The Ravens didn't open their 2025 season with a win, but the high expectations haven't changed.
Following its 41-40 defeat to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Baltimore is ranked as high as the No. 2 team in the league by Pro Football Focus. The lowest ranking came from The Athletic, which tabbed the Ravens at No. 8, its highest-ranked team with a loss.
The Ravens climbed one spot in ESPN's rankings from No. 4 to No. 3.
Here's where the Ravens stand among power rankings:
| Source | Ranking | Preseason Ranking | Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFL.com | No. 3 | No. 2 | "With seven minutes left in the fourth quarter on Sunday night, I started asking myself whether Baltimore deserved to leapfrog Philadelphia. I think I would've made the switch at No. 1 -- had the Ravens finished the job. Instead, they end up here after a shocking double-digit-win-turned-loss. Ravens fans have developed thicker skin over the years, but this one had to sting. Through eight drives, the Ravens had 410 yards and 40 points. Derrick Henry's second touchdown -- a 46-yard lighting bolt that increased Baltimore's lead to 40-25 -- felt like the knockout blow in Buffalo. But the Ravens squandered the final three possessions, with Henry's fumble being the killer. Then the defense, which had actually played very well in the first 50-plus minutes, was absolutely undressed at the end. It's wild to think that a few minutes of game time could have this big a swing on an outcome (and my impression of a team), but here we are. I still believe the Ravens are going to blowtorch most of the league, but this one will stick in the craw for some time." |
| The Athletic | No. 8 | No. 2 | "Let’s be honest. Had the final five minutes gone differently Sunday, they’d probably be our No. 1 team. They were so dominant for so long that night that it feels weird to have them this low. The running game is again great (wow, Derrick Henry), and Lamar Jackson looked stellar. But that loss could have some big home-field implications a few months from now." |
| The Ringer | No. 3 | No. 4 | |
| ESPN.com | No. 3 | No. 4 | "Best newcomer performance: WR DeAndre Hopkins. Hopkins knows how to make an unbelievable first impression. His first catch for the Ravens was a one-handed grab that resulted in a 29-yard touchdown in the third quarter. It was his fourth one-handed touchdown catch since 2017, which is tied with Courtland Sutton and Garrett Wilson for most in the NFL over that span. The Ravens have a wide receiver who is dynamic after the catch (Zay Flowers) and another who can stretch the field (Rashod Bateman). But Baltimore needed a receiver like Hopkins who can make contested catches just like this." |
| FOX Sports | No. 3 | No. 2 | "They were almost in consideration for the top spot, but as great a coach as John Harbaugh is, he’s prone to some head-scratching late-game management. The Ravens are obviously a great team. But they might have been beaten by a better one." |
| Sports illustrated | No. 3 | No. 1 | "I think one of the advantages of being the Ravens at this point is that losses like these tend not to linger. We have our own personal narratives about Baltimore “failing” to make a Super Bowl when the reality is that the team plays in the same conference as Patrick Mahomes—just ask the fleet of good AFC quarterbacks that never made the Super Bowl at the expense of Tom Brady. For the better part of three and a half quarters, the Ravens looked like the best team in football, and I’d expect them to continue to do so." |
| USA Today | No. 4 | No. 2 | "They coughed up yet another double-digit fourth-quarter lead and became the first team ever to lose despite scoring at least 40 points and rushing for at least 235 yards in a game. Though this setback could come back to bite Baltimore when it comes time to seed the AFC playoff field, let's not lose sight of the fact that the Ravens are likely to score 40 and run for 235 with relative regularity in 2025." |
| CBS Sports | No. 5 | No. 5 | "This team's identity has always been defense, yet that unit let them down against the Bills. The pass rush has to be better." |
| Pro Football Focus | No. 2 | No. 1 | "The Ravens are the best team in the NFL until they need to be. That’s the general feeling after they were on the wrong side of a Week 1 classic against the Buffalo Bills. The rushing attack picked up where it left off in 2024, tallying 238 yards, but questions will be asked about a secondary that allowed 11 explosive passing plays. Regardless, expectations remain high for the Ravens." |
