Week Seventeen: Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Baltimore Ravens — Summary |
|---|
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Leading Passers
Leading Rushers
Leading Receivers
Leading Tacklers
|
With the New England Patriots
2008 New England Patriots season
The 2008 New England Patriots season was the 39th season for the team in the National Football League and 49th season overall. Despite finishing the regular season with an 11–5 record, the Patriots did not qualify for the playoffs—becoming the first 11-win team since the expansion to a 12-team...
leading the Buffalo Bills
2008 Buffalo Bills season
The 2008 Buffalo Bills season was the 39th season for the team in the National Football League and their 49th season overall. They finished with a record of 7–9 for the third consecutive year...
13–0 late in the fourth quarter of their game, the Ravens knew at kick-off that the only sure way to secure the final AFC play-off berth would be to beat the Jaguars. The Ravens tallied 3 points on an opening drive that featured a 48-yard pass completion from Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco
Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, becoming the highest drafted player ever from the University of Delaware...
to Mark Clayton.
With 55 seconds remaining in the 1st quarter, the Jaguars answered with a David Garrard
David Garrard
David Douglas Garrard is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent.Garrard played college football at East Carolina. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft, and served as the team's starting quarterback from 2007 to 2010...
pass to Alvin Pearman
Alvin Pearman
Francis Alvin Pearman, II is an American football running back who is currently a free agent, having last played for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
for 23-yard touchdown. The Ravens running game dominated the second quarter with Le'Ron McClain
Le'Ron McClain
- Baltimore Ravens :McClain signed with the Ravens on July 27, 2007. He scored his first career touchdown on a Kyle Boller pass against the San Diego Chargers on November 25, 2007...
scoring two touchdowns and Willis McGahee
Willis McGahee
Willis Andrew McGahee III is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
adding a third. The Ravens defense, featuring a Ray Lewis fumble recovery and an Ed Reed
Ed Reed
Edward Earl Reed Jr. is an American football free safety for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens 24th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
interception, shutout the Jaguars the rest of the game with Matt Stover
Matt Stover
John Matthew "Matt" Stover is a former American Football placekicker. As of the start of the 2009 NFL season, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the National Football League. He is of Greek origin. He has played for the New York Giants, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore...
adding a second-half field goal.
With the win, the Ravens completed the regular season at 11–5 and secured the sixth and final playoff spot in the AFC. They will travel to Miami, Florida to play the AFC East Division Champion Miami Dolphins.
Schedule
| Week | Opponent | Date | TV Network | Time (ET) | Stadium | Location | Results | Record | Match Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card Round | Miami Dolphins 2008 Miami Dolphins season The 2008 Miami Dolphins season was the organization's 39th season in the National Football League and 43rd overall. During the regular season the Dolphins completed the greatest single-season turnaround in NFL history, going from a 1–15 regular season record in 2007 to an 11–5 record in 2008... |
Sunday, January 4, 2009 | CBS | 1:00 p.m. | Dolphin Stadium Dolphin Stadium Sun Life Stadium is an American football stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, a suburb of Miami. It is the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins National Football League team, and the University of Miami Hurricanes football team. It also hosts the Orange Bowl, an annual college football bowl game. It... |
Miami, Florida Miami, Florida Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625... |
27–9 | 1–0 | |
| Divisional Round | Tennessee Titans 2008 Tennessee Titans season The 2008 Tennessee Titans season was the 49th season for the team in the National Football League, their twelfth in Tennessee, and their tenth as the Titans. Despite being expected by most sportswriters to finish third or even fourth in the AFC South, they compiled a 13–3 regular season record and... |
Saturday, January 10, 2009 | CBS | 4:30 p.m. | LP Field LP Field LP Field is a football stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, owned by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County.... |
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home... |
13–10 | 2–0 | |
| AFC Conference Championship | Pittsburgh Steelers 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 76th season in the National Football League . The season concluded with the team winning Super Bowl XLIII to become the first franchise in the NFL with six Super Bowl titles.... |
Sunday, January 18, 2009 | CBS | 6:30 p.m. | Heinz Field Heinz Field Heinz Field is a stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football teams, members of the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association respectively... |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States... |
14–23 | 2–1 |
AFC Wild Card Round: at Miami Dolphins
| AFC Wild Card Round: Baltimore Ravens vs. Miami Dolphins — Summary |
|---|
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Leading Passers
Leading Rushers
Leading Receivers
Leading Tacklers
|
Entering the postseason as the AFC's sixth seed, the Ravens began their playoff run at Dolphin Stadium
Dolphin Stadium
Sun Life Stadium is an American football stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, a suburb of Miami. It is the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins National Football League team, and the University of Miami Hurricanes football team. It also hosts the Orange Bowl, an annual college football bowl game. It...
in the AFC Wild Card round against the #3 Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, a rematch of their game played during Week 7 of the 2008 season. Baltimore trailed early in the first quarter as Dolphins kicker Dan Carpenter
Dan Carpenter
Daniel Roy Carpenter is an American football placekicker for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League...
hit a 19-yard field goal. The Ravens responded with 2:52 left in the first quarter when Matt Stover
Matt Stover
John Matthew "Matt" Stover is a former American Football placekicker. As of the start of the 2009 NFL season, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the National Football League. He is of Greek origin. He has played for the New York Giants, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore...
drove a ball through the uprights from 23-yards. In the second quarter, Baltimore took the lead when safety Ed Reed
Ed Reed
Edward Earl Reed Jr. is an American football free safety for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens 24th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
intercepted a Chad Pennington pass and returned it 64 yards for a touchdown. Stover nailed a 31-yard field goal after quarterback Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco
Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, becoming the highest drafted player ever from the University of Delaware...
hit Derrick Mason
Derrick Mason
Derrick James Mason is an American football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan State.Mason has also played for the Baltimore Ravens where he...
with a 31 yard bomb.
In the third quarter, the Ravens increased their lead as running back Le'Ron McClain
Le'Ron McClain
- Baltimore Ravens :McClain signed with the Ravens on July 27, 2007. He scored his first career touchdown on a Kyle Boller pass against the San Diego Chargers on November 25, 2007...
got an 8-yard touchdown run. Miami tried to rally in the fourth quarter as quarterback Chad Pennington
Chad Pennington
James Chadwick "Chad" Pennington is an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for ten years. He is currently a football analyst with FOX Sports though he plans to return to playing after recovering from an injury...
completed a 2-yard touchdown pass to running back Ronnie Brown
Ronnie Brown
Ronnie G. Brown, Jr. is an American football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . After graduating from Cartersville High School in Georgia, Brown attended Auburn University to play college football for the Auburn Tigers...
(Extra point no good) . With 4:00 left, the Ravens shut the door when Flacco scooted 5 yards on a quarterback draw for a touchdown.
With the win, the Ravens improved their overall record to 12–5 and traveled to Nashville to play the Tennessee Titans
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...
in the divisional round of the play-offs.
Baltimore's defense forced 5 turnovers from a Dolphins squad that only committed 13 turnovers throughout the entire regular season.
AFC Divisional Round: at Tennessee Titans
| AFC Divisional Round: Baltimore Ravens vs. Tennessee Titans — Summary |
|---|
First Quarter
Second Quarter No Scoring Third Quarter No Scoring Fourth Quarter
Leading Passers
Leading Rushers
Leading Receivers
Leading Tacklers
|
Coming off their wild card road win over the Dolphins, the Ravens flew to LP Field
LP Field
LP Field is a football stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, owned by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County....
for their AFC Divisional showdown with the top-seeded Tennessee Titans
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...
, in an attempt to avenge their Week 5 loss.
The Titans struck first with 4:45 remaining in the 1st quarter, with running back Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson (running back)
Christopher Duan Johnson is an American football running back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League...
capping off a 65-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown run. The Ravens responded with an 80-yard drive, ending with a 48-yard touchdown pass from rookie quarterback Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco
Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, becoming the highest drafted player ever from the University of Delaware...
to wide receiver Derrick Mason
Derrick Mason
Derrick James Mason is an American football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan State.Mason has also played for the Baltimore Ravens where he...
. Both teams' defense dominated the 2nd and 3rd quarters with neither team scoring. Early in the 4th quarter, Baltimore kicker Matt Stover
Matt Stover
John Matthew "Matt" Stover is a former American Football placekicker. As of the start of the 2009 NFL season, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the National Football League. He is of Greek origin. He has played for the New York Giants, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore...
got a 21-yard field goal, which gave the Ravens a 3-point lead. Tennessee would try to respond, by going 10 plays and using up 5 minutes of clock to drive down inside the Ravens 10 yard line, but Collin's pass to Crumpler was fumbled and recovered by Ravens' cornerback Fabian Washington
Fabian Washington
-Oakland Raiders:During his rookie year he played all 16 games with 11 starts and recorded 40 tackles. In his second season with the Raiders, Washington started in all 14 games he played in and had 43 tackles and four interceptions . During his third season with the Raiders in 2007 he played in 15...
at the Ravens' 1. Unable to move the ball, the Ravens punted the ball back to the Titans. From the Ravens 42, Tennessee drove down inside the 10 yard line again, but settled for a 27-yard field goal from kicker Rob Bironas
Rob Bironas
James Robert Douglas "Rob" Bironas is an American football placekicker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football at Auburn University and Georgia Southern.Bironas was an All-Pro...
to tie the game at 10–10. With 4:17 left in the game, the Ravens started a drive from their own 26-yard line. On a crucial 3rd and 2, Flacco completed a 23-yard pass to tight end Todd Heap
Todd Heap
Todd Benjamin Heap is an American football tight end for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State-Early years:At Mountain View High School, in Mesa, Arizona,...
. The drive ended with Stover kicking a 43-yard field goal to give the Ravens the lead with :57 remaining in the game. The Ravens' defense then held, preserving the victory.
With the win, not only did Baltimore improve their overall record to 13–5, but they also advanced to the AFC Championship Game
AFC Championship Game
The American Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the American...
against their AFC North Rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Joe Flacco became the first quarterback in NFL history to win two playoff games in his rookie year.
AFC Championship Round: at Pittsburgh Steelers
| AFC Championship Round: Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers — Summary |
|---|
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Leading Passers
Leading Rushers
Leading Receivers
Leading Tacklers
|
Coming off their road win over the top-seeded Titans, the Ravens flew to Heinz Field
Heinz Field
Heinz Field is a stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football teams, members of the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association respectively...
for the AFC Championship Game
AFC Championship Game
The American Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the American...
against their hated divisional rival, the #2 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...
(in Round 3 of their 2008 series).
Baltimore would trail early in the first quarter as Steelers kicker Jeff Reed kicked a 34-yard and a 42-yard field goal. Pittsburgh would add onto their lead in the second quarter as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
completed a 65-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Ohio State...
. The Ravens would close out the half as running back Willis McGahee
Willis McGahee
Willis Andrew McGahee III is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
scored a touchdown on a 3-yard run.
In the third quarter, the Steelers would respond to Baltimore's score with Reed nailing a 46-yard field goal. The Ravens would creep closer as McGahee rushed for a 1-yard touchdown. However, in the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh pulled away as safety Troy Polamalu
Troy Polamalu
Troy Aumua Polamalu is an American football strong safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Steelers. He played college football at the University of Southern California.-High school:Troy Polamalu graduated...
returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown. Baltimore tried to mount a comeback, but the Steelers' defense was too much to overcome.
With the loss, the Ravens' season ended with an overall record of 13–6.
McGahee, near the end of the fourth quarter, was in a vicious collision with Pittsburgh safety Ryan Clark
Ryan Clark (American football)
Ryan Terry Clark is an American football safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
. He was conscious, yet had to be carted off the field, due to some neck pains. On January 19, 2009, the Ravens released news that McGahee is expected to make a full recovery.
Coaching staff
| Baltimore Ravens 2008 staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front Office
Head Coaches
Offensive Coaches
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Defensive Coaches
Special Teams Coaches
Strength and Conditioning
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Final roster
| Baltimore Ravens 2008 final roster | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
Oniel Cousins Oniel Theodore Cousins is an American football guard for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas-El Paso.-Baltimore Ravens:Cousins was selected by the Baltimore Ravens... T/G Jared Gaither Jared Gaither is an American football offensive tackle for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the 2007 Supplemental Draft... T Ben Grubbs Leading up to the 2007 NFL Draft, Ben Grubbs participated in a series of private workouts, in addition to the NFL combine. He continued to impress scouts and coaches, alike, with his strength, agility, and football IQ.... G David Hale (American football) David Hale is an American football offensive lineman who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He attended Fremont High School and played college football at Weber State University... G/T Chad Slaughter Chad Slaughter is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2000... T Adam Terry Adam Terry is an American football offensive tackle for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft... T/G Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
Brendon Ayanbadejo Oladele Brendon Ayanbadejo is an American football linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 1999. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins.... ILB Antwan Barnes Antwan Barnes is an American football outside linebacker for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft... OLB/DE Nick Greisen Nick A. Greisen is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wisconsin.... ILB Jarret Johnson Jarret Webster Johnson is an American Football outside linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL.-College career:... OLB/DE Jameel McClain Jameel Leshawn McClain is an American football linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was signed by the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2008... OLB/DE Robert McCune Robert McCune is an American football linebacker who is currently playing for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft... ILB Bart Scott Bartholomew Edward Scott is an American football linebacker for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2002... ILB Terrell Suggs Terrell Raymonn Suggs is an American football linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens tenth overall in the 2003 NFL Draft after playing his college football at Arizona State.... OLB/DE Defensive Backs
Special Teams
|
Reserve Lists
Kyle Boller Kyle Bryan Boller is an American football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at The University of California.Boller has also played for the St... QB (IR)  Prescott Burgess Prescott Ennis Burgess is an American football linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He has had three stints with the team. He played college football at Michigan.Burgess has also played for the... OLB (IR) P. J. Daniels Prince Ahadzie Daniels, Jr. is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He played for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League in 2006... RB (IR) Lamar Divens Lamar Divens is an American football defensive end for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football first at Vanderbilt but later transferred to Tennessee State.-External links:*... NT (IR) Dwan Edwards Dwan Edwards is an American football defensive end for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oregon State.-Early years:Edwards attended Columbus High School in Columbus,... DE (IR) Tavares Gooden -Baltimore Ravens:He had only 5 tackles in 4 games of the 2008 season. Gooden started at ILB alongside Ray Lewis for the 2009 season. He was oft-injured and only played 12 games. He made 47 tackles. Back to being a backup in 2010, Gooden had just another mediocre season with 18 tackles.He was... ILB (IR) Kelly Gregg Kelly Michael Gregg is an American football nose tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oklahoma.Gregg earned a Super Bowl ring as a member of the Baltimore... NT (IR) Scott Kuhn Scott Ryan Kuhn is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Louisville.... TE (IR) Dawan Landry Dawan Frank Landry is an American football safety of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Landry was a successful college safety for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets from 2002 to 2005, and was drafted in the 5th round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Ravens.-College:While at Georgia Tech, he majored in Management... SS (IR) Derrick Martin Derrick Martin is an American football safety for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft... CB (IR) Marcus Maxwell Marcus James Maxwell is an American football wide receiver for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft... WR (IR) Chris McAlister Christopher James McAlister is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona.... CB (IR) Quinn Sypniewski Quinn Brian Sypniewski [sip-New-ski] is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He is a graduate of Johnston, Iowa High School and played college football at Colorado.-College career:Sypniewski... TE (IR) Kelly Talavou Kelly Simone Talavou is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was originally signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2007, and has also been a member of the Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens.Talavou played his junior and senior season... NT (IR) Demetrius Williams Demetrius Terrell Williams is an American football wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft... WR (IR) Marshal Yanda Marshal John Yanda is an American football offensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Iowa.... G/T (IR) Practice Squad
Rookies in italics |
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