How Many Super Bowls Has Baltimore Won?
Baltimore has won two Super Bowls: Super Bowl XXXV in January 2001 (Baltimore Ravens defeating the New York Giants 34–7) and Super Bowl XLVII in February 2013 (Baltimore Ravens defeating the San Francisco 49ers 34–31). The 2001 victory came during the Ravens' dominant defensive season, while the 2013 win marked the final NFL game for Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco before his trade to Denver.
The 2001 Super Bowl Victory
The Ravens' first championship arrived in only their fifth season after relocating from Cleveland in 1996. The 2000 regular season team posted a 12–4 record and advanced through the playoffs with successive wins over Tennessee (24–10) and Oakland (16–3) before facing the Giants at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The Ravens' defense led by coordinator Marvin Lewis and linebacker Ray Lewis allowed just 10 points per game during the regular season and continued that dominance in the postseason. The Super Bowl matchup showcased one of the most lopsided championship games in modern NFL history; Baltimore's defense intercepted Giants quarterback Kerry Collins four times. Running back Jamal Lewis scored on a 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, and the Ravens' secondary shut down Giants wide receiver Ike Hillibert and the New York passing game entirely. This victory cemented Baltimore as a defensive powerhouse and energized a fan base that had grieved the Colts' departure to Indianapolis in 1984.
The 2013 Super Bowl Victory
The Ravens' second championship came 12 years later, following a 2012 season marked by inconsistency but capped by a remarkable playoff run. Baltimore started 9–2, stumbled to 9–6, then won three consecutive playoff games including a dramatic 38–35 divisional victory over Denver on January 12, 2013, in which Flacco threw three touchdown passes in the final quarter. The Super Bowl itself, held in New Orleans at the Superdome, became a back-and-forth contest. The 49ers led 19–13 entering the final quarter, but Baltimore's offense, led by Flacco's four touchdown passes, scored 21 fourth-quarter points to secure a 34–31 win. The victory was Flacco's last game as a Raven; he was traded to Denver five months later. The 2013 championship stands as the Ravens' most recent title and remains significant in franchise history partly because it resolved a narrative arc: the team that had dominated defensively in 2000 had evolved into an offensive juggernaut capable of winning in entirely different ways.
What Separates These Two Wins
The structure and context of each Super Bowl victory reveal different eras of Ravens football. The 2001 team embodied the NFL's defensive revolution of the early 2000s, when field position and turnover margin dominated strategy. That Ravens squad allowed 165 points in 16 regular-season games; the 2000 defense ranked in the top five for points allowed for five consecutive seasons. By contrast, the 2013 Ravens team reflected the NFL's shift toward scoring-oriented football. Flacco's 2012 playoff performance generated 11 touchdown passes in four games, a ratio that overshadowed Baltimore's defense that year. The franchise's two championships therefore illustrate two distinct winning models in professional football, both executed at the highest level but separated by more than a decade of rule changes favoring passing offenses.
Super Bowl Attendance and Local Celebration
When the Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV, approximately 71,000 fans attended the parade and rally at M&T Bank Stadium (then also called PSINet Stadium, though the naming rights changed later that year). The 2013 victory drew an estimated 100,000 fans to a downtown celebration, reflecting both the city's population growth and the expanded media reach of that era. Neither championship parade was held in Baltimore itself; both celebrations occurred after the teams returned home, with fans gathering at the stadium rather than blocking downtown streets. This contrasts with some NFL markets where parades route through city centers. The Ravens' two Super Bowl victories remain the only major professional sports championships Baltimore has won since the Orioles' 1983 World Series title.
Related Questions
What is the Ravens' regular-season record in Baltimore? The Ravens have posted a 205–187–1 record in regular-season play since relocating in 1996 through the 2023 season, with 14 playoff appearances and 2 Super Bowl wins.
When did the Ravens join the NFL? The Ravens began play in the 1996 season as an expansion franchise, replacing the Colts who had departed for Indianapolis in the middle of the night in March 1984.
Has any other Baltimore team won a major championship recently? The Baltimore Orioles won the World Series in 1983; no other Baltimore professional sports team has won a major championship since then.
