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Rex Ryan: Baltimore Ravens Are Best Team in the NFL

Baltimore started 0-2 but now looks like a real Super Bowl contender.

Kyle Koster

Ryan believes the Baltimore Ravens are the class of the NFL.
Ryan believes the Baltimore Ravens are the class of the NFL. /
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It's a magical time for the NFL. The calendar has not yet flipped over to October and there is limited sample size so the sky can be falling for a particular franchise based on one game result. On the other hand, one convincing victory can catapult them to hallowed ground on the debate shows.

The Baltimore Ravens are a great example of this. After coming up just short against the Kansas City Chiefs in the season opener, John Harbaugh's team choked away a late lead and lost to the Las Vegas Raiders, who aren't particularly impressive.

Teams that start 0-2 usually don't fare so well in the long run so there was genuine concern about the Ravens, a legitimate Super Bowl contender. They've done nothing since then but look very much like world-beaters. They went into Dallas and pasted the Cowboys in Week 3, which was enough for ESPN's Rex Ryan to believe that the Ravens were the best team in the National Football League.

After Baltimore crushed Buffalo, 35-10, on Sunday night more and more people may be coming around to Ryan's viewpoint. And he took a bit of a victory lap on Get Up this morning.

"Here's what I know," said Ryan. "No team in the history of the National Football League in their first four weeks of the season have outgained their opponents by over 100 yards rushing in every single game. Are you kidding me?"

It is a special morning for ground-and-pound enthusiasts as Derrick Henry put up 199 yards to pace a rushing attack that accounted for 271 yards gained. And probably a nice one for those who had Ravens futures who maintained their diamond hands.

As for the argument, it's pretty reasonable. The Chiefs keep squeaking out wins and obviously Baltimore can play with them, even as the visiting team. Tonight's Seattle Seahawks-Detroit Lions tilt will go a long way in estbalishing some hierarchy and people have more time to consider the 4-0 Minnesota Vikings and Sam Darnold. It's fair to forecast that the Ravens' play is the most sustainable, especially as it gets later in the season and establishing a rushing attack takes on even more significance.

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Kyle Koster
KYLE KOSTER

Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.

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