The majority of national pundits believe the Baltimore Ravens are unquestionably one of the best teams in the league following a 30-23 win over the Washington Commanders where they bested their regional rivals in the Battle of the Beltway to improve to 4-2. Now, it’s time to see where the team lands in the NFL landscape of power rankings heading into Week 7.
Lamar Jackson is playing like he’s on his way to winning a third MVP award, with 766 yards of total offense in his past two contests. Jackson seems to have an answer for everything defenses throw at him right now, lighting it up in the pocket against the blitz, man coverage, or two-deep zone shells. His lone interception in the past two games bounced off the hands of tight end Mark Andrews, and Jackson’s been almost perfectly accurate when throwing to every level of the field. And with Derrick Henry in the backfield to do the heavy lifting in the run game, Jackson’s legs are used only when necessary, and that bodes well for this team’s long-term prospects.
Lamar Jackson is playing better than he was last season when he won the MVP award (second in the league in EPA per dropback), but Derrick Henry has been almost as good. A running back obviously will not win the league’s MVP award (it hasn’t happened since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006), but Henry’s first six games have been phenomenal. He’s averaging 117.3 yards per game, which would stand as the second-best rushing total for a season in the last 10 years, behind only his own 2020 season, according to TruMedia.
The Ravens have traditionally been a team guided by a north star of defense and special teams, but this offense has become virtually impossible to defend for merely mortal foes. During the current four-game win streak, the Ravens have averaged 33.5 points and 471.8 yards (including a rushing average of 224), dissecting division rivals, AFC contenders and non-conference opponents with the same measure of punishment. Sunday was also a positive step for both Zay Flowers, who has now stacked consecutive strong games after a slow start, and Mark Andrews. Although Lamar Jackson’s one interception Sunday went off Andrews’ hands in the first quarter, the veteran tight end responded with a touchdown and his best overall showing of the year. Defensively, Baltimore still has some holes, but no one is doubting this team anymore, with the 0-2 start a distant memory.
QB Lamar Jackson and RB Derrick Henry have the Ravens ranked as the No. 1 offense, and it will need to stay this dominant for Baltimore to make a championship run. The defense is struggling against the pass and giving up 24.8 points per game, the third most in team history after six games. The Ravens are 4-0 this season when they score 24 or more points. They are 0-2 when being held to 23 or fewer. The season rests on the productivity of the offense.
Lamar Jackson is now 449 yards from eclipsing Michael Vick’s career record (6,109) for rushing yards by a quarterback, meaning he should break it some time around Week 13. More immediately, Jackson can burnish his 22-1 mark against NFC teams, an interconference record .956 winning percentage since the conferences materialized in 1970, Monday night at Tampa Bay.
We love the NFL for its unpredictability, but it’s also fun when something turns out exactly the way we thought it might. In this case, it’s the incredible effect Derrick Henry has had in Baltimore. Not only has the perennial All-Pro turned the Ravens into the most devastating rushing attack in the league, but he has also helped Lamar Jackson unlock an even higher degree of efficiency — which is terrifying to think about.
It certainly wasn’t perfect, but the Baltimore Ravens took care of business and beat the red-hot Washington Commanders by a touchdown in Week 6. Baltimore has now won four straight games and easily could be 6-0 on the season if two plays went their way. The Ravens have struck gold with Derrick Henry, but now it’s time for their defense to step up. And it appears we saw flashes of that in Week 6.
Mark Andrews coming through with 66 yards and a touchdown might be the best news the Ravens had on Sunday. If they get Andrews going after a very slow start, that’s another dangerous piece to an offense that is looking unstoppable.
The Ravens have erased their 0-2 start from existence with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry making their offense hum. They also have adjusted for more efficient passing to minimize the damage from some shaky pass coverage. They remain the Chiefs’ biggest AFC threat.
Lamar Jackson is the leader for the MVP. That offense is rolling. The defense does need to be better.
What sold me on the Baltimore Ravens this year? On Derrick Henry’s first touchdown Sunday, the best block in the goal line situation was thrown by … Zay Flowers. This team is so bought into the system. It used to be an offense where some of the best skill position players wanted to stay away. Now it’s an offense where the skill position players eat and contribute to the core physicality.
The Ravens are rolling with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry as a great 1-2 punch. The defense is going to have to get better as the season gets deeper. At least they didn’t let Jayden Daniels devour them.
Isaiah Likely has made Mark Andrews an afterthought through six games. Likely is on pace to record a new career high in receptions per game and receiving yards per contest. His run blocking has also received praise, courtesy of PFF.
The Baltimore Ravens are rolling. After back-to-back losses to open the season, the Ravens have peeled off four straight wins. And there wasn’t much of the offense that wasn’t working Sunday against the Washington Commanders. Running back Derrick Henry had another big game—132 rushing yards and two scores on 24 carries. Quarterback Lamar Jackson eclipsed 300 passing yards. And wideout Zay Flowers had a day—132 yards and a score on nine catches
The Baltimore Ravens stumbled out of the gate, but with four straight wins, they deserve to be on the short list of Super Bowl favorites. The pass funnel defense is a major concern, especially with the offensive-minded Buccaneers up next on Monday night. This is a team positioned to repeat its regular-season success from last season, but its postseason fate won’t be any different from years past if it can’t iron out the secondary.
The Ravens’ (4-2) recent victory over the Commanders, coupled with strong performances from key players like Lamar Jackson, Zay Flowers, and Derrick Henry, indicates that they are a force to be reckoned with in the AFC. While there are still areas for improvement, particularly on the offensive line, the Ravens appear to be well-positioned for a strong playoff run if they can maintain their current level of play.
The Ravens vs. Bengals matchup was the game of the year. A 41-38 overtime victory over the Bengals keeps the Ravens’ winning streak alive. They overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to force OT then won it late on a Justin Tucker field goal. That’s now three wins in a row for a team starting to put it all together. Baltimore’s passing defense is atrocious and Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow annihilated them through the air all game. They could hardly stop him. However, even with Burrow playing near-perfectly, when it mattered most, the Ravens stepped up and made plays when they had to. Lamar Jackson continues to amaze and do the impossible. His late fourth-quarter touchdown pass to tight end Isaiah Likely broke play-by-play caller Kevin Harlan and subsequently the internet. Derrick Henry continues to run over anything and everything. Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews are finally starting to find their groove in the offense as well. Things are coming together. This is the team many thought they were coming into the season. It just took them a bit of time to get there.
Lamar Jackson is playing like an NFL MVP again. Playing with All-Pro running back Derrick Henry, we’re arguably seeing the best version of this Baltimore Ravens offense ever. Of course, we knew that before Week 6. What mattered from Sunday’s game is the turnaround from this Ravens defense. If you put the Ravens and Chiefs head to head right now on a neutral field, we’re taking Baltimore.
The Lamar Jackson-Derrick Henry combo is producing for Baltimore, which has won four straight. Henry has 119 carries for 704 yards and eight touchdowns this season.
They’ve got the best offense in football. The defense needs to step things up if they’re going to get to the Super Bowl.
