The Ravens' free fall in the major power rankings continued after suffering a lopsided loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, their fourth consecutive defeat.
Baltimore (8-7) dropped to No. 19 in both NFL.com and Bleacher Report's rankings. The Ravens' highest ranking is No. 14 (ESPN, Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports).
For some pundits, the 41-21 loss to the Bengals all but sealed the Ravens' fate as a team destined to miss the playoffs.
"Week 16 felt like the moment that the walls finally caved in on the star-crossed 2021 Ravens," NFL.com's Dan Hanzus wrote.
Sports Illustrated's Mitch Goldich wrote: "I don't think any less of them as a franchise, I just acknowledge there are too many injuries to overcome and look forward to being very high on them again next August."
The Ravens likely need to win their final two games and get help to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time since 2017. There are ways for the Ravens to get into the postseason at 9-8, but the Miami Dolphins (winners of seven straight) would have to lose their final two games.
| Source | Ranking | Last Week's Ranking | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFL.com | No. 19 | No. 16 | “Week 16 felt like the moment that the walls finally caved in on the star-crossed 2021 Ravens. Playing their third-string quarterback and missing an absurd 33 players to injured reserve or the reserve/COVID-19 list, Baltimore suffered a relentless beatdown at the hands of a Bengals team that relished the opportunity to embarrass a longtime bully.” — Dan Hanzus |
| Bleacher Report | No. 19 | No. 17 | “The good news is that the Ravens' final two games are both at M&T Bank Stadium. The bad news is that neither of those games are gimmes, and it's hard to see this Ravens team beating the Los Angeles Rams with new leaks springing by the day. If the Ravens drop a fifth straight next week, the season finale against the hated Steelers may wind up more about pride than postseason." — Gary Davenport |
| ESPN | No. 14 | No. 13 | N/A |
| Sports Illustrated | No. 14 | No. 18 | “Things have really unraveled for the Ravens, a team I had in the Super Bowl as recently as our MMQB midseason predictions. I think of them now like last year’s 49ers. I don’t think any less of them as a franchise, I just acknowledge there are too many injuries to overcome and look forward to being very high on them again next August.” — Mitch Goldich |
| CBS Sports | No. 14 | No. 13 | “COVID and injuries have crippled this team as they fall out of the playoffs as of now. They face a tough game this week against the Rams to try and survive.” — Pete Prisco |
| USA Today | No. 18 | No. 14 | “They've actually weathered their quarterback issues pretty decently. What's killing Baltimore is the worst defense John Harbaugh has ever fielded. The Ravens have allowed 30+ points six times this season, including two 41-point outbursts by Cincinnati.” — Nate Davis |
