The Ravens are second to none in this week's power rankings.
Baltimore (12-3) seized the No. 1 spot from the 49ers in all nine sets of power rankings we monitor after its resounding 33-19 win in San Francisco.
"A thorough pantsing of the mighty Niners means the Ravens deserve their time in the sun as the NFL's best team," Fox Sports' David Helman wrote.
| Source | Ranking | Last Week's Ranking | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFL.com | No. 1 | No. 2 | “A million things happened afterward, but I thought the Ravens showed a lot of early poise following a pretty shaky start against the 49ers. Kicking off the Brock Purdy pick party in the end zone was a strong response, but the defense bent a few times early and the offense opened with a three-and-out and then an unfortunate, ref-induced safety. From there on, though, it was a Baltimore onslaught that ended with a 33-19 road win. The Ravens have passed a number of mental-toughness tests this season, and we saw them check the box on two more Monday night: stemming the tide early in a hostile environment and then making a tremendous goal-line stand in the final few minutes to shut the door on any miracle-comeback possibility for the Niners. Lamar Jackson played such a cool, composed game, even if the Ravens might've taken their foot off the gas a bit early. It certainly tilted the MVP debate in Jackson's favor on a night when his biggest competition threw four picks and was knocked out of the game. But do not overlook the reason for Purdy's nightmare outing: a swarming, relentless Baltimore defense.” — Eric Edholm |
| Bleacher Report | No. 1 | No. 2 | “Baltimore's pass rush is ferocious. The secondary is deep and talented. Even without Mark Andrews, the Ravens are loaded with receivers. And the single most difficult player in the league to defend is playing the best football of his career. The Ravens are balanced. Loaded. And the best team in the league.” — Gary Davenport |
| ESPN | No. 1 | No. 2 | |
| Sports Illustrated | No. 1 | No. 2 | “Most impressive in Baltimore’s possible Super Bowl preview was the team’s resolve. I know a two-point deficit is not much, especially with Lamar Jackson at quarterback, but a safety early in a massive game like that can be unsettling. Instead, it was simply a gnat on Baltimore’s windshield. Yet another defensive masterpiece was pitched by Mike Macdonald, whose full-court pressure on defense, which swarmed some of the backfield completions that teams had been handing Brock Purdy, was a difference-maker.” — Conor Orr |
| CBS Sports | No. 1 | No. 2 | “Lamar Jackson stated his case as the league MVP in the blowout of the 49ers. The defense also came up big against a good offense. They are the top team.” — Pete Prisco |
| The Athletic | No. 1 | No. 2 | “The Ravens’ sixth-year quarterback is playing the way he did when he won the 2019 MVP award. That season, Jackson passed for 3,127 yards, rushed for 1,206 yards and totaled 43 touchdowns. This year, he has 3,357 passing yards, 787 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns. On Monday night, he led Baltimore to points on seven straight drives while leading the team in passing and rushing. He’s not only the MVP of the top team in these power rankings, but he may have captured the league award Monday night.” — Josh Kendall |
| Sporting News | No. 1 | No. 2 | “The Ravens proved their nasty, versatile deep pass rush that includes a resurgent Jadeveon Clowney backed by fine secondary play is a massive asset against any high-flying offense with their pressure and interception fun in San Francisco on Monday night. Lamar Jackson also might be MVP again to boot.” — Vinnie Iyer |
| Fox Sports | No. 1 | No. 2 | “We’ve got to give the Ravens the appropriate amount of flowers. The 49ers have been the darlings of the league for most of the season. Baltimore didn’t just beat them; they beat them down. A thorough pantsing of the mighty Niners means the Ravens deserve their time in the sun as the NFL’s best team.” — David Helman |
| Yahoo! Sports | No. 1 | No. 2 | “Wow. The Ravens changed the entire narrative of the 2023 NFL season in about three hours on Christmas night.” — Frank Schwab |
