When football fans talk about the greatest defenses of all time, the 2000 Baltimore Ravens are always in the conversation. And more often than not, they are the conversation, as Jon Gruden implied recently.
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That season, the Ravens weren’t just good — they broke records for fun while bullying opposing offenses. Then, they capped it all off with a Super Bowl XXXV victory that left little doubt about their place in NFL lore.
And what made them so terrifying was how consistent they were with their defensive prowess. For context, the Ravens defense allowed only 165 points in the regular season, the fewest in a 16-game slate at the time. They were also ranked No. 1 against the run, surrendering a jaw-dropping 970 yards total, just 2.7 yards per carry in a league averaging 4.0… But there’s more.
The 2000 Ravens held 11 of their 16 regular-season opponents to 10 points or fewer, including four shutouts. And the icing on the cake? In the postseason, they allowed just 23 points total across four games. And this is where Jon Gruden comes in because the Ravens’ biggest statement win came in the AFC Championship against the Oakland Raiders, who were coached at the time by the future Super Bowl-winning head coach.
On paper, it was a matchup of strength vs strength, as Baltimore’s No.2 defense was taking on the league’s No.1 rushing attack, with the Raiders averaging 154.4 yards on the ground per game.
But in a showdown that would define careers and legacies, the Ravens suffocated Gruden’s men, allowing just 24 rushing yards, all while cruising to a 16-3 win. That win was so dominant that it was only the second time in the Super Bowl era that a home team failed to score a touchdown in a conference championship.
Unsurprisingly for Gruden, that loss left a lasting scar, and perhaps even a blueprint.
“I will say this too — the 2000 game, when I was coaching the Raiders for the right to go to the Super Bowl, that Baltimore Ravens defense came in and just knocked us out,” Gruden recalled recently (via The Lounge Podcast). “And it was the greatest defensive team I have ever seen.”
That day changed how the former Bucs coach evaluated defensive excellence. Because from then on, the Ravens became his barometer for defensive dominance.
“I’ve always used the Ravens since that moment as the measuring stick for me. Our offensive system — if we’re any good, we got to prove it against the Ravens,” he said.
“And I think that’s the most respect I can give this Ravens team — they are a measuring stick for the rest of the league. If you want to be a good team, go beat Baltimore.”
All said and done, Gruden’s reflection doesn’t just highlight the greatness of that legendary 2000 Ravens squad — it also shows how rare it is for a secondary to reshape how even top coaches see the game. Safe to say, that team changed the standard. And we’re not sure what’s the bigger compliment.
