Defensive Legacy
The Ravens defense in 2000 is often named among the greatest NFL defenses of all time. A 2007 ESPN Page 2 list ranked the 2000 Ravens defense at #3 in NFL history. Baltimore gave up only 970 rushing yards (60.6 per game) all year, an NFL record for a 16-game season, and 186 fewer yards than the next lowest team, Baltimore's Super Bowl XXXV opponent, the New York Giants. Baltimore gave up only five rushing touchdowns all season, and allowed a paltry 2.7 yards per rush, both league bests. Furthermore, the Ravens recovered an astronomical 26 fumbles during the season, double the total the second-ranked team.
Statistical site Football Outsiders noted, "One more interesting note on the Baltimore defense: it was the only dominant defense of the past few years to be based on stopping the run instead of controlling the pass. For all the cliches about the need to stop the run, in general the best defenses are ranked the highest because they have the best ratings against the pass, not against the run – just like the best offenses are ranked the highest because they are the best through the air, not on the ground. The 2000 Ravens only rank seventh in defense against the pass, but their rushing defense ... is far and away the best of the past six seasons."
Incidentally, for all its fanfare, the Ravens defensive statistics were very comparable to their division rivals, the Tennessee Titans in 2000. The Titans gave up fewer total yards (3,813 to Baltimore's 3,967), passing yards (2,423 to Baltimore's 2621), fewer yards per play (4.3 to Baltimore's 4.2) and net yards per passing attempt (4.7 to Baltimore's 5.3). However, Baltimore won nearly as many games as Tennessee, despite a significantly worse offense. Tennessee's passing offense was statistically better than Baltimore's, passing for 3,266 yards to Baltimore's 2,815, as well as 6.7 net yards per attempt to Baltimore's 5.1. In fact, Tennessee's overall offense gained 5.2 passing yards-per-attempt, a half-yard more than Baltimore's 4.7 YPA.
Read more about this topic: 2000 Baltimore Ravens Season
Famous quotes containing the words defensive and/or legacy:
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—Selma H. Fraiberg (20th century)
“What is popularly called fame is nothing but an empty name and a legacy from paganism.”
—Desiderius Erasmus (c. 1466–1536)