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NFL History: Ranking the 30 best wild card teams in NFL history

By Nick Villano

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 06: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Eli Manning #10 and Brandon Jacobs #34 of the New York Giants in action against the Philadelphia Eagles on October 6, 2013 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Eagles defeated the Giants 36-21. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 06: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Eli Manning #10 and Brandon Jacobs #34 of the New York Giants in action against the Philadelphia Eagles on October 6, 2013 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Eagles defeated the Giants 36-21. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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Baltimore Ravens
Joe Flacco #5 of the Baltimore Ravens. (Photo by Rob Tringali/Sportschrome/Getty Images) /

Ranking the 30 best wild card teams in NFL history: 18. 2008 Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens make another appearance on this list (and it won’t be their last). The ’08 Ravens were a team in transition. John Harbaugh took over as head coach. This was actually an All-Star coaching staff. Cam Cameron was the offensive coordinator and Rex Ryan was the defensive coordinator. He also had future head coach Chuck Pagano on the staff leading the secondary. Hue Jackson might have been a bad head coach, but he was great with offenses and handled a rookie Joe Flacco as quarterbacks coach.

The Ravens were trying to hold onto the past with a great defensive unit that still had Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Bart Scott, and Terrell Suggs. Steve McNair retired in the offseason, leading the way for Flacco to take over the starting job. The Delaware product was an unlikely first-start candidate, but the Ravens were looking at new life under a new head coach.

It took a little time to really get going, but they ended up winning five of their last six games to go 11-5 on the season. That one loss was unfortunately against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In the playoffs, they started their run against the Chad Pennington-led Dolphins. The defense destroyed them from the start, as Pennington threw four interceptions in what was a dominant win. In the Divisional Round, the Ravens took out the top-seeded Tennessee Titans. Kerry Collins led them to 13 wins that season, but they weren’t built to win in the playoffs. The Ravens exposed them, and they were set up for a clash with the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game.

With a berth in the Super Bowl on the line, the Steelers were just too much. It was the third time the Ravens lost to the Steelers that season. As the Ravens were driving down two in the fourth quarter, Troy Polamalu intercepted a Flacco pass and took it 40 yards the other way for a touchdown. It was a disappointing end, but it was the foundation for a champion later on.

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