For the first time this season, the Ravens are in the top three in all 10 sets of power rankings we monitor.
In a wild Week 14 that saw several top-10 teams lose — including AFC division leaders Miami, Kansas City, and Jacksonville — Baltimore outlasted the Los Angeles Rams in a thrilling overtime contest to move into the No. 1 seed in the conference and win for the seventh time in eight games.
Two outlets (Sports Illustrated and NFL.com) have the Ravens (10-3) at No. 2. The San Francisco 49ers, who host the Ravens on Christmas night, are a unanimous No. 1.
| Source | Ranking | Last Week's Ranking | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFL.com | No. 2 | No. 2 | “Lamar Jackson's MVP campaign isn't hurting after his heroic effort against the Rams, which included a thrilling TD drive (with the scoring pass going to rookie WR Zay Flowers) and successful two-point conversion (also thrown to Flowers) to give the Ravens a late lead, before Tylan Wallace's pinch-hit punt-return TD ultimately sealed the deal in overtime. With the win and Miami's loss on Monday night, Baltimore owns the AFC's No. 1 overall seed while also leading the AFC North by two games, though Sunday wasn't easy. In fact, that was arguably the most this Ravens defense has been stressed all season — as evidenced by the 37-31 final — but there were enough big plays on that side not to stress too much about a unit that has played far more good football than bad. And Jackson helps widen the margin for error when he plays like he did in Week 14, stinging the Rams time and time again with his legs and arm. One way or another, we badly need a Joe Flacco-Lamar Jackson showdown in the playoffs. If the NFL scriptwriters are any kind of benevolent folk, they'll ensure this happens.” — Eric Edholm |
| Bleacher Report | No. 3 | No. 3 | “Granted, not many expected the Baltimore Ravens to need a punt return touchdown in overtime to get past the Los Angeles Rams at home Sunday. But in the NFL, there are no ‘gimme’ wins, and sometimes the difference between Super Bowl runs and so-so seasons is finding a way to win games just like this.” — NFL staff |
| ESPN | No. 3 | No. 4 | “In the first five games, the Ravens turned the ball over eight times (two interceptions and six lost fumbles), which was tied for the eighth-most turnovers in the league. In the past eight games, in which Baltimore has gone 7-1, the Ravens have committed seven turnovers (four interceptions and three lost fumbles), which is tied for the fifth fewest in the league. The Ravens have proved that they are a difficult team to beat when they don't give the ball away.” — Jamison Hensley |
| Sports Illustrated | No. 2 | No. 3 | “This was yet another instance of the Ravens being forced to pull every gadget out of the Swiss army knife. Through that process, I feel like we’re left with the conclusion that, outside of the Eagles and 49ers, this is the deepest team in the NFL. It’s not just that the reserve punt returner (Tylan Wallace) won the game in overtime, but the backup tight end (Isaiah Likely) was also a beast. This game gave us a bit of everything: vintage Lamar and current Lamar. And another monster game from a guy who I think is going to rake in the playoffs: Justin Madubuike.” — Conor Orr |
| CBS Sports | No. 3 | No. 5 | “Finding a way to win games when you don't play well is a sign of a good team. The Ravens did that against the Rams. The defense needs to tighten up, though.” — Pete Prisco |
| The Athletic | No. 3 | No. 2 | |
| The Ringer | No. 3 | No. 2 | “This feels like the Ravens’ year. Todd Monken and Lamar Jackson are a match made in heaven, and the offensive skill group is jelling better and better every week. Defensive Coordinator Mike Macdonald’s group ranks second behind only the 49ers in points allowed per game. Baltimore’s three losses this season have come by a combined 12 points, and their plus-143 point differential ranks third in the NFL. While the Bills and Chiefs both experience down years, the Ravens should remain the favorites to win the AFC as long as they handle their business over the next four weeks.” — Austin Gayle |
| Sporting News | No. 3 | No. 3 | “The Ravens revved up their passing game well after the bye to emerge in a shootout with the Rams on Sunday, highlighted by a sweet Lamar Jackson rally with a lot of Zay Flowers. Baltimore is becoming more dangerous as the AFC team to beat with other contenders fading.” — Vinnie Iyer |
| Fox Sports | No. 3 | No. 2 | “It was nice to see the Ravens’ offense flex its muscles. That game-tying drive at the end of regulation was Lamar Jackson’s finest moment of the season, and his receivers are starting to really shine. Not a dominant day for the defense, but that’s why it’s so important to have an MVP quarterback who can help you overcome that.” — David Helman |
| Yahoo! Sports | No. 3 | No. 3 | “What a week for the Ravens. They won in overtime against the Rams, which is a quality win, especially considering the rainy conditions. Then they watched the Chiefs and Dolphins lose at home. The Jaguars lost too. That opens the door wide open for the Ravens to get the No. 1 seed in the AFC.” — Frank Schwab |
