In 1995, Art Modell, owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his intent to relocate the team to Baltimore.
Modell struck a three-way deal with the city of Cleveland and the league:
He would leave behind the team name, uniforms, and history for Cleveland, where a new Browns team would relaunch in 1999. Modell would instead take his players, coaches, and organizational culture to Baltimore to form a "new" franchise.
And so, the Baltimore Ravens were born.
In other words, the current Ravens were once the Cleveland Browns in everything but name and records. By agreement, Cleveland's history and stats stayed put, while the Ravens officially started fresh in 1996.
Yet this "new" franchise quickly became one of the league's most successful.
From 1996 through 2023, the Ravens' regular-season win percentage stood at an impressive 56.9%—third best in league history. Their postseason win rate was 56.7%—fourth overall.
They made 15 playoff appearances, won 2 Super Bowls, and claimed 7 division titles.
Up to 2018, Baltimore remained the league's only team with multiple Super Bowl appearances while maintaining a perfect record on the game's biggest stage:
Champions in 2000 and 2012.
Since the turn of the millennium, while most of the NFL world obsessed over the New England Patriots, the Ravens had quietly kept pace as one of the few franchises that consistently contended.
This was a club that prized tradition and continuity.
Ozzie Newsome had served as GM since 1996, still at the helm even after ownership changes.
At head coach, they'd had just three in over two decades.
Current coach John Harbaugh took charge in 2008—and never looked back.
Harbaugh, notably, was part of Andy Reid's coaching tree, having begun his NFL career in 1998 as the Eagles' special teams coordinator, spending ten full years in Philadelphia.
Now, he had flourished in Baltimore, reinforcing the Ravens' defensive identity while developing their passing attack, maintaining a balanced, adaptable approach that kept them sharp in the cutthroat NFL.
But after their 2012 Super Bowl triumph, misfortune seemed to catch up with them.
Legendary linebacker Ray Lewis retired, leaving a leadership void.
Injuries began to mount.
From 2015 to 2017, the Ravens missed the playoffs three straight years—but they remained competitive.
In 2016: 8–8.
In 2017: 9–7.
Each time, they missed the postseason by a game—a hair's breadth from qualification.
So while they hadn't reached the playoffs, no one underestimated Baltimore.
They were a team every contender had to respect.
2018 would be no exception.
That year began with promise: a 3–1 start that included blowout wins over Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Denver.
But then injuries struck.
A Week 5 overtime loss to Cleveland was the tipping point.
Baltimore spiraled, losing to Pittsburgh, Carolina, and New Orleans in succession.
A 1–3 stretch dropped them to 4–5 overall, and left them reeling.
Ravens vs. Steelers had long been the league's most brutal rivalry.
No matter their records, every meeting was a bloodbath—a war of attrition.
This season's clash was no different.
The Ravens lost.
They lost their starting QB too.
At 4–5, they were now teetering on the edge of disaster.
Things looked bleak.
But this was Baltimore—a proud, battle-tested franchise.
And John Harbaugh embodied that resilience.
In tough times, he didn't waver.
Week 10 brought a bye week.
Harbaugh used that extra time to make a bold, gutsy decision:
The Ravens had drafted Lamar Jackson with the 32nd pick, clearly envisioning him as Joe Flacco's eventual successor.
Plenty of teams in the league hesitated in similar scenarios, dragging their feet and agonizing over timing.
Harbaugh didn't.
He moved swiftly and decisively.
And this wasn't a reckless gamble either.
During the bye, Harbaugh rewrote the offensive playbook.
Yes—you read that right.
In a week, he transformed the team's offensive identity, building a new system around Lamar Jackson.
Where Flacco had been a traditional pocket passer, Jackson was a quintessential dual-threat QB—a runner first, with game-breaking speed.
The two could not have been more different stylistically.
But Harbaugh was no stranger to this challenge.
He'd watched firsthand as Andy Reid molded Michael Vick in Philadelphia, helping the athletically gifted but raw passer thrive.
Now, Harbaugh followed in his mentor's footsteps—remaking the Ravens around Jackson's unique talents.
It was a massive gamble.
But it paid off.
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Powerstones?
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