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If the season ended today, the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders would all be in the playoffs along with the Baltimore Ravens. If history in the AFC playoffs plays any role, the Ravens would be bound to have success against AFC teams that currently occupy playoff spots.
Since 2000, the Ravens have faced the Patriots, Broncos, Texans, Chiefs and Raiders in the playoffs with a combined record of 7-2 against all of them. Not to mention, the Ravens have a 5-2 playoff record on the road against them as well. The Texans are the only team on the list that the Ravens have not faced on the road in the playoffs.
Let’s look at a run down of the playoff wins the Ravens have against each of these five teams.
Ravens AFC playoff record vs Broncos: 2-0
In 2000, Ravens earned its first playoff win ever as the team defeated the Broncos at home thanks to the historic 2000 Ravens defense by the score of 21-3.
In 2012, the Ravens went on to defeat the number one seed Broncos in double overtime by the score of 38-35 behind QB Joe Flacco’s 70-yard bomb to WR Jacoby Jones with under 40 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Ravens AFC playoff record vs. Patriots: 2-2
In the 2009 season, the Ravens became the first team team defeat the Patriots in Foxboro in the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick era by the score of 33-14. The game was over before it even started when the Ravens began the game with a 24-0 score in the first quarter.
In the 2012 season, the Ravens got revenge on the Patriots in the AFC Championship game after losing a heart breaker in the 2011 AFC Championship game due to a pass that WR Lee Evans could not catch from Flacco and a chip shot field goal that was missed by kicker Billy Cundiff that would have sent the game into overtime.
The Ravens the second time around in the AFC Championship game against the Patriots would not be denied as the Ravens put up a 21-0 shut out in the second half to advance to the Super Bowl and win by the score of 28-13.
Ravens AFC playoff record vs. Raiders: 1-0
The only meeting between the two teams occurred in the 2000 AFC Championship game where the only touchdown of the game set an NFL record. Ravens QB Trent Dilfer would throw the longest touchdown pass in NFL playoff history (96 yards) to TE Shannon Sharpe to give the Ravens a 7-0 lead and never looked back. The Ravens went on to win 16-3 to advance to its first Super Bowl appearance behind the legendary 2000 Ravens defense.
Ravens AFC playoff record vs. Texans: 1-0
The only meeting between the two teams occurred in the 2011 AFC Divisional round when the Ravens earned a first round bye as a second seed (12-4 record) to host the Texans. It was a tough defensive battle with the Ravens winning the game by the score of 20-13.
Ravens AFC playoff record vs. Chiefs: 1-0
The only meeting between the two teams occurred in the 2010 AFC Wild Card round where the 12-4 Ravens as the fifth seed had to travel to face the 10-6 Chiefs which was a fourth seed. The Ravens elite 12-4 record as a wild card team is abnormal, but it didn’t stop the team from dominating the Chiefs on the road at Arrowhead to win by the score of 30-7.
Overall
Since 2009, the Ravens have a combined playoff record of 5-2 against the Patriots, Broncos, Texans and Chiefs. However, every team mentioned has gone through roster changes over time and very little of this will matter if the Ravens are able to clinch a playoff spot. But it does show how impressive the Ravens have been in the playoffs over the years and how this team should never be taken lightly when the playoffs begin.