Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore Ravens: Top 5 Performers In Two Super Bowl Wins

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:36 p.m. ET

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Jan 29, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; General view of Super Bowl XLVII championship ring to commemorate the Baltimore Ravens 34-31 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on February 3, 2013 on display at the NFL Experience at the Phoenix Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sport

The Baltimore Ravens will be watching Super Bowl 51, but the franchise has great memories from their Super Bowl wins. Which Ravens shined the brightest in the big game?

The Baltimore Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV in the 2000 season. 12 years later Ray Lewis and the defense won the Super Bowl after a goal line stand. Both Super Bowls were magic. In the years between the Super Bowls, the Ravens had come so close to winning it all. In 2011, the Ravens were a Lee Evans catch in the end zone away, from playing the Giants in the Super Bowl.

The Ravens went to the playoffs for five straight seasons, winning a game in each postseason appearance. In 2008 the Ravens lost in the AFC Championship Game. In 2006, the Ravens had a first round bye and a 13-3 record. If the Ravens learned anything in those years in between their two Super Bowl parades, it’s how hard winning the Super Bowl is. The Super Bowl is the ultimate championship in professional sports. One bad game knocks you out of the playoffs, and only 12 of the 32 teams even get to playoffs, in the first place.

The biggest stage brings out the biggest play-makers. Here are the Ravens that stepped up to the biggest moment. These Ravens made legendary plays that will go down in history as some of the most important moments in the history of football.

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Jacoby Jones (12) celebrates a kickoff return touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers during the third quarter in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

5. Jacoby Jones

When you have a record breaking kickoff return, and a 56 yard touchdown, you’re going to be remembered. That’s what Jones brought to the table, 14 points in the biggest game of his life. If it were not for Jones, the Ravens wouldn’t even have been in the Super Bowl. He caught the Hail Mary pass in Denver, to take the Broncos to overtime. The three plays that I just told you about are three of the most critically important plays in the history of the Ravens.

The deep pass was a thing of beauty. He sneaked past the defensive backs and he fell down as he hauled in the bomb from Flacco. Realizing that he was untouched, he got up and ran to the end zone. 1:45 seconds were on the game clock in the first half and the Ravens were up 21-3. The second half started with a 108 yard kickoff return to put the Ravens up 28-6.

The 49ers came back and almost took the Ravens down in shocking fashion. That kickoff return was huge. Jones had a short run as the Super Bowl hero. The rest of his career didn’t treat him nearly as nicely. Jones however, will always be beloved in Baltimore. Nobody lived it up the moment like Jones.

Jan 29, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; General view of Super Bowl XXV championship ring to commemorate the Baltimore Ravens 34-7 victory over New York Giants on January 28, 2001 on display at the NFL Experience at the Phoenix Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sport

4. Jamal Lewis:

Jamal Lewis was a rookie when he ran for 102 yards and a touchdown in Super Bowl XXXV. Lewis was the star of a rather pedestrian offense. In that particular Super Bowl, he was critically important. Trent Dilfer only completed 12 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown. The Ravens offense didn’t need to do much to win, but without Lewis, they could have been in trouble. Lewis ran the ball 27 times that game. His longest run was a fantastic 19 yard rush.

It gets lost in the story of this game, but the Giants defense wasn’t shabby. Lewis had to keep the ball moving and more importantly the clock moving. 20 of the Ravens 34 points were scored by Matt Stover, Jermaine Lewis’s return for a touchdown and Duane Starks. The Ravens offense only scored two touchdowns. The Ravens offense relied heavily on Lewis, to prevent bad things from happening.

Because Lewis was a work horse, the Ravens could lean on the run game completely. The Ravens offense just had to stay out of the way. The offense had no turnovers. When in doubt, the Ravens had Lewis run the rock.

Jan 29, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; General view of Super Bowl XXV championship ring to commemorate the Baltimore Ravens 34-7 victory over New York Giants on January 28, 2001 on display at the NFL Experience at the Phoenix Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sport

3. Duane Starks:

Duane Starks was a fantastic cornerback for the Ravens historically good defense. Starks was a big reason why the 2000 Ravens defense was a turnover machine; he had six interceptions in the regular season and three interceptions in the playoffs. His most memorable play with the purple and black was his 49 yard interception return for a touchdown in Super Bowl XXXV.

Starks jumped right in front of Amani Toomer. Kerry Collins never saw it coming and it equaled six points for the Ravens. Starks flew down the field for a beautiful kick return. Starks and the Ravens secondary dominated in that game. Collins only threw for 112 yards and he was picked off four times. The greatest defense balled out that day, and Starks made the greatest play of all.

The interception made it a 17-0 lead for the Ravens. At that moment, it felt like the game was over. It was a statement, a message to the football world. Nobody was taking down the Baltimore Ravens on that day.

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Ray Lewis (52) reacts after a fourth down stop against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

2. Ray Lewis:

Now we are getting to the Super Bowl MVP’s of the Baltimore Ravens. Lewis is the only Raven to play in both Super Bowls and he was the MVP of Super Bowl XXXV. A young Ray Lewis was something you had to see to believe. He was a dominant sideline to sideline linebacker and he dominated the New York Giants. It felt like Lewis had a clone or two during the Ravens first Super Bowl, because he was all over the field.

Lewis is the greatest Ravens player of all time. He was the emotional leader of the team. In the first Super Bowl, he was one of the best players of all time, rocking it in his prime. In the second Super Bowl, he was a legend making his last stand. Lewis was the most physical, the most fierce and the most special player I have ever had the privilege of watching. In Super Bowl XXXV he was the conductor of the Giants’ pain. In Super Bowl XLVII he was the inspirational hero of the team.

The Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII because they put up 34 points. However, nothing could be more fitting than a goal line stand on Ray Lewis’s last time on the football field. Lewis lived a career that was pure magical.

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

1. Joe Flacco:

The Ravens had their quarterback make what could be the greatest playoff run of all time. Flacco had the 70 yard bomb in Denver to keep the Ravens alive. He threw 11 touchdowns and 0 interceptions in the 2012 playoffs and was the Super Bowl MVP. Whatever you think about Flacco, you have to admit that he had the magic in Super Bowl XLVII.

He went 22 for 33 passing for 287 yards and three touchdowns. He had the clutch back shoulder pass to Anquan Boldin on a 3rd & 1 late in the game. Flacco changed the call at the line, and came up with a huge first down. He had the 56 yard pass to Jones, that we talked about earlier. It was an amazing performance, and the Ravens needed every bit of it to win.

Each player on this list, did something absolutely incredible. They made plays that make them heroes forever in the realm of Baltimore sports. Because they played so well in the biggest game (or games in Ray Lewis’s case) of their career, they will never be forgotten.

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