2. Home curse ends as J. Lewis eclipses 2,000 – Dec. 28, 2003
With Cleveland upsetting Cincinnati earlier in the day, the Ravens had already clinched the AFC North, but they had other goals in mind.
In addition to Jamal Lewis eclipsing the 2,000-yard mark, Baltimore desperately wanted to end the home curse against the Steelers, who had beaten the Ravens in Baltimore every year since the aforementioned victory in 1996. Lewis (27 carries, 114 yards) ran his way into the record books with a 25-yard touchdown in the first quarter, but the Ravens needed overtime to snap the streak, winning 13-10 on a 47-yard field goal by Matt Stover.
The Ravens would bow out of the playoffs the next week to the Tennessee Titans, and criticism remains today that Brian Billick should have rested his starters in Week 17. However, anyone outside Baltimore wouldn’t understand how important it was to finally beat the Steelers in the Charm City, snapping the curse that had tormented Ravens fans for years.
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Luke Jones
Luke Jones is the Ravens and Orioles beat reporter for WNST BaltimorePositive.com and is a PFWA member. His mind is consumed with useless sports knowledge, pro wrestling promos, and movie quotes, but he often forgets where he put his phone. Luke's favorite sports memories include being one of the thousands of kids who waited for Cal Ripken's autograph after Orioles games in the summer of 1995, attending the Super Bowl XXXV victory parade with his dad in the pouring rain, and watching the Terps advance to the Final Four at the Carrier Dome in 2002. Follow him on social media @BaltimoreLuke or email him at Luke@wnst.net.
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