Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis is still basking in the glow of his Super Bowl XXXV win, claiming no one can do with his Baltimore Ravens did back in 2000.
The 2000 Ravens are often considered one of the most destructive phenomenons of the modern era of football and the best defensive team to put on pads.
“The game is gone. The game has forever changed. What we did in 2000 will never be done again,” Ray Lewis told Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. “We were the bad boys of football and nobody wanted to see us. Period.”
That Ravens team set a 16-game single-season record for fewest points allowed (165) and fewest rushing yards allowed (970).
Baltimore recorded a whopping four shutouts, one shy of the single-season record. The Ravens' defense finished first in six key defensive categories.
If the playoffs are included and the three combined touchdowns given up by the offense and special teams, that 2000 Ravens defense allowed only 184 points through 20 games (9.2 points per game).
That seasons, Ray Lewis won Super Bowl XXXV MVP honors, Defensive Player of the Year honors, earned a unanimous All-Pro selection, and received the nod to start in the Pro Bowl as the top middle linebacker.
The rules of today's game heavily favor quarterbacks and offensive players, aiming for the fantastic to draw in ratings and large crowds. However, most of the hard-hitting, skull-bashing action has eroded by now, with rules and fines in place to protect offensive players.
While most of this has been done to try and eliminate CTE cases, it also ensures there will never be a defense as mean as that Ray Lewis-led 2000 Ravens.
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