Former Steelers CB Calls Out Ravens Concerns

The Baltimore Ravens are a great team, but one with some undeniable flaws.

Sep 24, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson (20) celebrates after intercepting a pass against the Las Vegas Raiders in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

At their best, the Baltimore Ravens are one of the best and most dangerous teams in the entire league. The problem is, they aren't at their best all the time.

Yes, the highs are incredibly high, as the offense led by Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry is nearly unstoppable when firing at all cylinders. However, the lows are almost equally as low, and it's mostly the Ravens' own doing. Penalties and a porous pass defense (that seems to be improving lately) are just two of the team's biggest ailments, although others rear their ugly head from time to time as well.

As a result, the Ravens are a tricky team to figure out. Are they a team with a Super Bowl in their future? Or are they a team destined to flame out come January?

For former All-Pro defensive back Patrick Peterson, who spent last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Ravens are a Super Bowl hopeful, but they need to clean up their act to reach their full potential.

“I’m gonna go contender,” Peterson said on the "Off the Edge" podcast. “They’ve got a lot of questions on the defensive side of the ball but they’ve still got Lamar Jackson and King Henry. Hopefully, they find a way to use him better and more often. We’ll have to wait and see.”

“It’s very shocking to see their defense have these mistakes continue to pile on week after week, and in the closing, defining moments of games. That’s very alarming. Defensive coordinator Zach [Orr] has his work cut out. They’re underachieving right now.”

Currently, the Ravens are the sixth seed in the AFC with a 7-4 record. A win on Monday against the Los Angeles Chargers would bump them up to the fifth seed and put them just half a game behind Pittsburgh for the AFC North lead. Winning the division would be huge for them, as it ensures at least one home playoff game and possibly more depending on other results.

Before thinking about the postseason, though, the Ravens know they need to iron out their issues and become the best possible version of themselves.

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