The city of Baltimore is about to witness a 53-year drought come to an end on Sunday when the Ravens host the AFC Championship Game.
“Charm City” hasn’t seen a conference championship contest in its town since 1971, when the then-Baltimore Colts defeated the then-Oakland Raiders 27-17. However, even more ironic, the Ravens will be seeking their third AFC title against the Kansas City Chiefs.
This raises the question: When was the last time Baltimore brought home the Vince Lombardi Trophy?
Looking Back at the Ravens’ Last Super Bowl Title
While the city will see a five-decade dry spell of hosting the Conference Championship game come to an end, the Ravens are aiming to end a drought of their own — it’s been 11 seasons since Baltimore’s last Super Bowl win.
That 2012 Ravens team was led by a young Joe Flacco. Ray Rice was Baltimore’s 1,000-yard running back, and WR Anquan Boldin led the unit as a free agent acquisition.
Baltimore’s primary identity at that time, however, was on defense. That side of the football was spearheaded by two future NFL Hall of Famers, including one who eventually announced his retirement.
Linebacker Ray Lewis told reporters during that postseason that he’s informed his teammates, “This is my last ride.” Those words eventually helped spark the Ravens into making their run.
With Lewis leading the front seven and Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed in the secondary, the Ravens rolled through the postseason. They opened the playoffs with a 24-9 romp in the Wild Card round of the Indianapolis Colts.
The following week, Lewis and the Ravens ended Peyton Manning’s first season with the Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round in overtime, 38-35. Then, in the AFC Championship, Lewis and Baltimore rolled into Foxborough and stunned a Tom Brady-led New England Patriots team 28-13.
Finally, Baltimore’s inspired run ended with the “Blackout” game of Super Bowl XLVII against the San Francisco 49ers. The lights went out momentarily, but once the New Orleans Superdome got its power back, the Niners rallied back from being down 28-6 before losing to Baltimore 34-31.
That win became the Ravens’ second Super Bowl championship, with their first coming after the 2000 season.
Playoff History Suggests Notable Trends To Watch
Sunday will be the Ravens’ 30th postseason contest in franchise history.
The team owns a 17-12 overall record in the playoffs. In AFC Championships, Baltimore is 2-2 overall with wins over the Raiders (2000) and the aforementioned meeting with the Patriots. Baltimore’s Conference Championship losses came against New England (2011) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (2008).
MORE: List of Most Super Bowl Wins by Team
There’s a rare trend to watch on the Ravens’ side. When Baltimore edged San Francisco in 2012, it ended a 12-year gap from their last title of 2000 — which was their 34-7 rout of the New York Giants.
This is now the 12th year the Ravens have been without a Super Bowl. That presents a rare strong omen for the home team’s side on Sunday with QB Patrick Mahomes, TE Travis Kelce, and the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in town. The Ravens have a great chance at ending their title dry spell.
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