After Sunday's gritty, throwback win on the road, the Ravens moved up in this week's power rankings.
The Ravens (9-4), who rode a dominant defense and rejuvenated running game sparked by the returning J.K. Dobbins to carry them to 16-14 win over the rival Steelers, are a consensus top 10 team and ranked as high as No. 7.
The power rankings pundits were impressed by the Ravens' resilience, as the AFC North leaders prevailed in Pittsburgh despite the absence of Lamar Jackson (knee) and finishing the game with third-string quarterback Anthony Brown after Tyler Huntley (concussion) was knocked out of the contest in the third quarter.
"The Ravens are surviving sans Lamar Jackson, and now potentially may have to without Tyler Huntley this week," Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr wrote. "They are an organization that is smart enough to fight disadvantageous battles on their own terms, making them more likely to squeeze out a win against the Steelers as they did Sunday."
| Source | Ranking | Last Week's Ranking | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFL.com | No. 8 | No. 11 | “J.K. Dobbins returned just in time for the Ravens. Dobbins was back in the lineup for the first time since Week 6 and rushed for 120 yards on just 15 carries to help carry a banged-up Baltimore team to a gutty 16-14 road win over the Steelers. The Ravens triumphed despite the absence of Lamar Jackson (knee) and the loss of backup QB Tyler Huntley, who exited late in the third quarter with a concussion. The Ravens finished the game with undrafted rookie Anthony Brown under center and might be forced to roll with Brown on a short week against Cleveland. Expect a lot more Dobbins, no matter who's at quarterback.” — Dan Hanzus |
| Bleacher Report | No. 8 | No. 9 | “John Harbaugh's team is grinding out wins, even though it is not playing particularly well. The Ravens have won three of four since their bye without scoring more than 16 points in any of those victories. Level of competition certainly played a role during that stretch, as they beat the Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers. Jackson continues to deal with a knee injury that could linger for another week or two, and Huntley is in the concussion protocol. Still, Baltimore sits atop the AFC North with a favorable schedule, with the Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers next on the docket. A division title remains a realistic possibility.” — Brent Sobleski |
| ESPN | No. 9 | No. 9 | |
| Sports Illustrated | No. 7 | No. 10 | “The Ravens are surviving sans Lamar Jackson, and now potentially may have to without Tyler Huntley this week. They are an organization that is smart enough to fight disadvantageous battles on their own terms, making them more likely to squeeze out a win against the Steelers as they did Sunday.” — Conor Orr |
| CBS Sports | No. 8 | No. 9 | “That was a big-time victory against the Steelers without Lamar Jackson. The defense came up big in that one.” — Pete Prisco |
| The Athletic | No. 7 | No. 10 | “The Ravens emerged victorious from a bruising matchup with the Steelers that saw both starting quarterbacks knocked out of the game. With Lamar Jackson still on the mend and Tyler Huntley in the concussion protocol, Baltimore may be forced to start undrafted rookie Anthony Brown against Cleveland on Saturday. Still, the Ravens appear playoff-bound and will go as far as Jackson takes them once healthy.” — Bo Wulf |
| The Ringer | No. 7 | No. 8 | “In his first game back from injury since Week 6, Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown in Baltimore’s win over the Steelers on Sunday. Both Dobbins and Gus Edwards averaged more than five yards per carry — exactly the type of production the Ravens needed as they were forced to turn to backup QB Tyler Huntley (and then No. 3 QB Anthony Brown, who came in after Huntley suffered a concussion in the third quarter). The Ravens will need similar contributions across the roster for as long as starting QB Lamar Jackson remains sidelined with a knee injury.” — Austin Gayle |
| Sporting News | No. 7 | No. 9 | “The Ravens lost backup QB Tyler Huntley, but their healthier dominant defense showed up again to stymie the Steelers in a key victory given the Bengals are unrelenting.” — Vinnie Iyer |
