While the 2024 Philadelphia Eagles lay claim as the NFL’s best team this past season, Shannon Sharpe does not believe that they would have defeated one of his former teams, the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, who captured the franchise’s first title behind a historically dominant defense.
Sharpe, in response to CBS Sports recent list ranking every Super Bowl champion since 2000, believes that the 2000 Ravens’ historically elite defense would have dominated the first 13 teams on said list.
“I guarantee you, if they let us play by the rules that they played by, not one of those offenses would score on that Raven defense. They won’t get more than 14 points,” Sharpe mentioned on his podcast.
Sharpe argued that Baltimore’s defense would have success containing Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, who this year became the third rushing champion to win the Super Bowl. Barkley rushed for just 57 yards in the Eagles’ Super Bowl against the Chiefs, but he did catch six passes for 40 yards in that game, including a 22-yard catch that helped Philadelphia extend their lead to 27-0 late in the third quarter.
“He’d have 37 against (the Ravens’) defense,” Sharpe stated. “You’re not running because you’ve got Sam (Adams) and Goose (Tony Siragusa) and Ray (Lewis) running free. Ray’s hunting.”
Sharpe also referenced Baltimore’s hard-hitting secondary that included future Hall of Fame defensive back Rod Woodson. During the regular season, the 2000 Ravens defense allowed just 165 points, with 36 of them being given up in a Week 2 win over the Jaguars.
The dominance of the 2000 Ravens defense is undeniable, ranking among the best of all time. They would likely pose a serious challenge to the 2024 Eagles or any recent Super Bowl champions. With a strong special team made up of stars like Jermaine Lewis and Matt Stover, they were undoubtedly formidable.
However, the 2000 Ravens offense pressured their ranking. While they had Sharpe, a future Hall of Famer and one of the best tight ends ever, their quarterback situation was less than ideal. Trent Dilfer led the team but was statistically below par, going 11-1 as a starter while enduring intense playoff scrutiny.
Could the 2000 Ravens defeat the 2024 Eagles? It’s certainly a possibility, particularly accounting for the officiating differences of the time. However, the Ravens’ lack of a consistent passing attack may be a disadvantage against the Eagles’ defense, who demonstrated impressive interception and pressure capabilities during the Super Bowl.
