The long offseason has ended and Week 1 has arrived. But before the Baltimore Ravens face off against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football, the pre-Week 1 Power Rankings are here.
Disclaimer: I, Kyle Phoenix, loathe power rankings before games have been played. All power rankings are superficial and Ravens fans are notably uncaring for them. Over my years of consolidating them, fans grow tiresome of them. Wherever the Ravens are ranked, fans are annoyed cause it doesn’t matter. The only thing
that matters is when the Ravens are in the playoffs and can handle what they should have for years now.
This is me getting on my soapbox about power rankings in an area that matters: College Football.
Preseason rankings for College Football are ridiculous. No team should be ranked until the season begins. It only hurts teams before the season starts. Texas was ranked No. 1. Now they’re No. 6. Should they fall that far? Not enough? How would it differ if they were yet to be ranked? Same goes for teams like Utah, or BYU. They both made Top 25 (BYU via Coaches, Utah via AP). Maybe they’d be higher (or lower) depending upon the true outcomes of their respective games, not moving up or down because of preseason rankings based exclusively on their on-paper roster and regime.
Thank you for your time. Now, onto the Ravens’ Week 1 before-they’ve-played-a-game Power Rankings.
NFL.com: 2
“The Steelers have Aaron Rodgers, and the Bengals might be due for a bounce-back season, but the Ravens remain my clear favorites in the AFC North right now. Lamar Jackson has played at an MVP level in each of the past two seasons, and the Ravens weren’t as gutted — personnel-wise or in the coaching staff — as they often are in the offseason. Continuity will help Baltimore in its quest for a third straight division title, with the biggest changes arguably coming on special teams. The Ravens have 10 offensive starters back, as well as most of their defense, which performed at a higher level by the end of the 2024 season and still might have some room for improvement. If they get to the bye (Week 7) in decent shape, it should be another strong year.”
ESPN: 1
“This team has it all: an elite coach in John Harbaugh, perhaps the league’s best QB in two-time MVP Lamar Jackson, a terrific offensive supporting cast (led by RB Derrick Henry, WR Zay Flowers, TE Mark Andrews, OT Ronnie Stanley and C Tyler Linderbaum) and a terrific defense that returns 10 of its top 11 snap-getters from 2024 (including stars in S Kyle Hamilton, CB Marlon Humphrey, LB Roquan Smith and DT Nnamdi Madubuike). They also strengthened their secondary by signing cornerback Jaire Alexander.”
Sports Illustrated: 1
“If I had to evaluate an offense and a defense in totality, excluding any prior narratives the team has amassed, the Ravens would be the most sensible selection for the Super Bowl. Best defense over the final six weeks of the 2024 season. Second-best offense and second-best quarterback over the same stretch. In addition to that, you look at which team still has the most to grow in terms of potential ceiling and upside. The Ravens check all the boxes.”
The Athletic: 2
“You know what AFC defensive coordinators weren’t thinking? The Ravens need one more offensive weapon. Too bad, says Keaton Mitchell, who averaged 7.6 yards per carry in the preseason and showed the type of burst he had in 2023, before ACL and PCL injuries. Tight end Isaiah Likely (foot injury) is starting the season on the 53-man roster, but his status is murky.”
Yahoo! Sports: 2
“In Week 1, the Ravens play at the Bills, and in Week 4 they’re at the Kansas City Chiefs. Those two games will be massive in ultimately determining seeding in the AFC. Baltimore also faces the Lions in Week 3. The Ravens will be under a lot of pressure in September.”
The Ringer: 4
“You can make an argument that all three of the AFC’s top contenders should be tied in the rankings heading into Week 1. And one could make an even more compelling argument that Baltimore is the most talented of the Big Three. With two-time MVP Lamar Jackson in his prime, a still elite Derrick Henry, and the best defensive depth chart in football, all the necessary pieces are there. This offseason was about continuity and building on the foundation that Baltimore has built over the past couple of seasons. The Ravens should dominate again in the regular season, but it’ll be hard for them to leapfrog over rivals Buffalo and Kansas City until they do something convincing on the field this fall.”
The Sporting News: 3
“The Ravens will be right there trying to take down the Chiefs and Bills again with their two-time MVP, Lamar Jackson, coming off his best overall season. The Buffalo-Baltimore matchup will set the tone early.”
CBS Sports: 5
“Talent, talent and more talent. Now they just have to get it done in the playoffs. They will be a deep playoff team and should push for the Super Bowl.”
USA Today: 2
“Looking for a flaw here? They didn’t manage to get in on the Parsons sweepstakes, otherwise … The biggest issue facing Baltimore presently might be avoiding boredom in September and October − and the Ravens have been known to strike some easily avoidable early schedule potholes in past seasons.”
