128-821: Michael Francis Sherman (born December 19, 1954) is an American gridiron football coach and former player who most recently was the head coach of the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was the head coach of the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) from 2000 to 2005. Sherman led the Packers to five consecutive winning seasons from 2000 to 2004 and three divisional titles in 2002, 2003, and 2004, but never advanced past
256-685: A Ray Lewis interception return for a score put the game squarely in Baltimore's favor. The 24–10 win put the Ravens in the AFC Championship against the Oakland Raiders . The game was rarely in doubt. Shannon Sharpe 's 96-yard touchdown catch early in the second quarter followed by an injury to Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon were crucial as the Ravens won easily, 16–3. Baltimore then went to Tampa for Super Bowl XXXV against
384-416: A punt is when the ball is released from the punter's hand and kicked downfield as close to the opponent's end zone as possible without entering it; the kicking team loses possession of the ball after the kick and the receiving team can attempt to advance the ball or call a fair catch. The other scrimmage kick is a field goal attempt. This must be attempted by place kick or (more rarely) drop kick , and if
512-673: A 1,364-yard rushing season by rookie Jamal Lewis helped too) but the defense became the team's hallmark and bailed a struggling offense out in many instances through the season. Ray Lewis was named Defensive Player of the Year. Two of his defensive teammates, Sam Adams and Rod Woodson , made the Pro Bowl . Baltimore's season started strong with a 5–1 record. But the team struggled through mid-season, at one point going five games without scoring an offensive touchdown. The team regrouped and won each of their last seven games, finishing 12–4 and making
640-588: A 20–3 win over the Miami Dolphins , in which the team forced three turnovers and out-gained the Dolphins 347 yards to 151. In the divisional playoff the Ravens played the Pittsburgh Steelers . Three interceptions by Grbac ended the Ravens' season, as they lost 27–10. Baltimore ran into salary cap problems entering the 2002 season and was forced to part with a number of impact players. In
768-508: A 34–7 win. In 2001 , the Ravens attempted to defend their title with Elvis Grbac as their new starting quarterback, but a season-ending injury to Jamal Lewis on the first day of training camp and poor offensive performances stymied the team. After a 3–3 start, the Ravens defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the final week to clinch a wild card berth at 10–6. In the first round the Ravens showed flashes of their previous year with
896-508: A 4–18 record over two seasons, Sherman resigned in May 2017. In November 2017, it was announced that Sherman had joined Your Call Football , a new platform in which fans call plays in real-time in real, live games. Prior to the season, Sherman was hired by the CFL 's Montreal Alouettes . He would still serve as the head coach during Your Call Football's inaugural season. On December 20, 2017, Sherman
1024-488: A `Cheesehead." He served the position for the 1997–98 seasons. After Packers head coach Mike Holmgren resigned to accept the Seattle Seahawks head coach position, Holmgren hired Sherman to become the offensive coordinator for the 1999 season. In 2000, Sherman became the head coach of the Green Bay Packers . He led the Packers to five consecutive winning seasons from 2000 to 2004. From 2002 to 2004, he led
1152-714: A ball goes out of bounds), the actual time it takes for a football game to be completed is typically over three hours in the NFL and slightly under three hours in the CFL. According to 2017 study on brains of deceased gridiron football players, 99% of tested brains of NFL players, 88% of CFL players, 64% of semi-professional players, 91% of college football players, and 21% of high school football players had various stages of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Other common injuries include injuries of legs, arms and lower back. Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are
1280-435: A contract extension earlier in the 2005 season, Sherman was fired by the Packers on January 2, 2006, after compiling a 4–12 record — Green Bay's first losing record since the 1991 season (it was also Sherman's only losing season during his Packers tenure). The Packers had lost pro bowlers Javon Walker , Bubba Franks and Ahman Green to injured reserve early in the season. In his six-year head coaching career with
1408-476: A contract extension through the 2015 season. His salary was raised to $ 2.2 million. In 2011, the Aggies began as a top 10 ranked team, but fell out of the polls after losing four games, three of which had double-digit half-time leads. Three of those four losses were to teams later ranked among the top ten in the nation. On November 19, 2011, the Aggies defeated Kansas by a score of 61–7 and became bowl-eligible for
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#17327931496171536-506: A liking to McGill's rugby-style rules and adopted them. In turn, they were used when Harvard and Yale University played their first intercollegiate sports game in 1875, after which the rugby-style Canadian game was adopted by Yale players and spectators from Yale and Princeton University . This version of the game was subsequently played with several other U.S. colleges over the next several years. American football teams and organizations subsequently adopted new rules which distinguished
1664-672: A new franchise. Not all players, staff or front office would make the move to Baltimore, however. After relocation, Modell hired Ted Marchibroda as the head coach for his new team in Baltimore. Marchibroda was already well known because of his work as head coach of the Baltimore Colts during the 1970s and the Indianapolis Colts during the early 1990s. Ozzie Newsome , the Browns' tight end for many seasons, joined Modell in Baltimore as director of football operations. He
1792-434: A new franchise. This led to heated arguments between Cooke and Angelos, who accused Cooke of being a " carpetbagger ". The league eventually persuaded Rams team president John Shaw to relocate to St. Louis instead, leading to a league-wide rumor that Tagliabue was again steering interest away from Baltimore, a claim which Tagliabue denied. In response to anger in Baltimore, including Governor Schaefer's threat to announce over
1920-651: A new group of investors, including author Tom Clancy , to bid on teams whose owners had expressed interest in relocating. Angelos found a potential partner in Georgia Frontiere , who was open to moving the Los Angeles Rams to Baltimore. Jack Kent Cooke opposed the move, intending to build the Redskins' new stadium in Laurel, Maryland , close enough to Baltimore to cool outside interest in bringing in
2048-509: A pipe company in New England and retired in 1991. Both his parents lived on Cape Cod. Sherman has been married to his wife Karen since 1982, and the couple have five children together (Sarah, Emily, Matthew, Benjamin and Selena). Sherman is the father-in-law of Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor , who is married to his oldest daughter. Sherman and his family reside on Cape Cod . A former reading and special education teacher, Karen
2176-409: A play in a huddle and freely substitute players to set into a formation , in which the offense must remain perfectly still for at least one second (the formation requirement does not apply to Canadian football). At least half of the players (seven in standard American and Canadian football, four in standard indoor ball) on the offense must line up on the line of scrimmage in this formation, including
2304-708: A professional American football team based in Baltimore . The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its home games at M&T Bank Stadium and is headquartered in Owings Mills, Maryland . The Baltimore Ravens were established in 1996 after Art Modell , then owner of the Cleveland Browns , announced plans in 1995 to relocate
2432-618: A result, and was later indefinitely suspended by the NFL, although a judge later vacated this indefinite suspension. In Week 12, the Ravens traveled down for an interconference battle with the New Orleans Saints , which the Ravens won. In Week 16, the Ravens traveled to Houston to take on the Texans. In one of Flacco's worst performances, the offense sputtered against the Houston defense and Flacco threw three interceptions, falling to
2560-555: A sort of "Judgment Day" with the new team of Baltimore facing the old team of Baltimore (the former Baltimore Colts having left Baltimore under questionable circumstances in 1984). Both Indianapolis and Baltimore were held to scoring only field goals as the two defenses slugged it out all over M&T Bank Stadium. McNair threw two costly interceptions, including one at the 1-yard line. The eventual Super Bowl champion Colts won 15–6, ending Baltimore's season. The Ravens hoped to improve upon their 13–3 record but injuries and poor play plagued
2688-727: A stunning MNF upset loss in Jacksonville as they were held to one touchdown in a 12–7 loss. Their final scoring drive failed as Joe Flacco threw an interception in the closing seconds of the game. After beating the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17 of the regular season, the Ravens advanced to the playoffs as the Number 2 seed in the AFC with a record of 12–4. They gained the distinction of AFC North Champions over Pittsburgh (12–4) due to
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#17327931496172816-407: A ten-yard penalty against offensive players and a five-yard penalty against defensive ones), and pass interference (when either a receiver or the defending player pushes or blocks the other to prevent them from catching the pass). A team on offense cannot score points as the direct result of a penalty; a defensive foul committed in the team's own end zone, if the penalty is assessed from the spot of
2944-480: A third straight season. Five days later, on November 24, 2011, they would lose at home to the University of Texas 27–25 on a last-second field goal, in what would likely be the last game of the rivalry. It was the Aggies' sixth loss of the season, and the fifth in which they held a second-half lead of two or more scores. The Dolphins hired Sherman as offensive coordinator on January 27, 2012. On April 27, 2012,
3072-542: A tie-breaker. Ravens' Lee Evans was stripped of a 14-yard touchdown pass by the Patriots Sterling Moore with 22 seconds left and Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff pushed a 32-yard field goal attempt wide left on fourth down as the Patriots held on to beat the Ravens 23–20 during the AFC championship game and advance to Super Bowl XLVI. The Ravens' attempt to convert Joe Flacco into a pocket passer remained
3200-654: A video of Rice dragging Palmer's body out of an elevator after apparently knocking her out. For the incident, Rice was initially suspended for the first two games of the 2014 NFL season on July 25, 2014, which led to widespread criticism of the NFL. In Week 1, on September 7, the Baltimore Ravens lost to the Cincinnati Bengals , 23–16. The next day, on September 8, 2014, TMZ released additional footage from an elevator camera showing Rice punching Palmer. The Baltimore Ravens terminated Rice's contract as
3328-497: A work in progress as the 2012 season began. Terrell Suggs suffered a tendon injury during an off-season basketball game and was unable to play for at least several weeks. In the opener on September 10, Baltimore routed Cincinnati 44–13. After this easy win, the team headed to Philadelphia, but lost 24–23. Returning home for a primetime rematch of the AFC Championship, another bizarre game ensued. New England picked apart
3456-540: Is 60 timed minutes in length, split into four 15-minute quarters. (High school football uses 12-minute quarters, and the general rule is that the younger the players, the shorter the quarters typically are.) Because of the halftime, quarter breaks, time-outs, the minute warnings ( two minutes before the end of a half in the NFL , three minutes in Canadian football ), and frequent stoppages of the game clock (the clock stops, for example, after every incomplete pass and any time
3584-552: Is a family of football team sports primarily played in the United States and Canada. American football , which uses 11 players, is the form played in the United States and the best known form of gridiron football worldwide, while Canadian football , which uses 12 players, predominates in Canada. Other derivative varieties include arena football , flag football and amateur games such as touch and street football . Football
3712-601: Is a very active member of the West Dennis Library Board of Trustees. Sherman started his college coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Pittsburgh , where he was part of Jackie Sherrill 's staff from 1981 to 1982. While at Pittsburgh, Sherman wasn't able to afford an apartment; instead, he slept on a cot in Pitt Stadium . After his stay at Pittsburgh, Sherman then coached
3840-501: Is an IFAF member. The sport is typically known as simply "football" in the countries where it originated, regardless of the specific variety. In Europe the sport is commonly known as "American football". Various sources use the term "North American football" when discussing the American and Canadian games together, but this term is quite rare. The two sports are also sometimes known as "gridiron football". The name originated with
3968-427: Is awarded one single point . If the team in possession of the ball, at any time, advances (either by carrying or catching) the ball into the opponent's end zone, it is a touchdown , and the team scores six points and a free play known as a try . In a try, a team attempts to score one or two points (rules vary by each league, but under standard rules, a field goal on a try is worth one point while another touchdown
Mike Sherman - Misplaced Pages Continue
4096-686: Is one of only a few coaches that has been a head coach at the high school, college, CFL and NFL level. Sherman was born in 1954 in Norwood , Massachusetts . Throughout the 1950s and 60s, Sherman spent his life in Hyde Park, Massachusetts , the southernmost neighborhood in Boston . He lived there with his parents, Claire and Frank Sherman, his two sisters, and his two brothers. His extended family members, who lived nearby, were devout Green Bay Packers fans and have dutifully followed Sherman's career. Sherman
4224-474: Is played at professional , collegiate , high school , semi-professional, and amateur levels. These sports originated in the 19th century out of older games related to modern rugby football , more specifically rugby union football. Early on, American and Canadian football developed alongside (but independently from) each other; the root of the game known as "football" today originates with an 1874 game between Harvard and McGill Universities , following which
4352-890: Is usually called " soccer " in Australian English . The governing body for American football in Australia is Gridiron Australia . Similarly, in the UK American football is known as American football, as "football" is used to refer to soccer . The sport developed from informal games played in North America during the 19th century. Early games had a variety of local rules and were generally similar to modern rugby union and soccer . The earliest recorded instance of gridiron football occurred at University of Toronto's University College in November 1861. Later in
4480-404: Is worth two). At the college and professional levels, the defense can also score on a try, but only on the same scale (thus a botched try the defense returns for a touchdown scores only two points and not six). Kickoffs occur after every touchdown and field goal. If a team is in its own end zone and commits a foul, is tackled with the ball, or bats, fumbles, kicks or throws the ball backward out of
4608-497: The 1985 Chicago Bears defense. Since the divisional rival Tennessee Titans had a record of 13–3, the Ravens had to play in the wild card round. They dominated the Denver Broncos 21–3 in their first game. In the divisional playoff, they went on the road to Tennessee. With the score tied 10–10 in the fourth quarter, an Al Del Greco field goal attempt was blocked and returned for a touchdown by Anthony Mitchell, and
4736-491: The 2007 season , Sherman's first year as the offensive coordinator, the Texans' regular season offense improved to a ranking of 14. The Texans finished the 2006 season with a 6–10 record. In 2007, they finished with an 8–8 record. Sherman became the head coach of the Texas A&;M football team in November 2007. He signed a seven-year contract that at the time paid him $ 1.8 million annually. Sherman abandoned
4864-654: The AFC Championship Game by avenging a Week 5 loss to the Titans 13–10 at LP Field on a Matt Stover field goal with 53 seconds left in regulation time. The Ravens fell one victory short of Super Bowl XLIII by losing to the Steelers 23–14 at Heinz Field on January 18, 2009. In 2009 , the Ravens won their first three games, then lost the next three, including a close match in Minnesota . The rest of
4992-583: The AFC North . The Ravens ended the regular season with a franchise-best 13–3 record. Baltimore had secured the AFC North title, the No. 2 AFC playoff seed, and clinched a 1st-round bye by season's end. The Ravens were slated to face the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the playoffs, in the first meeting of the two teams in the playoffs. Many Baltimore and Indianapolis fans saw this historic meeting as
5120-489: The New York Giants . The Ravens' defense carried them to a win. They recorded four sacks and forced five turnovers, one of which was a Kerry Collins interception returned for a touchdown by Duane Starks . The Giants' only score was a Ron Dixon kickoff return for a touchdown; however, the Ravens immediately countered with a touchdown return on the ensuing kickoff by Jermaine Lewis . The Ravens became champions with
5248-462: The New York Jets before the season, and was replaced by former Indianapolis Colt Jim Harbaugh , and later Eric Zeier . Cornerback Rod Woodson joined the team after a successful stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers , and Priest Holmes started getting the first playing time of his career and ran for 1,000 yards. The Ravens finished 1998 with a 6–10 record. On November 29, the Ravens welcomed
Mike Sherman - Misplaced Pages Continue
5376-472: The Pro Football Hall of Fame . The name "Ravens" was inspired by Edgar Allan Poe 's poem The Raven . Chosen in a fan contest that drew 33,288 voters, the allusion honors Poe who spent the early part of his career in Baltimore and is buried there. Other names polled included "Marauders", "Americans", and "Bombers", among others. As The Baltimore Sun reported at the time, fans also "liked
5504-446: The St. Louis Rams and had the best season of his career with 17 touchdown passes and an 81.2 pass rating. He was joined by receiver Qadry Ismail , who posted a 1,000-yard season. The Ravens initially struggled with a record of 4–7 but managed to finish with an 8–8 record. Due to continual financial hardships for the organization, the NFL took an unusual move and directed Modell to initiate
5632-633: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers . The Ravens organization was led by general manager Ozzie Newsome from 1996 until his retirement following the 2018 season, and has had three head coaches: Ted Marchibroda , Brian Billick , and since 2008, John Harbaugh . Starting with a record-breaking defensive performance in their 2000 season , the Ravens have established a reputation for strong defensive play throughout team history. Former players such as middle linebacker Ray Lewis , safety Ed Reed , and offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden have been enshrined in
5760-664: The UCLA offensive line, which included former Baltimore Ravens pro bowler Jonathan Ogden . Sherman later returned to Texas A&M to coach the offensive line again for the 1995–96 seasons. Under Sherman, the Aggie offense averaged over 400 yards of total offense four times in his seven seasons at A&M. The 1990 Aggie team set a school record of 471.1 yards per game. Sherman also helped the Aggies to win three Southwest Conference championships consecutively from 1991 to 1993. Additionally, he recruited Leeland McElroy , who would become one of
5888-492: The offensive line at Tulane from 1983 to 1984, and later moved to Holy Cross , where he coached the offensive line from 1985 to 1987 before becoming the offensive coordinator for the 1988 season. From 1989 to 1993, Sherman coached the Texas A&M offensive line. During the 1992–93 season, he met retired head coach Gary Kubiak , who had coached the A&;M running backs . In 1994, Sherman left Texas A&M to coach
6016-431: The playoffs for the first time. During the 2000 season, the Ravens' dominating defense broke a notable NFL record. They held opposing teams to 165 total points, surpassing the 1986 Chicago Bears mark of 187 points for a 16-game season, which at that time was the current NFL record. That record still stands, and the 2000 Ravens remain in the discussion as one of the greatest NFL defenses of all time, most notably alongside
6144-464: The two-minute warning but turned the ball over on downs. The Ravens then took an intentional safety in the waning moments of the game to preserve the victory. Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco , who completed 22 of 33 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns, was named Super Bowl MVP. Coming off as the defending Super Bowl champions, this was the first year in franchise history for the team without Ray Lewis. The Ravens started out 3–2, and started
6272-406: The western provinces , demanded changes to the game based on the innovations in American football. Over the years, the sport adopted more Americanized rules, though it retained some of its historical features, including a 110-yard (100 m) field, 12-player teams, and three downs instead of four. Around the same time Camp devised the rules for American football, the Canadian game would develop in
6400-474: The zone read option offense run by former A&M coach Dennis Franchione , and installed a pro-style offense similar to those used in the NFL. He uses a balanced offense run primarily out of pro-style formations. After two straight losing seasons, the Aggies started the 2010 season 3–3 but won their final six games to finish 9–3 and earn a share of the Big 12 South Division title. After the 2010 season, he signed
6528-611: The 1860s, teams from universities were playing each other, leading to more standardized rules and the creation of college football . While several American schools adopted rules based on the soccer rules of the English Football Association , Harvard University held to its traditional "carrying game". Meanwhile, McGill University in Montreal used rules based on rugby union . In 1874, Harvard and McGill organized two games using each other's rules. Harvard took
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#17327931496176656-561: The 1970s ), and a distinctive brown leather ball in the shape of a prolate spheroid with pointed ends. The international governing body for the sport is the International Federation of American Football (IFAF); although the organization plays all of its international competitions under American rules, it uses a definition of the game that is broad enough that it includes Canadian football under its umbrella, and Football Canada (the governing body for Canadian football)
6784-542: The 2–0 Houston Texans 14-loss streak by shutting them 30–9 in Week 3. However, the Ravens lost their next 3 games, losing to the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers in last-minute field goals and were shut out in an attempt to tie the game against the Cleveland Browns 24–18. After winning and losing their next game, the Ravens came out 4–6, but managed winning their next four games in dominating
6912-416: The 32nd pick in the 2018 draft. After the team started the season with a 4–5 record, Jackson took over as the starting QB in Week 11 when Joe Flacco was sidelined with a hip injury. The team won six of its next seven games, finishing the 2018 season with a 10–6 record and winning the AFC North, giving them their first playoff appearance since 2014 and their first division title since 2012. The Ravens lost to
7040-399: The Aggies' top 10 all-time leading running backs . On December 20, 1996, A&M head coach R. C. Slocum promoted Sherman to offensive coordinator to replace dismissed Steve Ensminger . Months later, Sherman resigned to start his professional coaching career as the assistant offensive line and tight ends coach for the Green Bay Packers . When asked by a reporter why he chose to accept
7168-461: The American school adopted the Canadian school's more rugby-like rules. Over time, Canadian teams adopted features of the American variant of the game and vice versa. Both varieties are distinguished from other football sports by their use of hard plastic helmets and shoulder pads , the forward pass , the system of downs , a number of unique rules and positions , measurement in customary units of yards (even in Canada, which largely metricated in
7296-461: The Baltimore defense (which was considerably weakened without Terrell Suggs and some other players lost over the off-season) for the first half. Trouble began early in the game when a streaker ran out onto the field and had to be tackled by security, and accelerated when, at 2:18 in the 4th quarter, the referees made a holding call on RG Marshal Yanda . Enraged fans repeatedly chanted an obscenity at this penalty. The Ravens finally drove downfield and on
7424-509: The Chiefs 30–7, but once again were knocked from the playoffs by Pittsburgh in a hard-fought game 31–24. The Ravens hosted their arch-enemy in Week 1 of the 2011 season. On a hot, humid day in M&;T Bank Stadium, crowd noise and multiple Steelers mistakes allowed Baltimore to crush them with three touchdowns 35–7. The frustrated Pittsburgh players also committed several costly penalties. Thus,
7552-477: The Colts back to Baltimore for the first time in 15 years. Amidst a shower of negative cheers towards the Colts, the Ravens won 38–31. Three consecutive losing seasons under Marchibroda led to a change in the head coach. Brian Billick took over as head coach in 1999 . Billick had been offensive coordinator for the record-setting Minnesota Vikings the season before. Quarterback Tony Banks came to Baltimore from
7680-404: The Dolphins drafted Ryan Tannehill with the 8th overall pick. Sherman coached Tannehill at Texas A&M and was instrumental in the decision-making leading to the Dolphins selecting Tannehill. In May 2015, Nauset Regional High School announced Sherman would take over as head football coach following the resignation of coach Keith Kenyon, who became the new assistant principal. After compiling
7808-475: The Green Bay job, Sherman responded: "There is absolutely no other college job I would have left Texas A&M for and only one professional job that I've ever had any interest in and that being the Green Bay Packers. I've enjoyed the small-town atmosphere of College Station for my family, and Green Bay offers that same atmosphere. If the truth be told, there is not a whole lot of difference between an `Aggie' and
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#17327931496177936-504: The Jets 10–9 on the 2010 opener, but then lost a poorly played game against Cincinnati the following week. The Ravens rebounded against the other two division teams, beating Cleveland 24–17 in Week 3 and then. The Ravens scored a fine win (31–17) at home against Denver in Week 5. The Ravens finished the season 12–4, second in the division due to a tiebreaker with Pittsburgh, and earning a wild card spot. Baltimore headed to Kansas City and defeated
8064-583: The Jets 19–3, a Steelers win 22–20 during Thanksgiving, a booming ending in Baltimore against the Vikings 29–26, and an 18–16 win at Detroit, including Justin Tucker's 61-yard game-winning field goal. The Ravens were 8–6, with the 6th seed, but after losing their next two games, and the San Diego Chargers winning their next two to clinch the 6th seed, the Ravens finished 8–8 and missed the playoffs for
8192-579: The NFL Draft, the team selected Ed Reed with the 24th overall pick. Reed would go on to become one of the best safeties in NFL history, making nine Pro Bowls until leaving the Ravens for the Houston Texans in 2013. Despite low expectations, the Ravens stayed somewhat competitive in 2002 until a losing streak in December eliminated any chances of a postseason berth and a 7–9 finish. In 2003 ,
8320-579: The NFL, which the franchise recognized with a special badge being worn on their uniforms during the 2015 NFL season. The Ravens lost key players such as Joe Flacco, Justin Forsett , Terrell Suggs, Steve Smith Sr., and Eugene Monroe to season-ending injuries. Injuries and their inability to win close games early in the season led to the first losing season in the Harbaugh-Flacco era with a 5–11 mark. The 2016 Ravens finished 8–8, but failed to qualify
8448-501: The Packers from 2000 to 2005, Sherman compiled a 57–39 regular season record and a 2–4 postseason record. Sherman used the West Coast offense at Green Bay. Sherman succeeded Ron Wolf as general manager (GM) of the Packers in 2001, taking on the dual role of head coach and general manager. Although the promotion of Sherman to GM was made prior to the 2001 NFL draft , Wolf handled the draft duty in 2001. Sherman brought in three of
8576-470: The Packers to break franchise records for rushing in 2003 and passing in 2004. In 2003, Packers quarterback Brett Favre led the NFL in touchdown passes, in addition to setting a franchise record for rushing yardage. The 2003 team also gained a total of 442 points, which is the fourth most in franchise history (560 in 2011, 461 in 2009, 456 in 1996, when the team won the Super Bowl ). Despite receiving
8704-483: The Packers to three consecutive NFC North Division titles. From 2000 to 2004, he compiled a 53–27 record, and a .663 winning percentage, which was the second highest in Packers history, trailing that of Vince Lombardi 's, who is one of the most successful coaches in the history of football. Additionally, Green Bay and the Philadelphia Eagles were the only two teams to make the playoffs for four consecutive seasons from 2001 to 2004. An offensive-minded coach, Sherman led
8832-468: The Packers' head coach for one more season. The Houston Texans hired Sherman as the assistant head coach/offense coach on February 15, 2006. On January 17, 2007, he was promoted to offensive coordinator following the departure of Troy Calhoun , who left the Texans to take the head coaching job at Air Force , and Sherman retained his role as assistant head coach. In the 2006 season , the Texans' regular season offense ranked 28th out of 32 NFL teams. In
8960-535: The Ravens being held to only 54 yards total rushing. The Titans won 20–17 on a late field goal, and Baltimore's season ended early. Ray Lewis was also named Defensive Player of the year for the second time in his career. In April 2003, Art Modell sold 49% of the team to Steve Bisciotti , a local businessman who had made his fortune in the temporary staffing field. After the season, Art Modell sold his remaining 51% ownership to Bisciotti, ending over 40 years of tenure as an NFL franchise owner. The Ravens did not make
9088-437: The Ravens drafted their new quarterback, Kyle Boller , but he was injured midway through the season and was replaced by Anthony Wright . Jamal Lewis ran for 2,066 yards (including a then-NFL record 295 yards in one game against the Cleveland Browns on September 14). With a 10–6 record, Baltimore won their first AFC North division title. Their first playoff game, at home against the Tennessee Titans , went back and forth, with
9216-472: The Ravens entered the 2008 campaign with much uncertainty. Baltimore smartly recovered in 2008, winning eleven games and achieving a wild card spot in the postseason. On the strength of four interceptions, one resulting in an Ed Reed touchdown, the Ravens began its postseason run by winning a rematch over Miami 27–9 at Dolphin Stadium on January 4, 2009, in a wild-card game. Six days later, they advanced to
9344-545: The Ravens had gained their first-ever victory over the Steelers with Ben Roethlisberger playing and avenged themselves of repeated regular and postseason losses in the series. But in Week 2, the Ravens collapsed in Tennessee and lost 26–13. They rebounded by routing the Rams in Week 3 and then overpowering the Jets 34–17 in Week 4. Week 5, the Ravens had a bye week, following a game against the Texans. But in Week 7, Baltimore had
9472-484: The Ravens played the final professional sporting event at Baltimore's historic Memorial Stadium , winning 21–19 over the Tennessee Oilers . 1998 marked the opening of a new stadium for the Ravens, currently known as M&T Bank Stadium , but originally named " PSINet Stadium" after the now-defunct internet service provider which purchased the original naming rights. Quarterback Vinny Testaverde left for
9600-534: The Ravens traveled to Denver to play against the top-seeded Broncos. In a very back-and-forth contest, the Ravens pulled out a 38–35 victory in two overtimes. They then won their 2nd AFC championship by coming back from a 13–7 halftime deficit to defeat the Patriots once again, 28–13. The Ravens played the Super Bowl XLVII against the San Francisco 49ers . Baltimore built a 28–6 lead early in
9728-614: The Ravens were the only franchise in any of the major American team sports which did not carry forward the records of the team as it existed prior to its move to a new location (until the Arizona Coyotes relocated to become the Utah Hockey Club in the NHL). The team is owned by Steve Bisciotti and was valued at $ 4.63 billion in 2023, making them the 28th-most valuable sports franchise globally. The Ravens have been one of
9856-447: The Ravens, with two picks in the first round, drafted offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden at No. 4 overall and linebacker Ray Lewis at No. 26 overall. Both Ogden and Lewis went on to play for the Ravens for their entire professional careers and were both inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame . The 1996 Ravens won their opening game against the Oakland Raiders , but finished the season 4–12 despite receiver Michael Jackson leading
9984-477: The Texans 25–13. With their playoff chances and season hanging in the balance, the Ravens took on the Browns in Week 17 at home. After three quarters had gone by and down 10–3, Joe Flacco led the Ravens on a comeback scoring 17 unanswered points, winning 20–10. With the win, and the Kansas City Chiefs defeating the San Diego Chargers, the Ravens clinched their sixth playoff berth in seven seasons. In
10112-415: The ball carrier at any time the ball is in play, provided they do not grab the face mask of the helmet or make helmet-to-helmet contact when doing so. At any time, the player with the ball can attempt a backward, or lateral, pass to any other player in order to keep the ball in play; this is generally rare. Any player on defense can, at any time, attempt to intercept a forward pass in flight, at which point
10240-405: The ball carrier is tackled, or, if the ball is kicked out of bounds , let the ball go dead on its own (the last case usually happens when the ball is kicked all the way into or through the opponent's end zone, resulting in a touchback and the ball being brought several yards out of the end zone to begin play). A kicking team can, under special circumstances, attempt to recover its own kick , but
10368-479: The bye, and with Billick calling the offense, Baltimore would record a five-game win streak before losing to the Cincinnati Bengals in week 13. Still ranked second overall to first-place San Diego Chargers , the Ravens continued on. They defeated the Kansas City Chiefs , and held the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers to only one touchdown at Heinz Field , allowing the Ravens to clinch
10496-551: The core players that were on the Packers 2010 roster. He drafted Nick Barnett , Scott Wells , and acquired Cullen Jenkins as a rookie free agent after the 2003 draft. Sherman's first solo draft pick as GM and in charge of the draft was Javon Walker in 2002, who made the Pro Bowl in 2004, and was traded to the Denver Broncos in 2006. In 2005 the Packers hired Ted Thompson from the Seattle Seahawks to take over Sherman's general manager duties, although Sherman remained
10624-409: The divisional round of the playoffs. He was also the head football coach at Texas A&M University from 2008 to 2011. He has also been a coach in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks , Houston Texans and Miami Dolphins . Before he started coaching in the NFL, he served as an assistant coach at five different colleges, including Texas A&M, where he coached the offensive line for seven seasons. He
10752-399: The end of a quarter.) After the halftime break, a new kickoff occurs. Whichever team has more points at the end of the game is declared the winner; in the event of a tie, each league has its own rules for overtime to break the tie. Because of the nature of the game, pure sudden-death overtimes have been abolished at all levels of the game as of 2012. At all adult levels of the game, a game
10880-433: The field of play through the same end zone, the defense scores a safety , worth two points. After a try, safety or field goal, the team that had possession of the ball goes back to the middle of the field and kicks the ball off to their opponent, and play continues as it did in the beginning of the game. Play continues until halftime . (Each team switches their side of the field with the other halfway through each half, at
11008-604: The first time since 2007. On January 27, 2014, the Ravens hired former Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak to be their new offensive coordinator after Jim Caldwell accepted the new available head coaching job with the Detroit Lions . On February 15, 2014, star running back Ray Rice and his fiancée Janay Palmer were arrested and charged with assault after a physical altercation at Revel Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey . Celebrity news website TMZ posted
11136-732: The following year. The resulting controversy ended when representatives of Cleveland and the NFL reached a settlement on February 8, 1996. Tagliabue promised the city of Cleveland that an NFL team would be located in Cleveland, either through relocation or expansion, "no later than 1999". Additionally, the agreement stipulated that the Browns' name, colors, uniform design and franchise records would remain in Cleveland. The franchise history includes Browns club records and connections with Pro Football Hall of Fame players. Modell's Baltimore team, while retaining all current player contracts, would, for purposes of team history, appear as an expansion team ,
11264-634: The football team when they came to the city and the wheelchair basketball team became known as the Maryland Ravens. After the controversial 1984 relocation of the Colts to Indianapolis, several attempts were made to bring an NFL team back to Baltimore. In 1993, ahead of the 1995 league expansion, the city was considered a favorite, behind only St. Louis , to be granted one of two new franchises. League officials and team owners feared litigation due to conflicts between rival bidding groups if St. Louis
11392-405: The foul, places the ball at the one-yard line. In contrast, a defensive team can score points as a direct result of a penalty; if the offense commits a foul under the same scenario, the defensive team receives two points and a free kick. In all other circumstances (except for the open-ended and extremely rare unfair act clause), a penalty cannot exceed more than half the distance to the end zone. If
11520-462: The franchise back to the CFL, the Alouettes released an ambiguously worded statement claiming that they and Sherman had "agreed to part ways." # denotes interim head coach # denotes interim head coach Gridiron football Gridiron football ( / ˈ ɡ r ɪ d aɪ . ər n / GRID -eye-ərn ), also known as North American football, or in North America as simply football ,
11648-426: The franchise from Cleveland to Baltimore. As part of a settlement between the league and the city of Cleveland, Modell was required to leave the Browns' history, team colors, and records in Cleveland for a replacement team and replacement personnel that would resume play in 1999 . In return, he was allowed to take his own personnel and team to Baltimore, where such personnel would form an expansion team . Therefore,
11776-445: The game from rugby. Many of these early innovations were the work of Walter Camp , including the sport's line of scrimmage and the system of downs . Another consequential change was the adoption of the forward pass in 1906, which allowed the quarterback to throw the ball forward over the line of scrimmage to a receiver. Canadian football remained akin to rugby for decades, though a progressive faction of players, chiefly based in
11904-490: The initial committee voting system to prevent the entire league ownership from voting on Baltimore's bid. This led to public outrage and The Baltimore Sun describing Tagliabue as having an "Anybody But Baltimore" policy. Maryland governor William Donald Schaefer said afterward that Tagliabue had led him on, praising Baltimore and the proposed owners while working behind-the-scenes to oppose Baltimore's bid. By May 1994, Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos had gathered
12032-405: The kicked ball passes through the goal set at the edge of the opponent's end zone, the team scores three points. (Four-point field goals have been offered in a few variations of the game under special rules, but the NFL, college and high school football only offer three-point field goals.) In Canada, any kick that goes into the end zone and is not returned, whether it be a punt or a missed field goal,
12160-417: The last play of the game, Justin Tucker kicked a 27-yard field goal to win the game 31–30, capping off a second intense and controversially officiated game in a row for the Ravens. The Ravens would win the AFC North with a 10–6 record, but finished 4th in the AFC playoff seeding, and thus had to play a wild-card game. After defeating the Indianapolis Colts 24–9 at home (the final home game of Ray Lewis),
12288-474: The league with 14 touchdown catches. The 1997 Ravens started 3–1. Peter Boulware , a rookie defender from Florida State , recorded 11.5 sacks and was named AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year. The team finished 6–9–1. On October 26, the team made its first trip to Landover, Maryland to play their new regional rivals , the Washington Redskins . The Ravens won the game 20–17. On December 14, 1997,
12416-447: The line), who must catch the ball before it touches the ground. The play stops when a player with the ball touches any part of their body other than hand or foot to the ground, runs out of the boundaries of the field, is obstructed from making further forward progress, or a forward pass hits the ground without being caught (in the last case, the ball returns to the spot it was snapped). To stop play, players on defense are allowed to tackle
12544-506: The loudspeakers Tagliabue's exact location in Camden Yards any time he attended a Baltimore Orioles game, Tagliabue remarked of Baltimore's financial package: "Maybe (Baltimore) can open another museum with that money." Following this, Angelos made an unsuccessful $ 200 million bid to bring the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Baltimore. Having failed to obtain a franchise via the expansion, the city, despite having "misgivings", turned to
12672-744: The most successful NFL franchises since their inception, compiling a regular season record of 263–197–1 (.572), the second-highest among active franchises. They also own the fourth-highest playoff winning percentage at 17–13 (.567). The team has qualified for the NFL playoffs 15 times since 2000 with two Super Bowl titles ( Super Bowl XXXV and Super Bowl XLVII ), two AFC Championship titles ( 2000 and 2012 ), five AFC Championship game appearances ( 2000 , 2008 , 2011 , 2012 , and 2023 ), and seven AFC North division titles ( 2003 , 2006 , 2011 , 2012 , 2018 , 2019 , and 2023 ). They are one of two teams to be undefeated in multiple Super Bowl appearances, along with
12800-425: The opponent. Whether this yardage is measured from the original spot of the ball before the play, the spot of the illegal action, or the end of the play depends on the individual foul. The most common penalties include false start (when an offensive player jumps to begin the play before the ball is snapped, a five-yard penalty), holding (the grabbing of a player other than the ball carrier to obstruct their progress;
12928-564: The original Baltimore Ravens. In 1972, the Ravens wheelchair basketball team was founded by Ralph Smith, long-term resident of Baltimore, second Vice President of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) and Member of the NWBA Hall of Fame. The name "Ravens" was inspired by Bob Ardinger, a member of the Ravens wheelchair basketball team. In the 1990s, the naming rights were later sold to
13056-471: The penalty would be less advantageous than the result of the actual play, then the team not committing the penalty can decline it. In order to keep play moving, the offense must make a certain amount of progress (10 yards in most leagues) within a certain number of plays (3 in Canada, 4 in the United States), called downs . If the offense does indeed make this progress, a first down is achieved, and
13184-527: The playoffs for the second straight year. They were eliminated from playoff contention after their Week 16 loss to their division rivals, the Steelers . This was the first time the Ravens missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons since 2004 – 2005 , as well as the first in the Harbaugh/Flacco era. During the 2017 season , the Ravens improved upon their 8–8 record from 2016 by one win, finishing
13312-494: The playoffs in 2004 and finished the season with a record of 9–7 with Boller spending the season at QB. They did get good play from veteran corner Deion Sanders and third-year safety Ed Reed , who won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. They were also the only team to defeat the 15–1 Pittsburgh Steelers in the regular season. The next off-season, the Ravens looked to augment their receiving corps (which
13440-415: The possibility of obtaining the Cleveland Browns , whose owner Art Modell was financially struggling and at odds with the city of Cleveland over needed improvements to the team's stadium. Enticed by Baltimore's available funds for a first-class stadium and a promised yearly operating subsidy of $ 25 million, Modell announced on November 6, 1995, his intention to relocate the team from Cleveland to Baltimore
13568-472: The previous play, and a play clock is kept to enforce the measure.) Once the ball is snapped, the play has commenced, and the offense's goal is to continue advancing the ball toward their opponent's end zone . This can be done either by running with the ball or by a rule unique to football known as the forward pass . In a forward pass, a player from behind the line of scrimmage throws the ball to an eligible receiver (another back or one player on each end of
13696-407: The rules of the game make it very difficult to do so reliably, and so this tactic is usually only used as a surprise or desperation maneuver. At this point, play from scrimmage begins. The team in possession of the ball is on offense and the opponent is on defense . The offense is given a set amount of time (up to forty seconds, depending on the governing body), during which the teams can set up
13824-439: The sale of his franchise. On March 27, 2000, NFL owners approved the sale of 49% of the Ravens to Steve Bisciotti . In the deal, Bisciotti had an option to purchase the remaining 51% for $ 325 million in 2004 from Art Modell. On April 9, 2004, the NFL approved Steve Bisciotti's purchase of the majority stake in the club. Banks shared playing time in the 2000 regular season with Trent Dilfer . Both players put up decent numbers (and
13952-473: The same way (but separately) from the American game; the Burnside rules were instrumental in establishing many of the rules for the modern game. The best NFL players are among the highest paid athletes in the world. This is a minimal description of the game in general, with elements common to all or almost all variants of the game. For more specific rules, see each code's individual articles. Prior to
14080-422: The season 9–7 and missing the playoffs for the third year in a row. This marked the first time the Ravens failed to make the playoffs in three straight seasons since the team's first three years of existence (1996–1998). The Ravens suffered a loss at home to the Cincinnati Bengals in the final game of the season that prevented them from earning a playoff berth. The Ravens drafted quarterback Lamar Jackson with
14208-556: The season was an uneven string of wins and losses, which included a home victory over Pittsburgh in overtime followed by a Monday Night loss in Green Bay . That game was notable for the number of penalties committed, costing a total of 310 yards, and almost tying with the record set by Tampa Bay and Seattle in 1976 . Afterwards, the Ravens easily crushed the Lions and Bears , giving up less than ten points in both games. The next match
14336-414: The snapper, who handles the ball before play commences; the rest can (and almost always do) line up behind the line. Neither the offense nor the defense can cross the line of scrimmage before the play commences. Once the formation is set, the snapper snaps the ball to one of the players behind him. (A snapper must snap the ball within 20 to 25 seconds of the official setting the ball back into position after
14464-410: The sport's once-characteristic playing field : the original American football and Canadian football fields were marked by a series of parallel lines along both the width and length of the field, which produced a grid pattern resembling a cross-hatched cooking gridiron . The ball would be snapped in the grid in which it was downed on the previous play. By 1920, the grid system was abandoned in favor of
14592-405: The start of a game, a coin toss determines which team will decide if they want to kick off the ball to their opponent, or receive the ball from their opponent. Each team lines up on opposite halves of the field, with a minimum ten yards of space between them for the kickoff. The team receiving the ball can make a fair catch (which stops the play immediately), catch the ball and run it back until
14720-446: The system of yard lines and hash marks used today. The International Federation of American Football (IFAF), uses "American football" inclusive of Canadian football and other varieties. In Australia, American football is often referred to as "gridiron" or (in more formal contexts) "American football", as " football " usually refers to Australian rules football , rugby league or rugby union , similar to how association football
14848-418: The team gains possession; they can also gain possession by recovering a fumble or stripping the ball away from the ball carrier (a "forced fumble"). A typical play can last between five and twenty seconds. If any illegal action happens during the play, then the results of the previous play are erased and a penalty is assessed, forcing the offending team to surrender between five and fifteen yards of field to
14976-460: The team gets 3 or 4 more plays to achieve another 10 yards. If not, the offense loses possession to their opponent at the spot where the ball is. More commonly, however, the team on offense will, if they have a minimal chance of gaining a first down and have only one play left to do it ( fourth down in the U.S., third down in Canada), attempt a scrimmage kick . There are two types of scrimmage kick:
15104-585: The team. The Ravens finished the 2007 season in the AFC North cellar with a disappointing 5–11 record. A humiliating 22–16 overtime loss to the previously winless Miami Dolphins on December 16 ultimately led to Billick's dismissal after the end of the regular season. He was replaced by John Harbaugh , the special teams coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and the older brother of former Ravens quarterback Jim Harbaugh (1998). With rookies at head coach ( John Harbaugh ) and quarterback ( Joe Flacco ),
15232-545: The third quarter before a partial power outage in the Superdome suspended play for 34 minutes (earning the game the added nickname of the Blackout Bowl). After play resumed, San Francisco scored 17 unanswered third-quarter points to cut the Ravens' lead, 28–23, and continued to chip away in the fourth quarter. With the Ravens leading late in the game, 34–29, the 49ers advanced to the Baltimore 7-yard line just before
15360-532: The tie-in with the other birds in town, the Orioles , and found it easy to visualize a tough, menacing black bird". Edgar Allan Poe also had distant relatives who played football for the Princeton Tigers in the 1880s through the early 1900s. These brothers were famous players in the early days of American football. Before the football team, there was the Baltimore Ravens wheelchair basketball team —
15488-567: The wild card round, the Ravens won 30–17 against their divisional rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers , at Heinz Field . In the next game in the Divisional round, the Ravens faced the New England Patriots . Despite a strong offensive effort and having a 14-point lead twice in the game, the Ravens were defeated by the Patriots 35–31, ending their season. The 2015 season marked 20 seasons of the franchise's existence competing in
15616-609: Was against the Steelers , where Baltimore lost a close one before beating the Raiders to end the season. With a record of 9–7, the team finished second in the division and gained another wild card. Moving into the playoffs, they overwhelmed the Patriots 33–14; nevertheless they did not reach the AFC Championship because they were routed 20–3 by the Colts in the Divisional Round a week later. Baltimore managed to beat
15744-970: Was also raised in Northborough , Massachusetts , where he attended Algonquin Regional High School , playing for the football team. Sherman earned a scholarship to play at Central Connecticut State University , where he played defensive end and offensive tackle . He majored in English . Though he was considered to be an average player with limited abilities in college, he was noted for his strong commitment. Right after college, Sherman became an English teacher and an assistant football coach, serving at Stamford High School in Connecticut in 1978 and at Worcester Academy in Massachusetts from 1979 to 1980. Sherman's father worked for
15872-591: Was awarded a franchise. In October Charlotte, North Carolina was the first city chosen. Several weeks later, Baltimore's bid for a franchise—dubbed the Baltimore Bombers , in honor of the locally produced Martin B-26 Marauder bomber —had three ownership groups in place and a state financial package which included a proposed $ 200 million, rent-free stadium and permission to charge up to $ 80 million in personal seat license fees. Baltimore, however,
16000-432: Was hired by the Montreal Alouettes as head coach. During the 2018 CFL season , Sherman, along with June Jones and Marc Trestman had the distinction of having both CFL and NFL head coaching experience to coach in the same season. He finished with a 5–13 record in his first full season with the Alouettes. On June 8, 2019, shortly before the start of the regular season and a week after the Alouettes ownership surrendered
16128-474: Was later promoted to vice-president/general manager. The home stadium for the Ravens first two seasons was Baltimore's Memorial Stadium , previously home to the Baltimore Colts , the Baltimore Orioles , and the Canadian Football League 's Baltimore Stallions . The Ravens moved to their own new stadium, now known as M&T Bank Stadium , next to Camden Yards in 1998. In the 1996 NFL draft ,
16256-640: Was second-worst in the NFL in 2004) by signing Derrick Mason from the Titans and drafting Oklahoma wide receiver Mark Clayton in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft . However, the Ravens ended their season 6–10. The 2006 Baltimore Ravens season began with the team trying to improve on their 6–10 record of 2005. The Ravens, for the first time in franchise history, started 4–0, under the leadership of former Titans quarterback Steve McNair . In 2006 , The Ravens lost two straight games mid-season on offensive troubles, prompting coach Billick to drop their offensive coordinator Jim Fassel in their week seven bye. After
16384-509: Was unexpectedly passed over in favor of Jacksonville, Florida , despite Jacksonville's minor TV market status and that the city had withdrawn from contention in the summer, only to return with then-Commissioner Paul Tagliabue 's urging. Although league officials denied that any city had been favored, it was reported that Tagliabue and his longtime friend Washington Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke had lobbied against Baltimore due to its proximity to Washington, D.C., and that Tagliabue had used
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