After losing consecutive games for the first time this season, the arrow is pointing down for the Ravens in all the major power rankings.
Baltimore (8-5), which was ranked as high as No. 4 by some outlets two weeks ago, dropped all the way to No. 16 in NFL.com's rankings and is in the teens in two other sets of rankings.
The Ravens have weathered adversity all season, but with Lamar Jackson hobbled with an ankle injury and a brutal schedule looming, the forecast for their playoff hopes is cloudy.
"No team in the NFL has more reason to panic than the Baltimore Ravens," Bleacher Report wrote. "It's not because they lost in Cleveland Sunday. Losses happen, and even with the setback, the Ravens remain atop the AFC North. But in the defeat, the Ravens lost star quarterback Lamar Jackson to an ankle injury."
The Ravens, who are hopeful that Jackson will play in Sunday's home game against the Green Packers (10-3), are ranked as high as No. 10 (ESPN, Sports Illustrated).
"The defense has been the Ravens' strongest unit over the past month. If Lamar Jackson (ankle) and the offense can get back on track, Baltimore can reach the playoffs for a fourth straight year," ESPN's Jamison Hensley wrote.
| Source | Ranking | Last Week's Ranking | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFL.com | No. 16 | No. 12 | “Tyler Huntley nearly led the Ravens to a miracle win over the Browns, but moral victories don't mean much in December. Baltimore's grip on the AFC North loosened with its second straight divisional loss, and Lamar Jackson's health looms over everything. … Baltimore will enter the crucible of the regular season in its most vulnerable state.” — Dan Hanzus |
| Bleacher Report | No. 13 | No. 12 | “The Ravens are in big trouble. They're just 3-4 in their last seven games, and they have the Packers, Bengals, Rams and Steelers to finish out the year. They've outscored their opponents by only 20 points all season, and now they could be on the verge of blowing the AFC North title.” — Brad Gagnon |
| ESPN | No. 10 | No. 6 | “The defense has been the Ravens' strongest unit over the past month. If Lamar Jackson (ankle) and the offense can get back on track, Baltimore can reach the playoffs for a fourth straight year.” — Jamison Hensley |
| Sports Illustrated | No. 10 | No. 9 | “Life with a hampered Lamar Jackson could be difficult given how instrumental his mobility is to their ultimate success. Two straight losses feel incredibly ominous heading into a stretch of games that could prove to be absolutely relentless.” — Conor Orr |
| CBS Sports | No. 11 | No. 8 | “With Lamar Jackson banged up and Green Bay coming to town, they have big issues. They've navigated through a bunch of problems, but this will be the biggest.” — Pete Prisco |
| USA Today | No. 14 | No. 13 | “Did a team with 17 players on injured reserve just suffer the blow it can't overcome after QB Lamar Jackson came up with a bum ankle? First-place Baltimore, which has the worst divisional record (1-3) in the AFC North, can hardly afford to be without Jackson in Sunday's interconference tilt with Green Bay.” — Nate Davis |
