Why Matt Stover is the Greatest Baltimore Raven of All Time
Say what you will about Ray Lewis and his place in NFL history, but in the discussion of the greatest Baltimore Raven of all-time, Matt Stover is and always will be the final answer.
He’s been informed by the Ravens to look for other opportunities, for reasons that are painfully apparent to both sides of the equation. But there is no one person more responsible for the team’s first Super Bowl then Matt Stover. The magical 2000 run is the blueprint for how defense wins championships, and there’s no denying that the Ravens romp through the latter part of the season was directly attributable to a Ray Lewis-led defensive unit that took up the mantra “no yards allowed.”
But the object of football, and any sport for that matter, is to have the most points on the board at the end of the game. And through five games in the fall of 2000, Matt Stover’s nickname could’ve have been “Stimulus” for all of the times he served as the Ravens only scoring bailout.
Stover scored 49 points through that stretch. Two of the games resulted in victory for the Ravens. Would there have been a Super Bowl run if Matt Stover hadn’t single-footedly defeated the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars to take the Ravens to 5-1 on the year going into mid-October?
No.
Let’s not forget his NFL records for kicking proficiency. Fifth leading scorer in NFL history (1,944 points) , all-time leader in consecutive successful extra point attempts (389), the most game-winning field goals (14), and most games with four or more field goals (26).
Stover’s production did dip a little last season, and his leg isn’t as big as it used to be. But I can think of one team down the road that would sign Matt Stover up right now if they get the chance, and for once, it wouldn’t be a free agent move Redskins fans should hate.
Here’s to you, Matt Stover. The greatest Baltimore Raven in team history.
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Bold words, but quite true. A career Raven, scoring points for an offense that has been otherwise stagnant, Stover’s been impossibly consistent.
Thanks for giving him the respect he deserves.
When it comes down to it, Stover has been the go to guy for offensive consistency throughout all of these years. Ray Lewis is a close second, but Stover’s record-setting career has been acted out in Baltimore; a team that more often than not, needed him to be the greatest Raven of all just to stay competitive.
AMEN!!! I’ve always said the very same thing. Matt Stover – Most Valuable Raven EVER!.
[...] But in the waning seconds of the game against the Vikings, in a dome with no weather issues and all of the pressure of the final moments, you still would’ve had more faith in Stover than you did with Hauschka. Maybe it was his veteran status, maybe it was the way he put the Ravens on his back for so many wins in the past. [...]