The latest power rankings following their Week 11 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Most national pundits were disappointed by the Baltimore Ravens’ performance in a 18-16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 11 that knocked them a game and a half back from the division lead. However, the consensus belief is still that they are among the best teams in the league although one pundit had them barely cracking the top 10. Now, it’s time to see where the team lands in the NFL landscape of power rankings heading into Week 12.
The Ringer: 5 (Last week: 2)
If you’ve watched Baltimore long enough, you could’ve turned off Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh as soon as running back Derrick Henry fumbled on the second snap. That version of the Ravens — the sloppy version — showed up, and it meant they were digging their own grave and waiting for the Steelers to shove them in. What made Sunday’s loss so frustrating (if you’re a Ravens fan) is that despite the mistakes, the Ravens still could’ve won. Even with Pittsburgh’s lights-out defense and turnover luck, if kicker Justin Tucker knocked down either of his first two field goal attempts or Baltimore’s receivers ran the right play on its two-point try, Baltimore probably would’ve won! This team is good enough to play a C-graded game and still be competitive, but the fact that those lapses persist makes me feel like another heartbreaking end to the season is coming.
The Athletic: 8 (Last week: 3)
Seat temperature check: Cool
After 17 years and a Super Bowl title, it should be cold, but then a game like Sunday happens. John Harbaugh is the second-longest tenured NFL head coach, but he just fell to 15-21 in head-to-head matchups against the longest-tenured one (Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin). The Ravens are the most penalized team (92 for 763 yards), a total to which they contributed 12 flags for 80 yards against the Steelers.
NFL.com: 7 (Last week: 4)
Sunday’s loss to Pittsburgh is going to leave a mark. If the Ravens cannot win the AFC North, we might look back at this game as the turning point in that race. They’re only a game and a half back of the Steelers but two games back in the loss column, and Baltimore has one less game left than Pittsburgh, which means one less chance to make up that gap. Now the rematch in Baltimore is virtually a must-win affair for the Ravens. Even though the Steelers’ defense dominated in this one, Baltimore had ample opportunities to win prior to the missed two-point attempt that would have tied it late. Turnovers were a problem, but it really came down to field goals, with Pittsburgh’s Chris Boswell making all six of his tries and usual Steelers killer Justin Tucker missing two first-quarter kicks. That’s now six misses on the season for Tucker, one shy of his career high. Baltimore’s D stepped up Sunday, but the team has to wonder whether it can count on Tucker from distance in clutch situations now. While the Ravens are by no means in trouble, there are some concerns when the offense is not cooking.
ESPN: 7 (Last week: 3)
Preseason hot seat: OT Ronnie Stanley
Current temperature of hot seat: Cold
This has been an impressive bounce-back year for Stanley. He is ninth among starting tackles in pass block win rate (92.7%), allowing one sack this season. When the Ravens run to Stanley’s side, they are averaging an NFL-best 6.8 yards per carry. The other key is Stanley staying healthy. He is playing over 90% of Baltimore’s snaps for the first time since 2019, which was his only Pro Bowl campaign. This is all very timely for Stanley, as his improved play could set him up for a sizable payday in free agency.
USA Today: 6 (Last week: 3)
Thirteen touches for RB Derrick Henry? None in the fourth quarter? Of a two-point loss? Didn’t we learn this lesson last season?
Yahoo Sports: 6 (Last week 3)
Derrick Henry and Justice Hill averaged 5.2 yards per carry vs. Pittsburgh. The problem was they had just 15 combined attempts in a game that Pittsburgh never led by more than eight points. That wasn’t supposed to happen with Henry on board, after last season’s AFC championship game mismanagement.
CBS Sports: 7 (Last Week 4)
What the heck happened to that offense against the Steelers? Lamar Jackson actually looked human.
Sports Illustrated: 7 (Last week 4)
The Steelers absolutely severed Baltimore’s deep passing game. A lot has been said about Lamar Jackson’s record against the Steelers but I’d be more concerned about Jackson’s deep ball numbers over the last two weeks: vs. Pittsburgh: 0-for-3, CPOE: -32%; vs. Cincinnati: 0-for-4, CPOE: -41%. Compare that to Week 9 against a good Vance Joseph defense where Jackson was 3-of-3 on deep shots for a +41.4% CPOE. What has been uncovered that’s causing Jackson not to like what he’s seeing deep?
Sporting News: 8 (Last week 6)
The Ravens got their defense to improve, but it became an old-school defensive grind vs. the Steelers, which they weren’t as equipped to win on the road. Now, it’s an uphill battle to get a home playoff game.
New York Post: 8 (Last Week 3)
Lamar Jackson’s MVP bid took a big hit as he completed just 16 of 33 passes with one touchdown and ran for only 46 yards in the loss to the Steelers. The Ravens committed three turnovers and committed 12 penalties on the way to their season-low 16 points. The normally automatic Justin Tucker missed two field goals.
Pro Football Talk: 6 (Last week: 4)
The Ravens are fun to watch, winning or losing.
The 33rd Team: 7 (Last week: 4)
The Baltimore Ravens are exciting to watch most weeks because the duo of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry might be the best in football. However, the Ravens fail to do the little things well, and this shows when they play quality opponents. This is why they’ve struggled in the postseason in the last few years, and it’ll likely be the reason why they are playing on the road in Round 1 of the playoffs despite having an A+ roster.
Bleacher Report: 6 (Last week: 4)
The Ravens have spent much of the 2024 season moving the ball at will against opponents. They entered Week 11 with the NFL’s top offense. But the Steelers have long been a thorn in the Ravens side, and Sunday was no different. Pittsburgh’s defense held the Ravens over 100 yards below their season average. It limited them to just one touchdown. And the Steelers beat the ravens for the fourth time in five starts by Lamar Jackson against their most hated rivals
Fox Sports: 10 (Last week: 6)
If the Ravens can limit their turnovers, penalties and big plays allowed, they could vault to the top of the list as a potential title contender. However, the lack of attention to detail could squash Baltimore’s title hopes, with the self-inflicted mistakes proving costly in big games.
Sharp Football Analysis: 7 (Last week: 4)
The Ravens committed three turnovers in their game against the Steelers, breaking a streak of turnover-free games. Justin Tucker, usually reliable, missed two field goals in the loss, which is uncharacteristic and could be concerning if it becomes a trend. The offense, led by Lamar Jackson, has shown the ability to be devastatingly efficient but also inconsistent, something they need to address to make a deep playoff run.