Ravens Rising At Right Time In NFL Power Rankings

The Baltimore Ravens are hitting their stride when it matters most.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) rushes for a 48-yard touchdown against the Houston Texans in the third quarter at NRG Stadium. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The ability to peak at the right time is among the most important things for a team heading into the playoffs, and the Baltimore Ravens appear to be doing just that with their last three performances.

Across their three wins since the bye week, Baltimore has outscored the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans 100-33. The latest of which was a dominant 31-2 win over the Texans on Christmas, pushing Baltimore into first place in the AFC North and giving it a chance to win the division with a win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 18.

Jackson has been spectacular and will firmly be in the discussion to win the third MVP of his career. He's thrown for 665 yards and 10 touchdowns compared to just 1 interception and he's run for 174 yards and one score in Baltimore's last three games. Jackson has also set career highs with 39 passing touchdowns and 3,955 passing yards with one more game to play.

The Ravens' defense is also peaking at the right time and pitched a shutout against Houston. Across its last six games, Baltimore has allowed 16.33 points per game. Last season, the Ravens defense allowed a league-low 16.5 points per game.

Here's where the Ravens (11-5) stand across NFL power rankings heading into their Week 18 matchup against the Browns (3-13) on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET at M&T Bank Stadium.

Sports Illustrated: No. 6
Last week: No. 7

"Just look at this thread below and ask yourself: how are we going to coach our defensive line against the Ravens in the postseason? If we’re hyper aggressive, we’ll get trapped at every turn. If we sit back, Derrick Henry is going to run all over us anyway. Todd Monken can be so demoralizing to play against with this personnel."

NFL.com: No. 6
Last week: No. 7

"If the Ravens are the sixth best team in the NFL, as my ranking here indicates, we should be headed for a heck of a Divisional Round of the playoffs. Baltimore is as dangerous as anyone, and you don't need me explaining that. The Ravens haven't lost a bad game since before Halloween, and the late Week 14 bye seemed to give them a lift; they've topped the 31-point mark in all three games while allowing a total of 33 points over that span."

CBS Sports: No. 6
Last week: No. 7

"They went to Houston and crushed the Texans as Lamar Jackson continued to roll. He is squarely in the MVP race with an outstanding season."

Yahoo Sports: No. 6
Last week: No. 7

"Mark Andrews had a slow start to the season and maybe that was due to a car accident in August. Since Week 5, he has 554 yards and 10 touchdowns, catching 45 of 52 targets. That’s not peak Andrews production in terms of volume (other than the TDs) but he’s still a top tight end."

ESPN: No. 6
Last week: No. 6

"[Left tackle Ronnie] Stanley is scheduled to become a free agent after a solid rebound season. He ranks 12th in pass block win rate among tackles (92.8%), protecting the blind side of reigning MVP Lamar Jackson. He has shown he can be durable -- this is the first season of Stanley's nine-year career that he will play every game. After taking a pay cut last offseason, he should get an increase from his $7.5 million payout in 2024. The question for the Ravens is whether they feel the need to pay Stanley, considering Jackson's elusiveness."

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