The Ravens' 36-10 road loss to the Buffalo Bills coupled with long-term injuries to quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley kept the Ravens falling down pundit power rankings.
Here's where the Ravens stand:
Source / Ranking (Last Week's Ranking) / Comments
NFL.com / No. 22 (16) / "Lamar Jackson returned, threw one pass and suffered another injury that could end his season. Tyler Huntley sustained a toe injury that could keep him out for multiple weeks, too, meaning the Ravens have officially been thrown into a full-blown crisis. They're 4-4 in a highly competitive AFC North with no clear plan at quarterback, and their defense is crumbling before our eyes. I hate to cross a team off the contender list before Thanksgiving, but this feels like it's headed toward a dark place." – Nick Shook
ESPN / No. 19 (13) / Best in-season trade acquisition ever: LB Roquan Smith in 2022. "The Ravens had a hole in the middle of their defense after five-time Pro Bowl middle linebacker C.J. Mosley signed with the Jets in free agency in 2019 and first-round pick Patrick Queen struggled to live up to expectations. So, Baltimore traded a second-round pick for Smith. The result: Since acquiring Smith, the Ravens rank third in fewest points allowed (20.2) and ninth in yards allowed (322.2). "We don't have a second-round pick. Do I hate that? Yes," Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said in 2023. "But, our second-round pick is Roquan. And I got to say, I don't think you can get a better second-round pick." – Jamison Hensley
The Athletic / No. 16 (14) / Reality check: This probably doesn't work without Lamar Jackson. "It definitely doesn't work without Jackson and Tyler Huntley. Jackson will need thumb surgery that could end his season after he was hurt on the first play Sunday. Huntley suffered a turf toe injury, and his immediate future is unknown, too. Baltimore will either be trading for a quarterback this week or riding with Joe Fagnano, an undrafted rookie out of UConn." – Chad Graff and Josh Kendall
Sports Illustrated / No. 24 (15) / "Here’s a column looking ahead at the Lamar-Ravens-injury dance to come. Meanwhile, Jesse Minter's first season as head coach sees a third quarterback starting games this season and (likely) the acquisition of an emergency backup. Not the way he drew it up." – Conor Orr
USA Today / No. 24 (21) / "Can deploying the wishbone Thursday night against Jacksonville really be a worse option than potentially having to start former UFL 'star' Austin Reed, who's never taken a regular-season snap in the NFL, at quarterback?" – Nate Davis
CBS Sports / No. 20 (12) / "No Lamar Jackson, no chance. It's that simple. Jackson is on injured reserve with a thumb injury that will likely derail this team's playoff chances." – Pete Prisco
FOX Sports / No. 20 (15) / "For the second year in a row, injuries to QB Lamar Jackson have ruined the Ravens' season, and you have to wonder how much longer they're going to play this risky game. This time it was a thumb injury, just one play into Jackson's return from an ankle injury. The Ravens then lost backup Tyler Huntley to a toe injury, forcing undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano into action. That's not going to cut it, so they're going to have to trade for a quarterback, which won't cut it either. They're 4-4 now and have lost three straight with the Jaguars looming. In other words, see you next year." – Ralph Vacchiano
Sporting News / No. 17 (16) / "The Ravens' passing game went kaput against the Bills' bad pass defense after both Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley went down with injuries. At the same time, the Ravens' defense gave up 417 total yards and was on the field for more than 37 minutes. Even more worrisome is the fact Derrick Henry has been contained to only 156 combined rushing yards in the past three games." – Vinnie Iyer
Bleacher Report / No. 19 (15) / "The Baltimore Ravens suddenly feel like a team that could be selling at the trade deadline and looking to prepare for next season. Baltimore's defense has shown some growth under new head coach Jesse Minter, but it hasn't been enough to consistently win games without Lamar Jackson." – Kris Knox
