The Philadelphia Eagles have been the No. 1 team in the power rankings for a much of the season, but the defending NFC Champions are looking up at the Ravens in several sets of power rankings this week.
Baltimore (9-3) sits at No. 2 behind only the San Francisco 49ers in power rankings by NFL.com, The Athletic, The Ringer, and Fox Sports.
Overall, the Ravens are in the top three in eight of the 10 sets of power rankings we looked at. Their lowest ranking is No. 5 by CBS Sports' Pete Prisco, who moved them up three spots from last week.
| Source | Ranking | Last Week's Ranking | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFL.com | No. 2 | No. 2 | “After 12 straight weeks of games — including a trek across the pond to London, two separate West Coast trips and consecutive prime-time games — the Ravens more than earned their rest during the Week 13 bye. Even with a few slip-ups to their name, they've put themselves in a great spot to win the division and make a run at the AFC's top playoff seed — and others have helped. The Steelers and Browns both lost Sunday, greasing the division skids a bit, and the Chiefs lost, making the path to a first-round bye smoother. The good news: Baltimore controls its fate. The bad: The schedule is a bear, with games remaining against Jacksonville and Miami, two teams also gunning for the top spot. There's also a possible Super Bowl preview on Dec. 25: Ravens at 49ers. Merry Christmas, everyone.” — Eric Edholm |
| Bleacher Report | No. 3 | No. 4 | “After a home date with the Los Angeles Rams next week, the Ravens draw four straight against teams with winning records — trips to Jacksonville and San Francisco, a showdown with the Miami Dolphins in Baltimore and then a home date with the rival Steelers that could carry immense stakes. To get the No. 1 seed, the Ravens are going to have to earn it.” — NFL staff |
| ESPN | No. 4 | No. 3 | |
| Sports Illustrated | No. 3 | No. 4 | “The No. 1 defense and No. 7 offense in the NFL emerges from its bye week to face the hot Los Angeles Rams. Amid Mike Macdonald’s masterpiece of a season, all that is left to see is how strong the Ravens will finish. Unfortunately for John Harbaugh, a renaissance season could also trigger the pilfering of his coaching staff.” — Conor Orr |
| CBS Sports | No. 5 | No. 6 | “They come off their bye with a tough stretch. They have the Rams this week, followed by a Sunday night road game at Jacksonville and a road game at San Francisco.” — Pete Prisco |
| The Athletic | No. 2 | No. 2 | “Since the Ravens sent the Bears second- and fifth-round picks for Roquan Smith on Oct. 31 last year, Baltimore is first in the NFL in yards per play allowed (4.5), third in defensive success rate (62 percent) and third in EPA per snap (12.8). In that span, the linebacker is fourth in the league in defensive splash plays (66), according to TruMedia. Sure, Lamar Jackson is integral to Baltimore’s success, but don’t overlook Smith’s impact.” — Josh Kendall |
| The Ringer | No. 2 | No. 4 | |
| Sporting News | No. 3 | No. 4 | “The Ravens got a much-needed bye to help them regroup for the stretch run in a tough AFC North and a tight playoff picture at the top of the conference. Lamar Jackson should adjust better in the passing game without Mark Andrews with increased trust in his wide receivers, while Baltimore's defense will look to get stingier vs. the pass.” — Vinnie Iyer |
| Fox Sports | No. 2 | No. 2 | “There's no need to move the Ravens during a week off, but all five of their remaining games are against teams in the playoff race. That gives them plenty of time to grab the top spot.” — David Helman |
| Yahoo! Sports | No. 3 | No. 4 | “The Ravens still have games left against the Jaguars and Dolphins, two of the other top contenders for the AFC's No. 1 seed (they also have to face the 49ers). There are a lot of high-stakes games left for the best teams in the AFC this season. Whoever gets the all-important top seed will have earned it.” — Frank Schwab |
