The latest power rankings following their Wildcard Round steamrolling of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Several national pundits elevated the Baltimore Ravens in recent power rankings after their overwhelming 28-14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wildcard Round of the AFC playoffs. The Ravens remain a consensus top-five team while rising as high as two on couple lists. Let’s see exactly where they land in the landscape of NFL power rankings heading into the Divisional Round of the postseason.
NFL.com: 4 (Last week: 5)
Remember all those defensive issues? I sure don’t. The Ravens were viewed with suspicion as true contenders earlier in the season, with Baltimore’s defense most often cited as the reason this team would come up short again. All that’s happened over the past eight games is that Baltimore has allowed opponents an average of 264 yards per game — compared to the 367.9-yard average allowed in the first 10 games. Credit to first-year coordinator Zachary Orr; it’s hard to shave off 100-plus yards per game. The Ravens’ offense is still humming at an elite level, as you’d expect from a unit featuring Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. Baltimore ran for 164 yards in the first half against Pittsburgh, 135 in the second. This Ravens team is absolutely capable of a title run the way it’s playing now.
Yahoo Sports: 2 (Last week 5)
It gets harder and harder to figure out how to stop the Ravens’ offense. Lamar Jackson should be the MVP (but probably won’t be) and Derrick Henry has four straight games with at least 138 rushing yards. Oh, and Baltimore’s defense is really good now, too.
USA Today: 4 (Last week: 3)
The Bills are a serious obstacle in their path to Super Bowl 59, too. As noted previously, the Ravens have averaged 32.6 points in the five games since their Week 14 bye, though the 28 Baltimore posted in Saturday’s wild-card win against Pittsburgh was the fewest during that period. Yet if the defense continues to allow just 11.4 points on a weekly basis, scoring 28 will be more than sufficient. Bad Buffalo weather could be an equalizer, QB Lamar Jackson engineering three points in his only other postseason appearance in Western New York four years ago, when freezing temperatures and gusty winds neutralized the Ravens offense.
Pro Football Network: 2 (Last week: 2)
The Ravens didn’t just beat the Steelers in Saturday’s Wild Card showdown — they humiliated their AFC North rival in the 28-14 victory. Derrick Henry rushed for 186 yards, the third-most rushing yards in a player’s postseason debut with a team behind only Miami’s Lamar Smith (209) and Green Bay’s Ryan Grant (201). Baltimore outrushed the Steelers 299-29; this +270-yard difference is the third-largest in NFL playoff history. The Ravens outgained the Steelers 308-59 in the first half, which marked the fourth-largest yardage differential in a playoff game since 2000. In addition to boasting the second-best offense in PFN’s Offense+ metric, Baltimore’s defense has also been playing really well. The Ravens have won five straight and they are playing their best football at the perfect time.
33rd Team: 6 (Last week: 6)
Lamar Jackson has had some postseason struggles in the past, but not this week. Despite not having their No. 1 receiver, the Baltimore Ravens put up 28 points against the Steelers and rushed for 300 yards. Jackson played a fantastic game, and the offense was in complete control. He’s never played better, and this feels like their best chance to reach a Super Bowl since he was drafted in 2018.
Sporting News: 3 (Last week 5)
The Ravens deserve this big jump because of how they methodically throttled the Steelers with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry taking turns doing the damage from play to play, drive to drive. Baltimore’s pass defense still can spring a few leaks, but it dominates against the run and also has revved up the pressure of late. They are better than last year, and if they can flex by the Bills in hostile Buffalo, they will emerge as strong Super Bowl-winning favorites.
Fox Sports: 3 (Last week: 5)
The time is now for the Ravens, with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry forming an unstoppable duo in the backfield. The two-time MVP and the two-time NFL rushing champ keep opponents guessing with their flawless execution of a power-read scheme that tests the discipline and physicality of the defense. Though the potential absence of receiver Zay Flowers impacts the passing game, the Ravens’ dynamic ground-and-pound approach is good enough to get the job done in the playoffs.
Sharp Football Analysis: 4 (Last week: 4)
The Ravens put on a spectacular performance against the Steelers, rushing 299 rushing yards in total while Derrick Henry set a Ravens playoff record by running for 186 yards and 2 touchdowns. Lamar Jackson contributed 82 rushing yards, bringing his career playoff rushing total to 603 yards and surpassing Steve Young for the most rushing yards by a quarterback in NFL postseason history. The Ravens held the Steelers scoreless in the first half and limited their offensive production throughout the game.