Ravens Stand Pat In NFL Power Rankings Ahead Of Steelers Clash

The Baltimore Ravens handled their business out of the bye week with a 35-14 win over the New York Giants.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson delivered another MVP-like performance, completing 21 of 25 passes for 290 yards and five touchdowns in the 21-point victory. He also ran for 65 yards and the Baltimore offense was uberly effective on third down, converting on 9 of its 11 attempts.

Ravens receivers Rashod Bateman and Devontez Walker turned in career days against New York. Bateman had 3 catches for 80 yards and 2 touchdowns, giving him the first multi-touchdown performance of his career. Walker caught the first pass of his NFL career against the Giants, which was a 21-yard touchdown.

Now, the Ravens (9-5) will set their sights on the pivotal divisional clash against the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4) on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET at M&T Bank Stadium. With a win, Baltimore moves into a tie for first place in the AFC North. A loss would mean the Steelers clinch the division and ensure the Ravens have to go on the road to begin the playoffs if they clinch a postseason berth.

Here’s where Baltimore stands heading into its Week 16 clash against the Steelers.

NFL.com: No. 7
Last week: No. 8

“There was a brief moment in the second quarter when New York cut Baltimore’s lead to 14-7, evoking flashbacks of losses to the Raiders and Browns earlier this season. Such thoughts were quickly dispelled. The Giants are not a good team, and the Ravens very much are one, even if their weekly knack for racking up penalties is becoming a bit silly. That’s really the one obvious thing, outside of a rare Lamar Jackson dud, that could stop this group in the playoffs. Derrick Henry had a light game, work-wise, and Baltimore still rolled.”

ESPN: No. 8
Last week: No. 8

“The Ravens’ secondary turned its season around by dropping strong safety Kyle Hamilton deeper into coverage, replacing free safety Marcus Williams with Ar’Darius Washington and getting a boost from Marlon Humphrey at nickel. This has made a dramatic difference for a defense that allowed 29 pass plays of 25 yards or more in the first 10 weeks of the season, the most in the NFL. The Ravens have given up three pass plays of 25 yards or more over the past five weeks, which is tied for the fewest in the league.”

Yahoo Sports: No. 8
Last week: No. 8

It’s probably nothing to worry about, but Derrick Henry has been quiet the past two games, with 33 carries for 149 and no touchdowns. That’s still a healthy 4.5-yard average, but way down from his 6 yards per carry in the 12 games before. Henry is about to turn 31 years old, so it’s worth noting.

CBS Sports: No. 8
Last week: No. 8

“They came out of their bye with an impressive beatdown of the Giants. Now comes a monster divisional game with the Steelers.”

Sports Illustrated: No. 8
Last week: No. 7

“I’m not sure there’s much you can glean from this one save for the fact that Baltimore is clearly better than the Giants. This week, facing Pittsburgh for the second time in six weeks and with the Steelers coming off a gutting loss to the Eagles, is where we decide how to position Baltimore for the stretch run of the season.”

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