After dominating Jacksonville, San Francisco, and Miami in consecutive weeks, the Baltimore Ravens appeared just like the dominant drive everybody had been ready for all season. Neglect in regards to the hiccup Saturday night time towards Pittsburgh (minus Lamar Jackson), Baltimore is seen by many as the favourite to signify the AFC within the Tremendous Bowl. Regardless of latest explosive performances towards a number of the greatest groups within the NFL, it’s nonetheless laborious to belief the Ravens primarily based on earlier postseason failures.
Since 2018, the Ravens have had one postseason victory, the lone playoff win in Jackson’s profession. Actually, this franchise has only one different postseason win since hoisting their second Lombardi trophy over a decade in the past. Whereas they’ve been persistently within the combine below head coach John Harbaugh over the previous 10 years, the Ravens don’t have a lot playoff success to indicate for it.
This season Baltimore flew below the radar for fairly some time, as they’ve in earlier years. Most sports activities discuss exhibits outdoors of Maryland had been busy rambling on and on in regards to the Dolphins, Payments, and Chiefs. All good groups in their very own proper and Kansas Metropolis are the defending champs. Nevertheless, as regular as this Ravens squad has been all yr, they’ve ceaselessly fallen down the record of speaking factors for many NFL pundits.
Baltimore has been quietly dominant however, at the same time as they’ve made their ascent up the mountain, Harbaugh’s workforce has nonetheless been overshadowed by groups just like the 49ers, Cowboys, and Eagles. That’s till a few weeks in the past once they put a particular Christmas butt whooping on San Francisco. The ultimate rating in that sport (33-19) made it appear quite a bit nearer than it was. Baltimore went on the market with one thing to show and beat down most individuals’s favourite (to that time) in their very own stadium.
On the subject of profitable on the street, the Ravens have been the most effective this yr — posting a 7-1 document. Baltimore additionally sports activities the most effective level differential within the league (+203) and ranks first in factors allowed on protection and fourth in factors scored on offense. The Ravens are arguably essentially the most well-balanced workforce within the NFL. The second loss to the Steelers in Week 18 wasn’t an excellent look, however while you relaxation your famous person quarterback that’s the most important shock on the planet.
Having already locked up home-field benefit, which left coach Harbaugh with a choice, and he selected to go for Jackson to relaxation. And searching again at Jackson’s historical past of lacking video games late within the season over the previous few years, that appears just like the clever selection proper now. The final time the Ravens completed atop the AFC within the common season they confirmed up within the divisional spherical and had been upset by the Titans, 28-12.
That was a sport through which Jackson tossed the ball 59 occasions enjoying from behind by the complete contest. Whereas Jackson was solely in his second yr as a professional, he was coming off an MVP marketing campaign — so to see the Ravens bounced in such a manner was stunning. That doesn’t imply the identical destiny awaits this time round, but it surely’s bought to be behind their minds. That loss appears like so way back, however we all know how historical past has a manner of repeating itself. It’s as much as the Ravens to take away all doubt and show to the world they need to be the favourite within the AFC.