There is no consensus regarding the Ravens' placement in this week's batch of power rankings after the team squandered a three-score lead against a quality opponent for the second time in three games to fall to 2-2.
Of the eight sets of power rankings we examined, five moved the Ravens down, two moved them up, and one kept them where they were last week. Baltimore is ranked as high as No. 4 and as low as No. 11.
Two things the power rankings pundits agree on is that Lamar Jackson has been outstanding and the defense has been outplayed.
"The Ravens appear to have a good defense on paper, but in big moments, that defense is coming up short. Jackson's playing at an MVP level, but he can't do it all himself," Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport wrote.
NFL.com’s Dan Hanzus noted that the Ravens still have the talent and time to get on track: "The Ravens are clearly a dangerous team, but man, do they know how to lose. … Get this out of your system now, gang."
| Source | Ranking | Last Week's Ranking | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFL.com | No. 7 | No. 7 | “The Ravens are clearly a dangerous team, but man, do they know how to lose. Baltimore built a 20-3 first-half advantage over the powerhouse Bills, only to watch it all slip away in a last-second loss that left John Harbaugh answering questions about a fourth-down gamble that went terribly awry. … Poor execution — Lamar Jackson floated a pass into the end zone that was intercepted by Bills safety Jordan Poyer — led to a defeat every bit as bitter as the fourth-quarter meltdown against the Dolphins in Week 2. Get this out of your system now, gang.” — Dan Hanzus |
| Bleacher Report | No. 9 | No. 8 | “The Ravens have some real issues. Four weeks into the season, the Ravens consist of Lamar Jackson standing on his head—and that's about it. Jackson has almost three times as many rushing yards as any player on Baltimore's roster, so the Ravens can't grind out yards and burn clock with the lead. The Ravens appear to have a good defense on paper, but in big moments, that defense is coming up short. Jackson's playing at an MVP level, but he can't do it all himself.” — Gary Davenport |
| ESPN | No. 9 | No. 6 | “In the second half, Baltimore has given up an NFL-worst 1,019 yards while allowing 67 points. The Ravens used to get offenses off the field when they had Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs forcing clutch turnovers. This season, Baltimore defenders are making it too easy with missed assignments and no consistent pass rush. In the fourth quarter, opposing quarterbacks have posted an NFL-best 88.6 QBR against the Ravens, throwing five touchdowns and getting sacked twice.” — Jamison Hensley |
| Sports Illustrated | No. 5 | No. 7 | “This is twice in four weeks that the Ravens have sprinted out to massive leads (28–7 vs. the Dolphins, 17–3 vs. the Bills) that they couldn’t close out. Their offense is still an absolute clock-draining menace (38 minutes of possession) but their inability to stop opponents on critical drives is starting to raise eyebrows.” — Conor Orr |
| CBS Sports | No. 11 | No. 8 | “Their defense is awful right now, which limits their chances to win. That is not a Ravens team we've come to expect.” — Pete Prisco |
| The Athletic | No. 4 | No. 5 | “John Harbaugh’s decision to go for it on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line in a 20-20 game with 4:15 left was bold and deserved inspection after it turned into a Lamar Jackson interception. … Still, the Ravens have shown their upside. Maybe they can petition the league to make the playoffs only three-quarter games.” — Bo Wulf |
| The Ringer | No. 6 | No. 5 | “Lamar Jackson is having to do this alone. The Ravens are completely dependent on his heroics every single week to win football games. This week, Jackson was failed by his coaches. After going 12-of-16 for 108 yards and a touchdown in the first half, Jackson completed just eight passes for 36 yards and threw two picks in the second half against Buffalo. The Bills adjusted; [Offensive Coordinator] Greg Roman didn’t.” — Austin Gayle |
| Sporting News | No. 10 | No. 8 | “The Ravens' defense rose to the occasion as much as possible against Josh Allen, but they again made some little mistakes to blow a lead against the Bills, much like Week 2 vs. the Dolphins. Lamar Jackson is still carrying much of the team but it was good to see more of a healthy J.K. Dobbins.” — Vinnie Iyer |
