In the NFL's parity-ridden era, it has been tough to determine what awaits the Ravens week to week, especially after a bye:
- In 2001, the defending Super Bowl champion Ravens met the Pittsburgh Steelers after the off-week during a prime-time, first-place showdown. After two weeks of incredible buildup, quarterback Kordell Stewart let the air out of the Baltimore crowd with a 90-yard touchdown pass to wideout Bobby Shaw during a 26-21 Steelers win that led to home-field advantage for a subsequent playoff win against the Ravens.
- The following year, a youthful Ravens roster was 0-2 going into its bye and returned to play a home Monday night game against unbeaten Denver. On that night, cornerback Chris McAlister ran back a missed field goal for a touchdown and rookie safety Ed Reed recorded the first blocked punt in team history during a 34-23 win.