Ravens Named True Super Bowl Contenders With a Historically-Good Offense
The Ravens (7-3) are still a half game behind the Steelers (7-2) after Pittsburgh's comeback win over the Washington Commanders Sunday.
But when sizing up the competition, ESPN’s Seth Walder sees the Ravens as "true Super Bowl contenders."
"Quarterback Lamar Jackson is a two-time MVP but is arguably playing the best football of his life right now," Walder wrote. "That's how high the ceiling is for him and the Ravens."
The Ravens' offense is arguably one of the best in NFL history. ESPN's Paul Hembekides gave his argument after the Ravens' win on Thursday.
"They average 7.1 yards per play, on pace to be the highest mark in a season in NFL history. They're quarterbacked by Lamar Jackson, whose passer rating of 123.2 is on pace to be the highest mark of any quarterback in a season in NFL history," Hembekides said. "The most efficient passer in NFL history averaging 54 yards per game rushing, at 5.9 yards per carry, and a running back Derrick Henry, who is on pace to become the fifth player ever to average 100 yards per game running on six yards per carry.
"They have a historically great quarterback, a historically great running back, and when you combine the proficiency of their pass game and their run game, what it spits out is one of the great offenses in NFL history."
But while the Ravens are among Walder's true contenders list, rather than being "playoff locks" like the Steelers and Houston Texans (6-4), Walder expresses concern – and optimism – for the Ravens defense.
"The big question is whether the pass defense – which ranks 29th in EPA per dropback – will recover," Walder wrote. "It's easier to improve during the season on defense than offense, but that unit is a weakness right now."
ESPN's Jamison Hensley shared the defense could find inspiration in how they navigated with then first-year Defensive Coordinator Mike Macdonald in 2022 as they overcame a poor start to finish strong.
"Under first-year coordinator Zach Orr, the defense has been the biggest weakness on a team that has looked like a Super Bowl contender. Through Thursday, the Ravens are 31st in yards allowed (367.9) and 26th in points allowed (25.3)," Hensley wrote. "If Baltimore is looking for inspiration to turn this around, it can point to 2022, Mike Macdonald's first season as its defensive coordinator. The defense ranked 19th in yards allowed and 18th in points allowed through the first nine games but finished third in total yards and points in the final eight games."
The Athletic Votes Jackson and Derrick Henry Award Frontrunners
At the season's beginning, The Athletic's NFL staff gave their picks for both individual awards and which teams would make it out of their conference and ultimately win the Super Bowl. No Ravens players received a vote for individual accolades and only three votes were cast for the team to make it out of the AFC. Of those three, two had them winning the Super Bowl.
But nine weeks into the season (voting was conducted Oct. 29 – Nov. 5), Jackson and Derrick Henry received the most votes for NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year, respectively.
"Voter fatigue might have been a factor in Lamar Jackson drawing zero MVP votes in our poll two months ago, but his performance to this point has been undeniable," The Athletic wrote. "Patrick Mahomes was the pick before the season started, but while he's been better than his box-score statline would suggest he might have too steep a statistical hill to climb to overtake Jackson."
It's safe to say the three-vote gap between Jackson and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen may be larger after Jackson's four-touchdown affair against the Cincinnati Bengals, while Allen went 22-for-37 passing for 280 yards and two interceptions on Sunday.
As for Henry, he's all but literally ran away with the Offensive Player of the Year award, according to their vote. Henry received 30 of 46 votes, with the second-closest being Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. Tied for third with three votes each are Jackson and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
"Like his quarterback teammate who now leads the MVP race, Derrick Henry didn't draw a single OPOY vote from our staff in the preseason, though Henry now seems to be a healthy second half of the season away from clinching the award for a second time in his career," The Athletic wrote. "The two top vote-getters in September have been done in by injuries — Tyreek Hill to his quarterback, and Christian McCaffrey to himself."
While The Athletic voters have recognized the Ravens' individual players, they're not sold on the team being the AFC's victor. The Chiefs remain the favorite, earning 29 of 46 votes. However, the Ravens are now in second with 11 votes.
"The Chiefs drew 28 of 42 votes (67 percent) to win the AFC in September, and now get a similar share (63 percent) at midseason," The Athletic wrote. "They have run into some injury issues (specifically top receiver Rashee Rice) coming off a 21-game season a year ago, but with a perfect record things are set up to run through Kansas City in the AFC playoffs. There's not much reason to move off the two-time defending champs."
Mike Tomlin Halts Jayden Daniels – Lamar Jackson Comparison
On Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers narrowly beat the Washington Commanders, 28-27. After the game, Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin was asked if there are any similarities between Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels and Jackson. Tomlin was quick to halt the comparison talk between the two.
Whether it's Tomlin simply not wanting to give the Ravens any bulletin board material (see: Trash-Talking Bengals Woman) or giving Jackson the well-earned credit he deserves – or both – it's a testament to Jackson's greatness that a division rival's head coach quickly ceases any comparison to him.
Ravens 'Dispelled Narratives' With Win vs. Bengals
This season, the Ravens have both succumbed to and overcome their demons. They faltered against the Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns, yet beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, and Bengals, twice.
In their second win over the Bengals, Athlon Sports’ Christian Marshall saw the Ravens dispel a pair of narratives.
"One of the most poignant criticisms toward Baltimore is how they can be beaten when teams force them out of the run game. There has also been a theme throughout the season of the team's inability to close games out, turning comfortable wins into close games and good wins into horrible losses," Marshall wrote. "The Ravens once again dispelled both these narratives with their comeback victory. Cincinnati is still an offensive powerhouse, and the Ravens sweeping them in two shootout games once again shows they can win close games and dominate through the air."
