For much of the 2023 NFL season, the Baltimore Ravens have looked like the best team in football. They have a quarterback, Lamar Jackson, playing at an MVP level and a defense feared by offenses everywhere. And with that, the Ravens have a chance to prove once and for all that those sentiments around the team are all true against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
With them hosting the AFC Championship Game and a spot in this year’s Super Bowl on the line, one may wonder just how much experience the team has when it comes to hosting this big game. Let’s take a closer look at the last time the Ravens hosted a Conference Championship and how many times they have been in the game historically.
Last Time Baltimore Hosted the AFC Championship
To find the last time the city of Baltimore hosted an AFC title game, you need to go back over 50 years and check a different team name.
This will be the first time the Baltimore Ravens organization will host an AFC Championship Game — and the first time for the city of Baltimore will host one — since the Baltimore Colts did so in 1971. That contest was played against the Miami Dolphins, a game in which the Dolphins handled the Colts definitively in a 21-0 contest.
How Many AFC Championship Games Has Baltimore Played?
This will be the fifth time the Ravens have been in the game in their franchise’s history. The last hosts in Baltimore, the Colts, relocated to Indianapolis in 1984, leaving a gap in Baltimore’s history before the Ravens joined the NFL in 1996. In their previous four matchups, Baltimore has gone 2-2 in the AFC title game.
Ravens’ AFC Championship Game History
The Ravens’ first time playing in the AFC Championship Game came in the 2000 season, when they faced off against the Oakland Raiders. They went on to win that matchup 16-3 and advanced to play the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, where Baltimore won 34-7.
Their second time playing in the Conference Championship was not as pleasant, as they went on to face the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2008 season and fell short 23-14.
MORE: List of Super Bowl Winners by Year
They would once again get back to the big game in the 2011 season and suffered a similar fate to the New England Patriots in their 23-20 loss.
However, they got back to their winning ways the following season against the same Patriots franchise, only this time, they overcame and won 28-13. The Ravens went on to beat the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 to secure the Lombardi Trophy.
Want to predict the results of the 2023 NFL postseason with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor? How about looking into in-depth breakdowns of team depth charts or the NFL playoff schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with all that and more!