Editing Super Bowl XXXV (section)

===Baltimore Ravens===
{{main|2000 Baltimore Ravens season}}

The Ravens entered the game with the second-best defense in allowing yards in the league, with the fewest points allowed (165) and the fewest rushing yards allowed (970) during the regular season.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2000 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2000/opp.htm |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> At the time, they were the only team to hold the opposition to under 1,000 yards rushing in a season since the NFL adopted a 16-game schedule in 1978.  Baltimore's 165 points allowed broke the record set by the [[1986 Chicago Bears season|1986 Chicago Bears]], who had given up 187 points. The Ravens' defense had held their opponents to ten or fewer points in eleven games, including four shutouts.

The defense was led by a trio of outstanding linebackers: [[Peter Boulware]], [[Jamie Sharper]], and [[Ray Lewis]]. During the regular season, Boulware recorded 7 sacks, while Sharper forced five fumbles and made one interception. Lewis was named the [[NFL Defensive Player of the Year]] by recording three sacks, making 138 tackles, and intercepting two passes. Pro Bowl defensive tackle [[Sam Adams (American football)|Sam Adams]] and veteran [[Tony Siragusa]] anchored the defensive line, along with defensive ends [[Rob Burnett (American football)|Rob Burnett]] (10.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and five fumble recoveries) and Pro Bowler [[Michael McCrary]] (6.5 sacks and three fumble recoveries). Baltimore also had an outstanding corps of defensive backs led by Pro Bowl veteran safety [[Rod Woodson]], who along with [[Kim Herring]], [[Duane Starks]], and [[Chris McAlister]] combined for 17 interceptions.

On offense, the Ravens' main strength was rushing, led by rookie [[Jamal Lewis (American football)|Jamal Lewis]] (1,364 yards, six rushing touchdowns, 27 receptions, 298 yards) and [[Priest Holmes]] (588 yards, 32 receptions, 221 yards). Also, tight end [[Shannon Sharpe]] recorded 67 receptions for 810 yards and five touchdowns.  Receiver [[Qadry Ismail]] added 49 receptions for 655 yards and four touchdowns.  The offensive line was anchored by tackle [[Jonathan Ogden]], who was named to the [[Pro Bowl]] for the fourth consecutive season.  On special teams, [[Jermaine Lewis (American football, born 1974)|Jermaine Lewis]] ranked second in the NFL with 36 punt returns for 578 yards and two touchdowns, while also catching nineteen passes for 161 yards and another score.  Kicker [[Matt Stover]] led the NFL in field goals made (35) and attempted (39), while ranking seventh in field goal percentage (89.7) and second in scoring (135 points).

However, the Baltimore offense was mediocre, ranking only thirteenth in the league in scoring (333 points), sixteenth in total yards (5,301), and 23rd in passing yards (3,102). The team had a lot of trouble scoring, and at one point they went through five games without scoring an offensive touchdown (although they managed to win two of those games). But they managed to regroup, as head coach [[Brian Billick]] forbade anyone to use the "P-word" (presumably "postseason" or "playoffs") until the team actually played in it. The Ravens' outspoken defensive lineman, Tony Siragusa, did utter the word "playoffs" on two occasions and was fined $500. Since the fine (and Billick's ban) were clearly symbolic and playful, Billick explained himself by saying, "He got a $400 fine for doing it on national television and $100 for doing it on his radio show. The reason being because no one listens to his show anyway." In place of the "P-word", the word "[[Festivus]]" was used, the December 23 [[secular holiday]] featured in an [[The Strike (Seinfeld)|episode]] of the popular American television [[situation comedy|sitcom]] ''[[Seinfeld]]'' (the Ravens organization played along with this theme for that year's playoffs by showing a clip of [[Cosmo Kramer]] saying "A Festivus miracle!" on the stadium screen during the team's only home playoff game that year).  The Super Bowl was thereafter referred to as "Festivus Maximus."

Midway through the season, with the team at 5–3, Billick benched starting quarterback [[Tony Banks (American football)|Tony Banks]] and replaced him with [[Trent Dilfer]]. Although his statistics were hardly distinguished (twelve touchdowns, eleven interceptions, 76.6 passer rating), and the team lost in his first game as a starter, Dilfer led them to victory in their last seven regular season games to finish in second place in the [[AFC Central]] with a 12–4 record and entered the playoffs as a [[wild card (sports)|wild-card]] team.