How would the 2024 Philadelphia Eagles fare against the other legendary teams that won the Super Bowl since the turn of this century? A recent CBS ranking placed this year’s all-conquering Eagles at the top of the list since 2000, ahead of squads like the 2019 Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs, the 2016 (28-3) New England Patriots, and the 2013 “Beast Mode” Seattle Seahawks. However, Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson reminded everyone of the 2000 Baltimore Ravens.
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Sharpe and Johnson insisted that every team on the list would have taken a beating from the 2000 Ravens. As Johnson put it, their defense was of another level. Stacked with future Pro Bowlers and All-Pros like Ray Lewis, Rod Woodson, Sam Adams, and Corey Harris, the team achieved some outrageous feats that season.
As incredible as it may sound, the 2000 Ravens forced a turnover in every game of the year, allowing a league-record 10.3 points per game. They registered five turnovers in the Super Bowl. Sharpe faced them every day in practice back then. If anyone can attest to how dominant they were, it’s Sharpe.
“I guarantee you that if they let us play by the rules that they played by, not one of those offenses scores on that Ravens defense,” said the former TE. “I guarantee you none of them will get 20 points… Let me take that back, they wouldn’t get more than 14 points.”
Johnson and Shannon then spoke about the Ravens’ secondary’s dominance as if it were common knowledge. The younger NFL fans might not have had the chance to witness the 2000 champions in action. Some clips from the time will reinforce exactly what Ocho and Sharpe were saying.
The Ravens allowed only 23 points in the four playoff games that year, stated Sharpe. During the regular season, they only allowed 165 points against them. And 36 of those came in the second game of the year. However, their offense was far from prolific.
Quarterback Trent Dilfer led the team and was competent enough to keep them just inside the top half in points per game at 20.8. Dilfer threw only 12 touchdowns and succumbed to 11 interceptions. So the 2000 Ravens are one of the few teams to ever win a Super Bowl purely banking on their defensive acumen.
“It was different back then, man,” Johnson told Shannon. “That’s no disrespect to the players today. I don’t think they understand… As great as Saquon is, that 2000 Ravens defense. Man, c’mon, man. They’re going sideline to sideline right along with you. You’re not going downhill, not running toss, or stretch. You’re moving nobody.”
Shannon nodded in agreement before outlining how his former team ran its defense back in the day. He recalled how Sam Adams and Tony Siragusa controlled the line, allowing Ray Lewis to roam freely and “hunt” for hits.
While it’s true that Shannon’s 2000 Ravens squad might have dominated any Super Bowl team since the turn of the decade, he emphasized that this would only be the case if they played under the rules of their era.
In today’s game, some of the things the Ravens did wouldn’t be allowed — such as blindside hits on defenseless receivers, fewer roughing-the-passer penalties, and hip-drop tackles. All of these rule changes would force them to adopt a different style than what they played back then.
