Personnel
Staff
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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| 1996 Baltimore Ravens season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Art Modell |
| Head coach | Ted Marchibroda |
| Defensive coordinator | Marvin Lewis |
| Home field | Memorial Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 4–12 |
| Division place | 5th AFC Central |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | QB Vinny Testaverde FS Eric Turner |
The 1996 season was the Baltimore Ravens' inaugural season in the National Football League. They played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens were officially a new franchise, but they retained a large portion of the roster of the 1995 Cleveland Browns team, as well as front office staff and some members of the coaching staff. Due to technically, but not officially, being the previous season's Browns team under a new name, they did not receive the number 1 overall draft selection or have an expansion draft as a true expansion franchise would.
Baltimore had remained without an NFL football franchise for 12 years after the Baltimore Colts relocated to Indianapolis, Indiana. [1] In 1996, however, the NFL approved Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell's proposal to relocate the existing Browns organization to Baltimore, although the records and name of the Browns would remain in Cleveland, Ohio and the Baltimore franchise would officially be an expansion franchise. [2] After Modell established the franchise in Baltimore, the team was named the "Baltimore Ravens" via a poll conducted by The Baltimore Sun. Because the Browns were temporarily deactivated under the terms of the settlement (they resumed play in 1999), the Ravens assumed the Browns' place in the American Football Conference (AFC) Central Division. [3] More than 50,000 season tickets were sold.
Modell decided not to retain 1995 Browns coach Bill Belichick, who was fired. He instead hired former Baltimore Colts coach Ted Marchibroda. Marchibroda had previously been in his second stint coaching the Colts, guiding them to the 1995 AFC Championship Game, but could not come to terms on a contract extension in Indianapolis. Modell came to terms with Marchibroda only six days after he left the Colts organization to bring him back to Baltimore.
As an organization, the Ravens failed to improve on the 1995 Browns' 5–11 record. They finished their first season with a 4–12 record under Marchibroda, who would finish with a 41–33 regular season record in Baltimore. [4] At the Ravens’ first-ever regular season game, a then-record attendance of 64,124 was present in their win against the Oakland Raiders, 19–14, on September 1 at home. [5] Their second victory came in Week 5, against the New Orleans Saints at home, in which they became 2–2. In Week 7, the Ravens traveled to Indianapolis to play Baltimore's (and Marchibroda's) previous team. They, however, lost 26–21 and fell to 2–4. Their only other two victories were recorded at home in Week 9 against the St. Louis Rams and Week 14 against the Steelers.
Although not a winning season, quarterback Vinny Testaverde and safety Eric Turner were voted into the Pro Bowl, and wide receivers Michael Jackson and Derrick Alexander became the fourth receiving duo to surpass the 1,000-yard receiving mark. [5] The Ravens held second-half leads in ten of their final eleven games; they ultimately went 3–7 in games decided by one possession.
Michael Jackson's 1,201 receiving yards is 2nd in franchise history after Mark Andrews in 2021, and his 14 touchdown receptions still stands as a franchise single-season record. [6]
Prior to the season, the Ravens hired several coaches, including head coach Ted Marchibroda and defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis. Offensive guard Jeff Blackshear was acquired for a future 4th round draft pick. The Ravens traded 3rd, 4th, and 7th round draft picks for the Broncos’ second round selection (#55 overall).
| 1996 Baltimore Ravens draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Jonathan Ogden * † | Offensive tackle | UCLA | |
| 1 | 26 | Ray Lewis * † | Linebacker | Miami (FL) | |
| 2 | 55 | DeRon Jenkins | Cornerback | Tennessee | |
| 5 | 153 | Jermaine Lewis * | Wide receiver | Maryland | |
| 6 | 172 | Dexter Daniels | Linebacker | Florida | |
| 6 | 186 | James Roe | Wide receiver | Norfolk State | |
| 7 | 238 | Jon Stark | Quarterback | Trinity International | |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 3 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 17–9 | 1–0 | Memorial Stadium |
| 2 | August 10 | at New York Giants | W 37–27 | 2–0 | Giants Stadium |
| 3 | August 17 | Green Bay Packers | L 15–17 | 2–1 | Memorial Stadium |
| 4 | August 23 | at Buffalo Bills | W 37–14 | 3–1 | Rich Stadium |
| [9] | |||||
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 1 | Oakland Raiders | W 19–14 | 1–0 | Memorial Stadium | 64,124 |
| 2 | September 8 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 17–31 | 1–1 | Three Rivers Stadium | 57,241 |
| 3 | September 15 | at Houston Oilers | L 13–29 | 1–2 | Astrodome | 20,082 |
| 4 | Bye | |||||
| 5 | September 29 | New Orleans Saints | W 17–10 | 2–2 | Memorial Stadium | 61,063 |
| 6 | October 6 | New England Patriots | L 38–46 | 2–3 | Memorial Stadium | 63,569 |
| 7 | October 13 | at Indianapolis Colts | L 21–26 | 2–4 | RCA Dome | 56,978 |
| 8 | October 20 | at Denver Broncos | L 34–45 | 2–5 | Mile High Stadium | 70,453 |
| 9 | October 27 | St. Louis Rams | W 37–31 (OT) | 3–5 | Memorial Stadium | 60,256 |
| 10 | November 3 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 21–24 | 3–6 | Memorial Stadium | 60,743 |
| 11 | November 10 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | L 27–30 | 3–7 | Jacksonville Municipal Stadium | 64,628 |
| 12 | November 17 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 20–38 | 3–8 | 3Com Park | 51,596 |
| 13 | November 24 | Jacksonville Jaguars | L 25–28 (OT) | 3–9 | Memorial Stadium | 57,384 |
| 14 | December 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 31–17 | 4–9 | Memorial Stadium | 51,822 |
| 15 | December 8 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 14–21 | 4–10 | Riverfront Stadium | 43,022 |
| 16 | December 15 | at Carolina Panthers | L 16–27 | 4–11 | Ericcson Stadium | 70,075 |
| 17 | December 22 | Houston Oilers | L 21–24 | 4–12 | Memorial Stadium | 52,704 |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
| AFC Central | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
| (3) Pittsburgh Steelers | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 344 | 257 | L2 |
| (5) Jacksonville Jaguars | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 325 | 335 | W5 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 372 | 369 | W3 |
| Houston Oilers | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 345 | 319 | W1 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 371 | 441 | L3 |
The Baltimore Ravens are 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 Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 season, the Colts have played their games in Lucas Oil Stadium. Previously, the team had played for over two decades (1984–2007) at the RCA Dome. Since 1987, the Colts have served as the host team for the NFL Scouting Combine.
Arthur Bertram Modell was an American businessman, entrepreneur and National Football League (NFL) team owner. He owned the Cleveland Browns franchise for 35 years and established the Baltimore Ravens franchise, which he owned for eight years.
Vincent Frank Testaverde Sr. is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons. He played college football at the University of Miami, where he earned consensus All-American and won the Heisman Trophy in 1986.
Ozzie Newsome Jr. is an American professional football executive and former player who is the executive vice president of player personnel of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). Newsome was a tight end for the NFL's Cleveland Browns, and was general manager of the Ravens from 1996 to 2018. Newsome has been inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame (1994) and the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1999).
John Matthew Stover is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker for 20 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Baltimore Ravens. After five seasons for the Cleveland Browns, he was among the Browns players transferred to the newly created Ravens franchise in 1996, with whom he played 13 seasons. Additionally, Stover was a member of the New York Giants during his first season and Indianapolis Colts during his last. His most successful season was in 2000 when he earned Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors en route to the Ravens winning their first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXV. He was also part of the Giants team that won Super Bowl XXV. For his accomplishments with the Ravens, Stover was named to the Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor in 2011.
The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League (NFL) and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end. Most significantly, the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy resulted in a then-unique legal settlement where the Cleveland Browns franchise, history, records, and intellectual property remained in Cleveland, while its players and personnel transferred to Baltimore, technically to a new league franchise that was named the Baltimore Ravens.
Theodore Joseph Marchibroda was an American professional football player and head coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played four years in the NFL as a quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Cardinals (1957). He was later head coach of the Colts in two different cities and decades, first in Baltimore during the 1970s and then Indianapolis during the 1990s. Upon joining the Baltimore Ravens in a similar capacity in 1996, he became the only individual to serve as head coach with both of Baltimore's NFL teams and gained the unusual distinction of having three stints as an NFL head coach for two franchises in two cities, but with no two of those tenures being for the same franchise in the same city. His career coaching record was 87–98–1 (.470) and 2–4 in the playoffs.
This article details the history of the Baltimore Ravens, a professional American football team which plays in the National Football League. The Ravens were formed to fill in the void left by Baltimore's previous team, the Colts, who had controversially moved to Indianapolis. Ironically, the Ravens' formation necessitated the relocation of the Cleveland Browns' players and personnel, leaving Cleveland without a team until the Browns resumed operations as an expansion team three years later. Since then, the Ravens have usually featured a strong defense and have won two Super Bowl championships.
The 1999 Cleveland Browns season was the Browns 51st season overall and 47th in the NFL. It marked the return of professional football to the city of Cleveland, Ohio for the first time since the 1995 season, when the franchise was temporarily deactivated following the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy, which ultimately established the Baltimore Ravens. While technically an expansion team, the team officially and legally are considered a continuation of the previous franchise, as the history and colors of the team remained in Cleveland. The franchise was still alive as a legal entity between 1996 and 1998 and its assets kept in a trust managed by the NFL until Al Lerner became the owner in 1998. That season the Browns were given full expansion team treatment via an expansion draft and receiving the number one overall draft pick of the 1999 NFL draft.
The 1995 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 50th season overall and 46th in the National Football League. It ultimately became their final NFL season until 1999, their final season at Cleveland Stadium, and Bill Belichick's final year as Browns head coach. The team finished 5–11, fourth in the AFC Central, though most of the season was overshadowed by the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy. The team was documented in NFL Network's A Football Life.
The 1996 Indianapolis Colts season was the 44th season for the team in the National Football League (NFL) and 13th in Indianapolis.
Baltimore's Marching Ravens are the official marching band of the Baltimore Ravens American football team.
The Cleveland Browns relocation controversy—colloquially called "The Move" by fans—followed the announcement by Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell that his National Football League (NFL) team would move from its longtime home of Cleveland to Baltimore for the 1996 NFL season.
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the South Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The organization began play in 1953 as the Baltimore Colts with the team located in Baltimore, Maryland; it relocated to Indianapolis following the 1983 season.
The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team that played in Baltimore from 1953 to 1983, when owner Robert Irsay moved the franchise to Indianapolis. The team was named for Baltimore's history of horse breeding and racing. It was the second incarnation of the Baltimore Colts, the first having played for three years in the All-America Football Conference and one in the National Football League (NFL). This Baltimore Colts played their home games at Memorial Stadium.
The Browns–Ravens rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens. The rivalry began in 1999, with the resumption of the Browns' franchise, which was created as a result of the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy. The rivalry between the Browns and Ravens was more directed at former Browns owner Art Modell than the team itself, and has, by most Ravens fans, been simply considered a divisional game.
Mark Andrews is an American football tight end for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Oklahoma and was selected by the Ravens in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft. Andrews has been elected to the Pro Bowl three times and was named to the 2021 All-Pro Team after setting the Ravens' single-season record for receptions and receiving yards.
Marquise "Hollywood" Brown is an American football wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at College of the Canyons and Oklahoma and was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft. He has also played for the Arizona Cardinals.
Modell purchased the Cleveland Browns for what was an unprecedented price of $4 million in 1961, and three decades later, in February 1996, he brought an NFL franchise back to Baltimore. For Art and his club, the move was not an easy one to make – and it was not easy for the team's fans to see their team go. Knowing this, Modell did not hesitate to leave the fans of Cleveland a legacy. He announced that he would give the name "Browns" to Cleveland for a future team. He also left the team's colors (orange and brown) and the rich and storied" 49-year history (1946–1995).
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