Despite a dominant victory over the Browns, the Ravens did not surge in the power rankings.
In the 10 sets of power rankings we looked at, the Ravens (3-1) moved up slightly in half and remained in place in the other half. Baltimore is ranked as high as No. 6 and no lower than No. 8.
While the Ravens have won road games over AFC North foes Cleveland and Cincinnati to seize sole possession of first place in the division, the power rankings pundits aren't ready to put them among the league's elite teams just yet.
"This division is Baltimore's for the taking," Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport wrote. "The question is whether these Ravens can hang with the likes of the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs and claim a spot as one of the AFC's true heavyweights."
| Source | Ranking | Last Week's Ranking | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFL.com | No. 8 | No. 8 | “Don’t forget these guys. With a 3-1 record that includes two big divisional road wins, the Ravens are in great shape again following the shocking home loss to Indianapolis. The Ravens weren’t about to let another backup QB beat them, with the Roquan Smith-led defense taking the wheel against the Deshaun Watson-less Browns. That unit allowed 166 yards on 65 plays, made 10 tackles for losses and forced three turnovers, absolutely stifling a Cleveland team that was supposed to have the league's best defense itself. Lamar Jackson and Co. were efficient against that good Browns D, and believe it or not, Jackson logged his first career game with multiple TD passes and runs. But the biggest offensive development was the reintroduction of tight end Mark Andrews (5/80/2) as the go-to guy after a slow start to the season.” — Eric Edholm |
| Bleacher Report | No. 7 | No. 8 | “Sunday's blowout win over the rival Cleveland Browns admittedly carries with it an asterisk — the Ravens pounded on a Browns team that was short both star running back Nick Chubb and starting quarterback Deshaun Watson. But one month into the 2023 season, the Ravens appear to be the class of the AFC North — and they have achieved that title despite not playing to their potential.” — BR NFL staff |
| ESPN | No. 7 | No. 7 | N/A |
| Sports Illustrated | No. 8 | No. 9 | “Congratulations to the Baltimore defense, which picked apart Browns rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson and also hilariously pinned Elijah Moore 20 yards backward on one of the worst jet sweep handoffs I’ve ever seen. Mike Mcdonald’s unit has been vintage this season, and complements an offense that seems to tell a different story every week. Albert Breer brought up a good point on the pod this week: Todd Monken’s recent college experience has really helped with Zay Flowers. Flowers is relevant every week and is changing the dynamic of this offense.” — Conor Orr |
| CBS Sports | No. 6 | No. 8 | “That was an impressive road victory over the Browns, even if it was against a rookie backup quarterback. The offense is getting there.” — Pete Prisco |
| The Athletic | No. 8 | No. 8 | “Overcoming chaos has been the Ravens’ secret this year. Despite seven starters out with injuries, Head Coach John Harbaugh won his 150th career game. Against a Browns defense that entered the week first in the league in yards per play allowed (3.2) and second in rushing yards per game allowed (52), the Ravens averaged 5.4 yards per play and rushed for 131 yards.” — Josh Kendall |
| The Ringer | No. 7 | No. 7 | N/A |
| Sporting News | No. 8 | No. 9 | “The Ravens had a tough matchup in Cleveland until they got a break from facing an overwhelmed rookie QB starting on short notice. The big thing is that Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews are back doing their thing to spark the offense.” — Vinnie Iyer |
| Fox Sports | No. 7 | No. 7 | “It's not like the Ravens got healthier last week; they had six starters inactive against the Browns. And sure, maybe they had a leg up going against a rookie quarterback. But that has nothing to do with Lamar Jackson's performance against a fantastic Cleveland defense. The Ravens drove the length of the field for touchdowns twice against the league's best unit, as they beat down a divisional rival on the road. Don't look now, but the Ravens have a fairly firm handle on the AFC North.” — David Helman |
| Yahoo! Sports | No. 8 | No. 9 | “Lamar Jackson put up a 142.5 passer rating and added two rushing touchdowns to his two passing touchdowns. He's still that dude. And it seems like he's getting more comfortable in a new offensive scheme. Baltimore is going to continue to improve as it gets healthier, too.” — Frank Schwab |
