CINCINNATI -- The Baltimore Ravens defense opened the 2017 season with an air of dominance and defiance that should've surprised no one -- especially if you've listened to the players this year.
After six months of saying the defense's potential could be "legendary" and could rival Baltimore's historic 2000 defense, the Ravens made a loud early statement with a season-opening 20-0 win over the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday.
The defense stirred up memories of the great ones in Ravens history by forcing five turnovers (four interceptions and one fumble), recording five sacks and holding the Bengals to 221 total yards.
The only other times the Ravens had delivered a shutout in an opener were in 2000 and 2006. The 2000 defense set an NFL record for fewest points in a 16-game season, and the 2006 defense is the only one in franchise history to finish ranked No. 1.
The last time Baltimore won in Cincinnati was in 2011, when the Ravens had Ray Lewis and Ed Reed roaming the defense. The way the Ravens were taking the ball away Sunday, it was reminiscent of how Lewis and Reed changed games.
"It’s the same thing we’ve been saying since the beginning of [offseason workouts]," defensive tackle Brandon Williams said. "We think we have a special group here. This is the start of it."
It didn't matter that Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco only practiced eight days before the opener because of a back injury. It also didn't matter that running back Danny Woodhead was carted off the field after one series with a hamstring injury.
Baltimore came into this season knowing it has to win with defense -- safety Eric Weddle even said so -- and the Ravens set the tone for the game and perhaps the season.
"We knew how big this game was for us," Weddle said. "We’ve been preparing for this game since the first day of training camp -- preparing for them and watching film on them. We didn’t care about our opponents in preseason. Everything was tailored for this game, and it showed."
Sunday's game marked the first time in the Ravens' 21-year history that they recorded five sacks and four interceptions in a game. The Ravens defense forced four of those turnovers on its first seven series, and it did so in dramatic fashion. On two drives inside its 10-yard line, Baltimore took the ball away. Linebacker C.J. Mosley leaped for an interception in the end zone, and linebacker Terrell Suggs stripped Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton from behind for a fumble.
Baltimore went all-in on defense this offseason, spending $56.75 million in guaranteed money on that side of the ball and drafting defensive players with its first four picks. Judging by how the Ravens roughed up Dalton and the Bengals on Sunday, they got an immediate return on that investment against Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis, the defensive coordinator for that Baltimore 2000 defense.
"This is a good place start to start," said Suggs, who finished with two sacks, "but you can't be satisfied."