The Ravens (10-5) stayed alive in the AFC North with a 34-17 win over the rivals Steelers (10-5), setting up a huge final two weeks.
Pundits moved the Ravens up in the power rankings after the victory and they sit as high as No. 3 heading into a Christmas Day battle with the Houston Texans (9-6).
Here's where Baltimore stands after Week 16:
| Source | Ranking | Last Week's Ranking | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bleacher Report | No. 6 | No. 8 | “The AFC North just got really interesting. By virtue of Baltimore's double-up of the Pittsburgh Steelers, both teams now sit at 10-5. The Steelers still hold the tiebreaker as things stand today, but the final two weeks of the regular season now carries massive stakes for both teams. The Ravens were propelled to victory by quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry – and by a pick-six from veteran cornerback Marlon Humphrey.” — NFL Staff |
| ESPN | No. 6 | No. 8 | |
| Sports Illustrated | No. 7 | No. 8 | |
| CBS Sports | No. 7 | No. 8 | “By beating the Steelers, they are back in the division race. The defense is making strides at the right time.” — Pete Prisco |
| The Athletic | No. 7 | No. 8 | “Since 2018 when Lamar Jackson was drafted, he is eighth in the NFL in expected points added per dropback (.13), and he has won two MVP awards. In the playoffs since 2018, he is 32nd in EPA per dropback (minus-.06) and has a 2-4 record. If Jackson can shake that history and Baltimore can play like it did Saturday in thumping the Steelers, Baltimore has as good a chance as any team to lift the Lombardi Trophy.” — Josh Kendall |
| Sporting News | No. 7 | No. 8 | “The Ravens are finding some real defense and big plays at the right time to help Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. They are back in the AFC title mix, not far behind the Chiefs.” — Vinnie Iyer |
| The Ringer | No. 3 | No. 5 | “When a team is as talented as Baltimore, it will often refuse to make changes to its schematic philosophy late in the season. The Ravens, though, have made tweaks on both sides of the ball, and it’s paid off in consecutive blowout wins against the Giants and Steelers. Quarterback Lamar Jackson is averaging more than 9 air yards per attempt in each of the past five games—three clearing the 10-yard mark. And defensively, the Ravens have essentially abandoned playing Cover 4 shells to load up the box and play single-high more often—trusting their corners to win one-on-one. With Kansas City at 14-1 and Buffalo the only team to have beaten the Chiefs, people have kind of glossed over the Ravens down the stretch—but I still believe that this is the best team in the AFC this year.” — Diante Lee |
| Yahoo! Sports | No. 7 | No. 8 | “Josh Allen has the momentum for NFL MVP. What if, after Allen didn't do much vs. the Patriots, Lamar Jackson has a massive day on Christmas with everyone watching? Jackson looks like a long shot because the narrative is on Allen's side, but the race shouldn't be considered over yet.” — Frank Schwab |
