2008 Baltimore Ravens season
2008 Baltimore Ravens season | |
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Owner | |
Uniform | |
The 2008 Baltimore Ravens season was the franchise's thirteenth season in the National Football League (NFL), the first under head coach John Harbaugh and their seventh season under general manager Ozzie Newsome.
The Ravens completed a major turnaround from the 2007 season, finishing the season with an 11–5 record and a
Quarterback
Offseason
Coaching staff
Head coach
On December 31, 2007,
Coordinators
After not having a true offensive coordinator during the 2007 season (Billick had assumed those duties early in the 2006 season after firing Jim Fassel[3] (although Rick Neuheisel had been listed on the coaching staff in that capacity),[4] addressing this position was as much of a priority for new head coach John Harbaugh as it was for owner Steve Bisciotti to find a new head coach for his team, at the time. Recently dismissed as head coach from the Miami Dolphins,[5] Malcolm 'Cam' Cameron was highly sought after for his offensive expertise from his time in San Diego with the Chargers. 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.[6]
Personnel
Offseason / Free agency
During the 2008
2008 NFL draft
The Baltimore Ravens had nine selections going into the
2008 Baltimore Ravens draft | |||||
Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
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1 | 18 | Joe Flacco | QB | Delaware | |
2 | 55 | Ray Rice * | RB | Rutgers | |
3 | 71 | Tavares Gooden | LB | Miami (FL) | |
3 | 86 | Tom Zbikowski | S | Notre Dame | |
3 | 99 | Oniel Cousins | OT
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UTEP | |
4 | 106 | Marcus Smith | WR | New Mexico | |
4 | 133 | David Hale | OT
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Weber State | |
6 | 206 | Haruki Nakamura | S | Cincinnati | |
7 | 215 | Justin Harper | WR | Virginia Tech | |
7 | 240 | Allen Patrick | RB | Oklahoma | |
Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career |
Staff
Baltimore Ravens 2008 staff | ||||||
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Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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Final roster
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Schedule
Preseason
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
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1 | August 7 | New England Patriots | W 16–15 | 1–0 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
2 | August 16 | Minnesota Vikings | L 15–23 | 1–1 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap |
3 | August 23 | St. Louis Rams | L 10–24 | 1–2 | Edward Jones Dome | Recap |
4 | August 28 | Atlanta Falcons | L 9–10 | 1–3 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap |
Regular season
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap | |
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1 | September 7 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 17–10 | 1–0 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap | |
2 | Bye [A] | ||||||
3 | September 21 | Cleveland Browns | W 28–10 | 2–0 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap | |
4 | September 29 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 20–23 (OT) | 2–1 | Heinz Field
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Recap | |
5 | October 5 | Tennessee Titans | L 10–13 | 2–2 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap | |
6 | October 12 | at Indianapolis Colts | L 3–31 | 2–3 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap | |
7 | October 19 | at Miami Dolphins | W 27–13 | 3–3 | Dolphin Stadium | Recap | |
8 | October 26 | Oakland Raiders | W 29–10 | 4–3 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap | |
9 | November 2 | at Cleveland Browns | W 37–27 | 5–3 | Cleveland Browns Stadium
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Recap | |
10 | November 9 | at Houston Texans | W 41–13 | 6–3 | Reliant Stadium | Recap | |
11 | November 16 | at New York Giants | L 10–30 | 6–4 | Giants Stadium | Recap | |
12 | November 23 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 36–7 | 7–4 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap | |
13 | November 30 | at Cincinnati Bengals | W 34–3 | 8–4 | Paul Brown Stadium
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Recap | |
14 | December 7 | Washington Redskins | W 24–10 | 9–4 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap | |
15 | December 14 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 9–13 | 9–5 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap | |
16 | December 20 | at Dallas Cowboys | W 33–24 | 10–5 | Texas Stadium | Recap | |
17 | December 28 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 27–7 | 11–5 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap | |
Note: Intra-divisional opponents are in bold text. |
Division standings
AFC North | |||||||||
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W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
(2) Pittsburgh Steelers | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 6–0 | 10–2 | 347 | 223 | W1 |
(6) Baltimore Ravens | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 8–4 | 385 | 244 | W2 |
Cincinnati Bengals | 4 | 11 | 1 | .281 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 204 | 364 | W3 |
Cleveland Browns | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 232 | 350 | L6 |
Game summaries
Regular season
Week 1: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week One: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens — Summary | ||
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Bengals | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
Ravens | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
The Ravens began their 2008 campaign at home against their toughest AFC North foe, the Cincinnati Bengals. 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 kicking a 21-yard field goal. The Bengals responded with Shayne Graham kicking a 43-yard field goal to end the first half. In the third quarter, Baltimore responded with rookie quarterback Joe Flacco scoring on a 38-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter, Cincinnati tried to rally as CB Johnathan Joseph 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 Ravens' Week 2 game against the
Week 3: vs. Cleveland Browns
Week Three: Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens — Summary | ||
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Browns | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
Ravens | 0 | 7 | 21 | 0 | 28 |
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
With the win, and the Pittsburgh Steelers losing 15–6 to the Philadelphia Eagles, 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 | ||
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total | |
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Ravens | 3 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
Steelers | 3 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
Coming off their home win over the Browns, the Ravens flew to
In the third quarter, Pittsburgh took the lead with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completing a 38-yard TD pass to WR Santonio Holmes, 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 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 then fell to 2–1.
Week 5: vs. Tennessee Titans
Week Five: Tennessee Titans vs. Baltimore Ravens — Summary | ||
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Titans | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 13 |
Ravens | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
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. Baltimore scored in the first quarter on a 38-yard field goal by kicker Matt Stover. In the second quarter, the Titans tied the game as kicker Rob Bironas 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. However, in the fourth quarter, Tennessee pulled away with Bironas nailing a 26-yard field goal and quarterback Kerry Collins completing an 11-yard TD pass to TE Alge Crumpler.
With the loss, Baltimore fell to 2–2.
Week 6: at Indianapolis Colts
Week Six: Baltimore Ravens vs. Indianapolis Colts — Summary | ||
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Ravens | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
Colts | 17 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
Trying to snap a two-game losing streak, the Ravens flew to Lucas Oil Stadium for a Week 6 duel with the Indianapolis Colts. In the first quarter, Baltimore trailed early as Colt quarterback Peyton Manning completed a 67-yard TD pass to WR Marvin Harrison and a 22-yard TD pass to WR Reggie Wayne, along with kicker Adam Vinatieri 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 got a 1-yard TD run. Baltimore would get its only score as kicker Matt Stover 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 | ||
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Ravens | 3 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 27 |
Dolphins | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
Trying to snap a three-game losing streak, the Ravens flew to
In the third quarter, Baltimore increased its lead with Stover nailing a 28-yard field goal. The Dolphins tried to rally as quarterback Chad Pennington completed a 7-yard TD pass to WR Davone Bess. Fortunately for the Ravens, in the fourth quarter, the Ravens scored on a 5-yard TD run by RB Willis McGahee.
With the win, Baltimore improved to 3–3.
Week 8: vs. Oakland Raiders
Week Eight: Oakland Raiders vs. Baltimore Ravens — Summary | ||
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Raiders | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
Ravens | 2 | 17 | 3 | 7 | 29 |
Coming off their road win over the Dolphins, the Ravens went home for a Week 8 duel with the Oakland Raiders. In the first quarter, Baltimore rookie LB Jameel McClain sacked Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell 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, a 70-yard TD pass to WR Demetrius Williams by rookie quarterback Joe Flacco, and a 38-yard field goal by kicker Matt Stover.
In the third quarter, Oakland responded with a 22-yard field goal by kicker Sebastian Janikowski, 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. 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 | ||
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Ravens | 10 | 3 | 7 | 17 | 37 |
Browns | 7 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 27 |
Coming off their home win over the Raiders, the Ravens traveled to
In the third quarter, Cleveland took the lead as quarterback Derek Anderson completed a 28-yard TD pass to WR Braylon Edwards 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. In the fourth quarter, the Ravens rallied with Flacco completing a 28-yard TD pass to WR Derrick Mason, Stover nailing a 22-yard field goal, and LB Terrell Suggs 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 | ||
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Ravens | 7 | 5 | 7 | 22 | 41 |
Texans | 0 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
Coming off their season-sweep over the Browns, the Ravens flew to
In the first quarter, Baltimore took flight as rookie quarterback
In the third quarter, the Ravens increased their lead as RB Willis McGahee got a 1-yard TD run. Houston would answer as quarterback Sage Rosenfels completed a 60-yard TD pass to WR Kevin Walter. In the fourth quarter, Baltimore steamrolled their way to victory with Flacco completing a 1-yard TD pass to TE Todd Heap (with a two-point conversion pass to WR Derrick Mason), QB Troy Smith 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 | ||
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Ravens | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
Giants | 13 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 30 |
Coming off their road win over the Texans, the Ravens flew to Giants Stadium for a Week 11 interconference duel with the defending Super Bowl champions, the New York Giants. In the first quarter, Baltimore trailed early as Giants RB Brandon Jacobs 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 quarterback Eli Manning completed a 1-yard TD pass to TE Darcy Johnson. Baltimore closed out the half with kicker Matt Stover getting a 38-yard field goal.
In the third quarter, the Ravens tried to rally as rookie quarterback
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.
Week 12: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Eagles | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Ravens | 0 | 10 | 2 | 24 | 36 |
at
- Date: November 23, 2008
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Sunny, 39 °F or 3.9 °C
- Game attendance: 71,379
- Referee: Walt Anderson
- TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan and Chris Myers
- Recap
Game information | ||
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Hoping to rebound from their road loss to the Giants, the Ravens went home for a Week 12 interconference duel with the Philadelphia Eagles. Baltimore scored the first points of the game late in the second half with a 44-yard field goal by kicker Matt Stover, while rookie quarterback Joe Flacco and TE Daniel Wilcox connected on a 1-yard TD pass, set up by an interception by safety Ed Reed. The Eagles would close out the half with safety Quintin Demps returning a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. In the third quarter, the Ravens answered with rookie LB Jameel McClain 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 107-yard interception return for a touchdown, and FB Le'Ron McClain scored on a 1-yard TD run. This was John Harbaugh's first game against his previous team. He was the Eagles' special teams coordinator from 1998 to 2006, and the Eagles' defensive backs coach in 2007.
With the win, the Ravens improved to 7–4.
Week 13: at Cincinnati Bengals
Week Thirteen: Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals — Summary | ||
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Ravens | 3 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 34 |
Bengals | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Coming off their home win over the Eagles, the Ravens flew to
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 and caught a 70-yard TD pass from Flacco. In the fourth quarter, the Ravens sealed the victory as safety Jim Leonhard 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 | ||
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Redskins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
Ravens | 14 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
The Ravens wore their alternate uniforms in the game, hosting cross-conference rivals The
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 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 field goal. Receiving the kickoff, Baltimore ran just two plays before surrendering the ball to Washington on a Willis McGahee fumble that led to a short drive capped by a touchdown pass from Jason Campbell to Antwaan Randle El. 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 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 | ||
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Steelers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 13 |
Ravens | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
Coming off their win over the Redskins, the Ravens stayed at home for a crucial Week 15 AFC North rematch with the Pittsburgh Steelers 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. 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 completing a 4-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Santonio Holmes.
With the loss, the Ravens fell to 9–5 being swept by the Steelers for the first time since 2002.
Week 16: at Dallas Cowboys
Week Sixteen: Baltimore Ravens vs. Dallas Cowboys — Summary | ||
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Ravens | 3 | 6 | 7 | 17 | 33 |
Cowboys | 7 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 24 |
Hoping to rebound from an upsetting home loss to the Steelers, the Ravens flew to Texas Stadium for a Week 16 interconference duel with the Dallas Cowboys. Baltimore would trail early in the first quarter as Cowboys running back Tashard Choice got a 2-yard touchdown run. The Ravens would respond with a 26-yard field goal from kicker Matt Stover. 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 completed a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Derrick Mason. In the fourth quarter, Dallas would answer with kicker Nick Folk 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 completed a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Terrell Owens, yet the Ravens immediately responded with running back Willis McGahee 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, yet Baltimore closed out the game with fullback Le'Ron McClain 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 | ||
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Jaguars | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Ravens | 3 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 27 |
With the New England Patriots leading the Buffalo Bills 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 to Mark Clayton.[21] With 55 seconds remaining in the 1st quarter, the Jaguars answered with a
With the win, the Ravens completed the regular season at 11–5 and secured the sixth and final playoff spot in the AFC. They traveled to Miami, Florida to play the AFC East division champion Miami Dolphins.
Postseason
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Game recap |
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Wild Card Round | Sunday, January 4, 2009 | at Miami Dolphins | W 27–9 | 1–0 | Dolphin Stadium
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Divisional Round | Saturday, January 10, 2009 | at Tennessee Titans | W 13–10 | 2–0 | LP Field
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AFC Championship | Sunday, January 18, 2009 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 14–23 | 2–1 | Heinz Field
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AFC Wild Card Round: at Miami Dolphins
AFC Wild Card Round: Baltimore Ravens vs. Miami Dolphins — Summary | ||
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Ravens | 3 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 27 |
Dolphins | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 9 |
Entering the postseason as the AFC's sixth seed, the Ravens began their playoff run at
In the third quarter, the Ravens increased their lead as running back Le'Ron McClain got an 8-yard touchdown run. Miami tried to rally in the fourth quarter as quarterback Chad Pennington completed a 2-yard touchdown pass to running back Ronnie Brown. 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 in the divisional round of the play-offs.
Baltimore's defense forced five 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 | ||
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Ravens | 7 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
Titans | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
Coming off their wild card road win over the Dolphins, the Ravens flew to
With the win, not only did Baltimore improve their overall record to 13–5, but they also advanced to the AFC Championship Game against their AFC North Rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Joe Flacco also 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 | ||
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Ravens | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
Steelers | 6 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 23 |
Coming off their road win over the top-seeded Titans, the Ravens flew to
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 completed a 65-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Santonio Holmes. The Ravens would close out the half as running back Willis McGahee 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 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. 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.[23]
Notes
- ^ The Ravens' game at the Houston Texans was postponed from September 14 to November 9 due to Hurricane Ike. Therefore, the Ravens' bye week was moved up from Week 10 to Week 2.[19]
References
- ^ "Brian Billick Articles, Photos, and Videos - Baltimore Sun". www.baltimoresun.com.
- ^ Go.com, John Harbaugh becomes third Head Coach in Ravens history
- ^ "Ravens fire offensive coordinator Jim Fassel". USA Today. October 17, 2006. Retrieved January 11, 2009.
- ^ Ginsburg, David (January 15, 2007). "Ravens Promote Neuheisel To Offensive Coordinator". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
- ^ "Dolphins fire Cam Cameron after 1–15 season". USA Today. January 4, 2008. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
- ^ "Ravens hire Cameron as offensive coordinator". ESPN.com. January 23, 2008.
- ^ "Baltimore Ravens - Home". Archived from the original on May 11, 2008. Retrieved April 17, 2008.
- ^ "baltimoresun.com – Moving the Chains: Report: Redskins pursuing Ryan". Archived from the original on March 29, 2008. Retrieved April 17, 2008.
- ^ La Canfora, Jason (January 24, 2008). "Redskins, Zorn Talk Offense". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
- ^ "Brendan Ayanbadejo Talks Ravens With Steve – Baltimore Ravens on WBAL Radio – wbal.com".[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Baltimore Ravens - Home". Archived from the original on May 11, 2008. Retrieved April 16, 2008.
- ^ "Baltimore Ravens - Home". Archived from the original on March 4, 2008. Retrieved April 17, 2008.
- ^ "Mind willing but body not: Ravens' McNair retires". ESPN.com. April 17, 2008.
- ^ "Chargers T McNeill heads to Pro Bowl after Ogden pulls out".
- ^ "Looking back...1996 NFL Draft". Archived from the original on July 10, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2008.
- ^ "Ogden – "I'm a Raven for life"".[permanent dead link]
- NFL.com. Archived from the originalon May 21, 2008.
- ^ "Raiders trade Fabian Washington to Ravens – East Bay Times". April 27, 2008.
- ^ "2008 Baltimore Ravens Season Is One of Adversity and Perseverance". NFL Communications. October 11, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
- ^ "Stadium damage pushes Texans-Ravens to Nov. 9". ESPN.com. September 13, 2008.
- ^ a b "Jacksonville 7, Baltimore 27". ESPN. Archived from the original on January 7, 2009. Retrieved December 31, 2008.
- ^ a b "Baltimore 27, Miami 9". ESPN. January 3, 2009. Archived from the original on February 5, 2009. Retrieved January 6, 2009.
- ^ "Baltimore Ravens - Home". Archived from the original on January 20, 2009. Retrieved January 19, 2009.