2006 Baltimore Ravens season The 2006 Baltimore Ravens season began with the team trying to improve on their 6 – 10 record in 2005 . The Ravens , for the first time in franchise history , started 4 – 0 . The Ravens ' ended the regular season with a team - best 13 – 3 record . The Ravens clinched the AFC North title , 1st - round bye . Their season ended with a loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the divisional playoff game . Offseason . In the 2006 offseason , the Baltimore Ravens were in negotiations to try to obtain veteran quarterback Steve McNair from the Tennessee Titans . On Sunday , April 30 , 2006 , the Titans allowed McNair to speak with the Ravens and on May 1 , 2006 , the Baltimore Sun stated that the Baltimore Ravens had been waiting for McNair to be released by the Titans since it was the free agency period . The deal was completed in June 2006 . McNair and the Ravens agreed to an $ 11 million signing bonus on May 5 , 2006 . On June 7 , 2006 , the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans agreed to trade a 4th round pick in the 2007 draft for McNair , pending a physical . Steve McNair brought a calm leadership presence to the quarterback role that had been absent from the franchise since its inception . The critical issue in the ' 06 season remained whether McNair would hearken back to his Pro Bowl performance days or whether the cumulative effect of injuries would continue to hamper his performance . During the 2006 NFL Draft the Ravens acquired future star defensive tackle Haloti Ngata as well as safety Dawan Landry and punter Sam Koch . During free agency , the Ravens also picked up former Denver Broncos RB Mike Anderson , who in 2005 posted a 1 , 000 - yard plus season . He was expected to back up Jamal Lewis and to be insurance if Lewis posted stats similar to 2005 . The Ravens also acquired DE Trevor Pryce of the Denver Broncos who would prove a strong addition the Ravens defensive line , which had some pressuring problems the previous season . The Ravens also changed flagship radio stations , from WQSR " Jack FM " to WBAL 1090AM and WIYY " 98 Rock . " The announcing team was not retained ; Scott Garceau now co - hosts an " uncensored " pro football discussion program , with former Baltimore Colt Tom Matte , simulcast on WHFS " Free FM " and WJZ , ESPN Radio 1300AM . Roster . Quarterbacks : Steve McNair , Kyle Boller Running Backs : Jamal Lewis , Mike Anderson , Musa Smith , B . J . Sams Wide Receivers : Derrick Mason , Mark Clayton , Demitrius Williams , Clarence Moore , Devard Darling Tight Ends : Todd Heap , Daniel Wilcox , Quinn Sypniewski Right Tackles : Tony Pashos , Mike Kracalik Right Guards : Keydrick Vincent , Chris Chester Center : Mike Flynn Left Guards : Jason Brown , Chris Chester Left Tackles : Jonathan Ogden , Adam Terry Left Defensive Ends : Trevor Pryce , Dwan Edwards Right Defensive Ends : Terrell Suggs , Gary Stills Defensive Tackles : Kelly Gregg , Haloti Ngata , Justin Bannan , Aubrayo Franklin Left Outside Linebackers : Adalius Thomas , Dan Cody Right Outside Linebacker : Bart Scott , Jarret Johnson Middle Linebackers : Ray Lewis , Mike Smith , Dennis Haley Cornerbacks : Chris McAlister , Samari Rolle , Corey Ivy , Ronnie Prude Free Safety : Ed Reed , B . J . Ward Strong Safeties : Dawan Landry , Gerome Sapp Kicker : Matt Stover Punter : Sam Koch Returners : B . J . Sams , Cory Ross Long Snapper : Matt Katula Regular season . Week 1 : at Tampa Bay Buccaneers . " at Raymond James Stadium , Tampa , Florida < br > TV Time : CBS 1 : 00pm eastern The Ravens opened the regular season on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 10 . In QB Steve McNair ' s inaugural start as a Raven , the team gave a dominating performance . RB Jamal Lewis got the team ' s first points as he ran into the endzone on a four - yard touchdown strike in the first quarter . Then , in the second quarter , CB Chris McAlister intercepted a pass from Tampa Bay QB Chris Simms and ran 60 yards for another touchdown . Rookie Haloti Ngata recorded his first career interception and also returned for 60 yards to set up kicker Matt Stover with a 20 - yard field goal to put the Ravens up 17 – 0 at halftime . Baltimore continued to suppress Tampa Bay in the second half , as Stover kicked a 42 - yard field goal in the third quarter to put Baltimore up 20 – 0 . In the fourth quarter , McNair put the game away with a 4 - yard pass to TE Daniel Wilcox . While the Ravens offense had a very good start to the 2006 season , the defense also showed much promise , as they forced Simms into throwing three interceptions and limited star RB Carnell " Cadillac " Williams to just 22 yards on eight carries . For his efforts in this game Ray Lewis was named NFL Defensive Player of the Week after recording 10 tackles and a sack . With the win , the Ravens were 1 – 0 and 1 – 0 against NFC Opponents . Week 2 : vs . Oakland Raiders . " at M & T Bank Stadium , Baltimore , Maryland < br > TV Time : CBS 1 : 00pm eastern The Ravens opened Week 2 with a home - opener against the visiting Oakland Raiders . From the get - go , the Ravens dominated the game . The Ravens forced two fumbles by Oakland QB Aaron Brooks in the first quarter which led to two of Baltimore kicker ' s Matt Stover three field goals ( 25 , 33 , and 37 - yarders ) . The Raiders would get on the board in the second quarter with a 34 - yard field goal by opposing Sebastian Janikowski , but Baltimore would respond with QB Steve McNair completing a 1 - yard touchdown pass to TE Todd Heap . In the third quarter , the only score of the period would be LB Adalius Thomas sacking QB Andrew Walter in the end zone for a safety . In the fourth quarter , Stover increased the Ravens ' lead with a 23 - yard field goal . Even though Oakland would get three points on Janikowski ' s 51 - yard FG , Baltimore RB Mike Anderson put the game away on a 34 - yard TD run . With another win , the Ravens advanced to 2 – 0 . Week 3 : at Cleveland Browns . " at Cleveland Browns Stadium , Cleveland , Ohio < br > TV Time : CBS 4 : 05pm eastern The Ravens traveled to Cleveland , Ohio for an AFC North match - up with the Cleveland Browns . The Ravens struck first with kicker Matt Stover getting a 32 - yard field goal . However , in the second quarter , their small lead was wiped out , as WR Braylon Edwards caught a 58 - yard TD pass and QB Charlie Frye got a one - yard TD run . In the third quarter , both sides stiffened their defenses and prevented each other from scoring . In the fourth quarter , down by 2 points , McNair drove down the field to set Stover up for a 52 - yard field goal . With 0 : 29 left in the 4th quarter the field goal provided the winning points . Steve McNair passed for 264 yards . He threw no interceptions and completed 23 passes out of 41 . Jamal Lewis rushed for 86 yards . The leading receiver was Derrick Mason with 7 completions for 132 yards . The defense sacked Brown ' s quarterback Charlie Frye seven times . The defense also had one forced fumble and an interception . With their third straight win , the Ravens advanced to 3 – 0 . Week 4 : vs . San Diego Chargers . " at M & T Bank Stadium , Baltimore , Maryland < br > TV Time : CBS 1 : 00pm eastern The Chargers went to Baltimore for the first time since 2000 . The Chargers led down the field first with a 31 - yard touchdown pass to WR Malcom Floyd . However , this was followed two drives later by an interception by OLB Bart Scott ( who was named September ' s Defensive Player of the Month recently before the game ) , which led to a 5 - yard touchdown pass from QB Steve McNair to TE Daniel Wilcox . In the second quarter , 2 Chargers field goals from kicker Nate Kaeding put San Diego in the lead at the half . In the third quarter , the Ravens ' defense held the Chargers to no points . They were assisted by a loud stadium , which led to a fourth quarter intentional safety by Chargers punter Mike Scifres . The Ravens took the ball at the 40 - yard line with 3 : 12 to go . After Derrick Mason dropped a possible touchdown pass early in the drive , a 10 - yard pass to TE Todd Heap won the game with 30 seconds to play . On the touchdown catch , Heap broke a tackle from Shawn Merriman . With the win , the Ravens were 4 – 0 for the first time in their 11 - year history . However , Guard Edwin Mulitalo was injured for the entire season with a triceps injury . Week 5 : at Denver Broncos . " at Invesco Field at Mile High , Denver , Colorado < br > TV Time : ESPN 8 : 30pm eastern The Ravens suffered their first loss of the season as they were beaten 13 – 3 by the Denver Broncos . In a defensive struggle most of the game , Steve McNair was intercepted three times and Jamal Lewis was held to 43 yards rushing . The Ravens got on the board first when Matt Stover kicked a 24 yard field goal , following a fumble by Broncos RB Tatum Bell . The Broncos responded with a 43 yard field goal of their own by Jason Elam . The Ravens drove deep into Broncos territory late at the end of the first half , but that drive was thwarted as Steve McNair was intercepted by Champ Bailey in the end zone on a pass intended for Clarence Moore . The third quarter saw no points scored by either team as the defensive struggle continued . The Broncos controlled the clock in the second half with the running game led by Tatum Bell , who atoned for his fumble in the first quarter , by bouncing back with 92 yards rushing . Ravens QB McNair was intercepted again by Darrent Williams , which led to a Jake Plummer to Rod Smith touchdown pass . McNair was intercepted a third time , ending the Ravens ' final drive , this time by Domonique Foxworth . With their first loss , the Ravens dropped to 4 – 1 . Week 6 : vs . Carolina Panthers . " at M & T Bank Stadium , Baltimore , Maryland The Ravens lost their second straight game in a contest with the Carolina Panthers . The Panthers got on the board first with a 21 yard field goal by kicker John Kasay . Ravens quarterback Steve McNair was knocked out in the first quarter with a concussion , and backup Kyle Boller took over , connecting on a touchdown pass with Mark Clayton , on a pass intended for Derrick Mason that was tipped to Clayton . The Panthers responded when Drew Carter caught a 42 yard touchdown pass from Jake Delhomme , and Kasay kicked another field goal , this time from 31 yards . The Panthers went into halftime with a 13 – 7 lead . The third quarter was scoreless , and midway through the fourth quarter , Panthers kicker Kasay kicked his third field goal of the day from 21 yards out . Ravens wide receiver Clayton caught his second touchdown pass from Boller , again on a tipped pass , bringing the score to 16 – 14 Carolina . Panthers quarterback Delhomme continued his career day , this time throwing a 72 yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Steve Smith . Delhomme threw for a career high 365 yards . Ravens tight end Todd Heap caught a 7 yard pass from Boller in the final minutes , but it wasn ' t enough as the Panthers extended their current winning streak to four games . The loss dropped the Ravens to 4 – 2 , and 1 – 1 against NFC Opponents . Week 7 : Bye Week . On Tuesday , October 17 , 2006 , it was reported that Ravens head coach Brian Billick fired offensive coordinator Jim Fassel and that he had taken over Fassel ' s job of offensive coordinator . Week 8 : at New Orleans Saints . " at the Louisiana Superdome , New Orleans , Louisiana In Steve McNair ' s return from a strained neck and concussion last week , he dominated while running for one touchdown and threw for 2 . The Baltimore Ravens snapped a 2 game losing streak with this 35 – 22 win October 29 , 2006 . The Ravens defense was excellent as well . They had four interceptions , two for touchdowns by Ronnie Prude and Dawan Landry , and a fumble recovery . Bart Scott knocked Reggie Bush out of the game with an ankle injury in the fourth quarter . This was the first game the New Orleans Saints have lost in the Louisiana Superdome since the stadium reopened for the 2006 season . First quarter consisted of a five yard quarterback draw by Steve McNair which made the score 7 – 0 . Early in the second quarter , Clarence Moore caught a short four yard pass in the endzone to make it 14 – 0 . About 6 minutes later , Ronnie Prude intercepted Drew Brees for a 12 yard interception return . Later on , Drew Brees passed to Joe Horn for a 32 yard touchdown pass to make it 21 – 7 . Late in the second quarter tight end Todd Heap was passed a ball that was another Baltimore touchdown to make it 28 – 7 at halftime . In the third quarter Dawan Landry intercepted Drew Brees for 12 yards for another Baltimore score to make it 35 – 7 Baltimore . In the fourth quarter , Drew Brees passed to Marques Colston for a 47 yard touchdown to make it 35 – 14 . Then Drew Brees passed to Marques Colston for a 25 yard touchdown catch . A 2 point conversion was made to make it 35 – 22 . New Orleans went for an onside kick but it failed so the Baltimore Ravens won by the score of 35 – 22 . With the win , the Ravens advanced to 5 – 2 . Jamal Lewis ran for 109 yards on 31 attempts . Steve McNair ran for 23 yards on 5 carries and completed 17 passes out of 23 for 159 yards . Week 9 : vs . Cincinnati Bengals . " at M & T Bank Stadium , Baltimore , Maryland Riding high from their road win over the Saints , the Ravens returned home for an AFC North showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals . In the first quarter , RB Jamal Lewis got a touchdown on a 2 - yard run . Afterwards , the defense did some stepping up , as CB Samari Rolle got an interception at the Bengals 49 - yard line . He ran 24 yards and then lateraled the ball to Free Safety Ed Reed who returned it the remaining 25 yards for a touchdown . In the second quarter , kicker Matt Stover kicked a 43 - yard field goal to give Baltimore a dominating lead . The Bengals would finally score , as QB Carson Palmer completed a 26 - yard TD pass to WR T . J . Houshmandzadeh . In the third quarter , Stover helped the Ravens increase their lead with two more field goals ( a 25 - yarder and a 36 - yarder ) . Cincinnati would have kicker Shayne Graham nail a 51 - yard field goal . In the fourth quarter , the Bengals drew closer , as RB Rudi Johnson got a 4 - yard TD run . Stover would give Baltimore one more field goal , which came from 35 yards out . Even though Cincinnati would get a 31 - yard field goal from Graham , the Ravens held on to win and improve to 6 – 2 . Week 10 : at Tennessee Titans . " at LP Field , Nashville , Tennessee For this road game of former AFC Central rivals , QB Steve McNair would go up against his successor and his former team , QB Vince Young and the Tennessee Titans . In the first quarter , the Titans struck first with kicker Rob Bironas nailing a 21 - yard field goal . The Ravens would respond with McNair completing a 65 - yard TD pass to WR Mark Clayton . However , Tennessee started showing signs of an upset , as Young got a 2 - yard TD run , while DE Tony Brown got to McNair in the endzone for a safety . In the second quarter , the Titans continued their dominance with TE Bo Scaife getting a 13 - yard TD run and RB Travis Henry getting a 1 - yard TD . Afterwards , Baltimore responded with McNair completing a 30 - yard TD pass to FB Ovie Mughelli , along with kicker Matt Stover ending the half with a 27 - yard field goal . After a scoreless third quarter , Stover completed a 40 - yard field goal and McNair completed an 11 - yard TD pass to WR Derrick Mason to take the lead . The Ravens ended any chance of a Titans upset by blocking a game - winning field goal attempt as time expired . With the win , they improved to 7 – 2 . Week 11 : vs . Atlanta Falcons . " at M & T Bank Stadium , Baltimore , Maryland Kicker Matt Stover lost his consecutive field goals - made streak , yet the Baltimore Ravens were able to beat the visiting Atlanta Falcons 24 – 10 . Using the kick / punt returns by returner B . J . Sams , the Ravens rallied in the second half to win . After being scoreless in the first half , RB Jamal Lewis finished with a 91 - yard , 3 - TD performance , ending his 35 - game multi - TD drought . QB Steve McNair completed 24 out of 34 passes for 236 yards . The leading receiver was Mark Clayton , who had 5 receptions for 89 yards . With the win , the Ravens improved to 8 – 2 . Week 12 : vs . Pittsburgh Steelers . " at M & T Bank Stadium , Baltimore , Maryland The Ravens collected their second shutout of the season against the Steelers . The defense set a new team record by collecting 9 sacks against the strong Pittsburgh Steelers offense . Todd Heap and Steve McNair hooked up to score the first touchdown of the game in the 1st quarter . Jamal Lewis rushed for the second touchdown in the second quarter . Adalius Thomas returned a fumble by Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for a touchdown in the 3rd quarter . This game was the largest margin of victory the Ravens have had over the Steelers , and the second shutout recorded against the Steelers this season ( Jacksonville did it in Week 2 ) . After being sidelined for 2 games , Ray Lewis returned to the lineup and recorded one of the 9 sacks . With the win , the Ravens improved to 9 – 2 . Week 13 : at Cincinnati Bengals . " at Paul Brown Stadium , Cincinnati , Ohio Coming off of their dominant home win over the Steelers , the Ravens flew to Paul Brown Stadium for an AFC North rematch with the Cincinnati Bengals , trying to win the division and a playoff berth on this Thursday Night fight . After a scoreless first quarter , the Ravens trailed early as Bengals kicker Shayne Graham kicked a 23 - yard and a 27 - yard field goal . In the third quarter , things went from bad to worse for Baltimore as QB Carson Palmer completed a 40 - yard flea - flicker TD pass to WR T . J . Houshmandzadeh for the only score of the period . In the fourth quarter , the Ravens valiantly tried to fight back , as QB Steve McNair completed a 36 - yard TD pass to WR Derrick Mason . However , a failed onside kick spelled Baltimore ' s doom . With the loss , the Ravens fell to 9 – 3 . Week 14 : at Kansas City Chiefs . " at Arrowhead Stadium , Kansas City , Missouri After a 5 day rest period and a disappointing loss at Cincinnati , the Ravens travelled to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City , beating the Chiefs 20 – 10 . This was Kansas City ' s first loss at home in December since the 1996 season , falling victim to the Colts . Ravens quarterback Steve McNair threw for 283 yards and an 89 yard touchdown pass to receiver WR Mark Clayton , McNair ' s longest career touchdown pass . Other Baltimore scores included a 1 - yard touchdown run by RB Jamal Lewis and two Matt Stover field goals . Chiefs quarterback Trent Green threw two interceptions , both to Baltimore safety Ed Reed , and one touchdown pass to Dante Hall . LB Terrell Suggs also forced a fumble , the 16th of his career making him the Ravens all - time leader in that stat . With this game , the Ravens improved to 10 – 3 , sharing the second best record in the NFL , one game behind the San Diego Chargers . This would be the Ravens ' first win against the Chiefs in franchise history . Week 15 : vs . Cleveland Browns . " at M & T Bank Stadium , Baltimore , Maryland The Ravens beat Cleveland 27 – 17 in an AFC North Division match up . Baltimore ' s quarterback , Steve McNair , sustained an injury on his right throwing hand , and backup Kyle Boller came off the bench in the first quarter . Boller showed flashes of excellence at times , throwing two vital touchdown passes and setting up a Matt Stover field goal . Jamal Lewis also had a rushing touchdown . The Baltimore Ravens improved to an 11 – 3 record , clinching their first playoff appearance since the 2003 season . In addition , with a Cincinnati loss on Monday Night Football , the Ravens clinched the AFC North Division Title . Week 16 : vs . Pittsburgh Steelers . " at Heinz Field , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania The Ravens beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31 – 7 for the second time this season . and improved to a 12 – 3 record , moving up to the # 2 AFC playoff seed with a Colts loss during Week 16 against the Texans . The Ravens defense held Pittsburgh RB Willie Parker to just thirty yards rushing and sacked Ben Roethlisberger five times . On offense Steve McNair threw three TD passes and was 21 / 31 for 256 yards with 2 interceptions . RB Jamal Lewis added 77 yards and a touchdown , and Matt Stover delivered a 26 - yd field goal . This was the Ravens first win at Heinz Field since 2001 . It was also the first time the Baltimore Ravens swept the season series against the Steelers in franchise history . The Ravens also tied their franchise record for wins in a season at 12 . The last time they won 12 games , was the 2000 season when they went on to win Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa . Week 17 : vs . Buffalo Bills . " at M & T Bank Stadium , Baltimore , Maryland The Ravens beat the Buffalo Bills to end the season with a 13 – 3 record , clinch the # 2 AFC playoff seed and clinch the first - round Bye . Matt Stover kicked a 26 yard FG in the 1st quarter , a 37 yard FG in the 2nd quarter , and a 39 yard FG in the 3rd quarter . The Ravens almost shut out Buffalo in the 3rd quarter but the Bills scored in the fourth quarter when Lee Evans caught a 44 TD yard pass from J . P . Losman . The Ravens came back by recording an interception and a 31 yard interception return and TD by Chris McAlister . The Ravens ended the game in the 4th quarter by a 28 yard FG by Matt Stover . Post season . AFC Divisional Playoffs : vs . Indianapolis Colts . " at M & T Bank Stadium , Baltimore , Maryland Coming off their Bye Week , the second - seeded Ravens began their playoff hunt at home against the third - seeded Indianapolis Colts . In the first quarter , Baltimore trailed early with kicker Adam Vinatieri getting a 23 - yard and a 42 - yard field goal . In the second quarter , the Ravens managed to score as kicker Matt Stover nailed a 40 - yard field goal , yet Vinatieri would respond with a 51 - yard field goal . In the third quarter , the Colts improved on its small lead with Vinatieri getting a 48 - yard field goal . In the fourth quarter , Baltimore would manage to get a 51 - yard field goal , yet Vinatieri helped the Colts get the win with a 35 - yard field goal . QB Steve McNair was 18 of 29 for 173 yards with no touchdowns and 2 interceptions . Overall , the Ravens had four turnovers in the game . With the loss , Baltimore ended its season with an overall record of 13 – 4 .