The Ravens' convincing victory over Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road last Thursday night got the attention of the power rankings pundits.
Baltimore (5-3) climbed into the top six in five of the eight sets of power rankings we monitor, with its highest ranking at No. 4, by The Ringer.
Even CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco, who has consistently ranked the Ravens lower than his peers this season, was impressed by their performance against the Bucs, moving them up three spots to No. 8. Two weeks ago, Prisco had them at No. 17.
"They dominated the Bucs last Thursday on both sides of the ball to serve notice that they are a real contender," Prisco wrote.
The acquisition of star linebacker Roquan Smith at the trade deadline strengthened the case for the Ravens being legitimate contenders.
NFL.com’s Dan Hanzus, who moved the Ravens up two spots to No. 6, wrote that the Smith trade was "a clear signal from the front office to the locker room: The Ravens are in it to win it in 2022."
| Source | Ranking | Last Week's Ranking | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFL.com | No. 6 | No. 8 | “The magic of Lamar Jackson is undeniable. The former MVP took over in the second half of a 27-22 win over the Buccaneers on Thursday night, putting the home team away by leading four consecutive scoring drives after halftime. With momentum on the season building, Ravens GM Eric DeCosta pulled the trigger Monday on a trade with the Bears that brought standout linebacker Roquan Smith to Baltimore. Smith, the league's leading tackler, represents an upgrade on inconsistent former first-round pick Patrick Queen while also serving as a clear signal from the front office to the locker room: The Ravens are in it to win it in 2022.” — Dan Hanzus |
| Bleacher Report | No. 6 | No. 7 | “The Baltimore Ravens might be the best team in the NFL that no one is really talking about. The Ravens aren't necessarily elite in any one area. Baltimore is 11th in the NFL in total offense, 24th in total defense and 20th in scoring defense. But while the Ravens might not be posting gaudy yardage totals, the team is fifth in the league in scoring. The defense is making plays when it needs to. And the Ravens have peeled off three wins in four games, including two over teams that won their division in 2021.” — NFL staff |
| ESPN | No. 6 | No. 7 | “Seven of Baltimore's remaining nine games come against teams currently with losing records. ESPN's FPI indicates the Ravens have the 11th-easiest schedule the rest of the way, but it looks softer than that. The combined record of Baltimore's remaining opponents is 23-41 (.359). The Ravens face the struggling Steelers (2-6) twice, along with the Carolina Panthers (2-6) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6). Plus, Lamar Jackson is 21-7 (.750) in November and December as the Ravens' QB.” — Jamison Hensley |
| Sports Illustrated | No. 7 | No. 7 | “If football were arena lacrosse, the Ravens wouldn’t have lost a game in years. While they are a middle-of-the-pack red-zone-efficiency team right now (56%), they will undoubtedly hit an upswing at the right time. Watch the way they were able to put good Tampa Bay linebackers in conflict Thursday night.” — Conor Orr |
| CBS Sports | No. 8 | No. 11 | “They dominated the Bucs last Thursday on both sides of the ball to serve notice that they are a real contender. They owned both sides of the line of scrimmage in that game.” — Pete Prisco |
| The Athletic | No. 6 | No. 6 | “For a team with Super Bowl upside, Smith will make an impact, though patrolling the middle of a new scheme midseason is a difficult task. All the more reason why this seems like a long-term investment.” — Bo Wulf |
| The Ringer | No. 4 | No. 4 | “The Ravens’ dropback passing game remains a concern, but Lamar Jackson and the rushing attack are keeping the offense from cratering. Baltimore ranks first in EPA per rush (0.12) and second in yards before first contact per attempt (2.29). That über-efficient rushing attack has helped the Ravens to double-digit leads in every game they’ve played this season and the league’s third-highest point differential (73) in the first three quarters of games.” — Austin Gayle |
| Sporting News | No. 8 | No. 9 | “The Ravens tried to open up the passing game too much at first in Tampa Bay, before a return to running it creatively got more efficient overall play from Lamar Jackson. The defense keeps improving with better scheming each week, too.” — Vinnie Iyer |
