The latest power rankings following their Week 3 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
The majority of national pundits are back to believing the Baltimore Ravens are one of the top half of the league teams following a dramatic 28-25 win over the Dallas Cowboys where they avoided blowing another two-score lead in the fourth quarter improve to 1-2. Now, it’s time to see where the team lands in the NFL landscape of power rankings heading into Week 4.
The Ringer: 5 (Last week: 6)
Just once, I want to see the Ravens get a normal win. For three quarters on Sunday, they played exactly how you’d expect one of the NFL’s best teams to—they dominated Dallas on the ground and kept Micah Parsons from taking over the game against a leaky offensive line. Then, Justin Tucker missed a 46-yard field goal (he’s cooked, by the way), and a comedy of errors and penalties led Baltimore to nearly give the game away. It’s like the Ravens have never practiced closing out a game before. The rushing tandem of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry finally put the game to bed, but Baltimore’s most serious issues haven’t been fixed. A light schedule is coming in October, but this team hasn’t earned the right to relax yet.
NFL.com: 8 (Last week: 9)
For the first three quarters in Dallas, the Ravens looked like a team that read last week’s Power Rankings and still saw their name within spitting distance of the league’s heavyweights. Lamar Jackson was highly efficient, thanks in part to a great day from his pass catchers. Derrick Henry was mauling Cowboys defenders. It looked like 2023 for 45 minutes. And yes, the Ravens won. But Baltimore allowed 19 unanswered points in the final nine minutes to turn a laugher into a real sweat. The Ravens have now been outplayed and outscored in two straight fourth quarters, and that has to worry John Harbaugh because it has been a chronic issue for his teams. But the win likely saved Baltimore’s season. Since 1990, 0-3 teams have made the playoffs just 2.5 percent of the time, while 1-2 teams are 10 times more likely (25.1%) to earn a postseason bid.
ESPN: 12 (Last week: 13)
The three-time Pro Bowler has gone from being QB Lamar Jackson’s favorite target to a surprising nonfactor in the passing game. Andrews has been limited to six catches for 65 yards, both of which are his fewest three weeks into the season. It seems like the emergence of tight end Isaiah Likely has taken away some of Andrews’ targets, and the addition of running back Derrick Henry has removed some of Andrews’ red zone opportunities. On Sunday, the Ravens went with a run-heavy game plan, which resulted in Andrews not making a catch for the first time in 76 games.
Sports Illustrated: 12 (Last week: 14)
Strangely, every time the Ravens lose or almost lose, I seem to find more that I like about this team. On Sunday, that meant us finally seeing what the offense could do by riding Derrick Henry and giving him the kind of volume he normally requires to get warmed up and into the flow of a game. If Baltimore could combine their up-tempo style offense and quick game with Henry after they develop an early lead, this team could be a real AFC title game contender. As an aside, I’m very interested to see what John Harbaugh does to help Justin Tucker get his groove back. The two were clearly conversing at the end of the game, with Harbaugh trying to encourage Tucker to simply focus on the victory.
The Athletic: 14 (Last week: 17)
It seems like someone should have remembered he was on the team earlier. Sunday, he ran over the Cowboys, breaking 12 tackles and gaining 151 yards and scoring two touchdowns on 25 carries. Henry had 45 yards over expected, according to Next Gen Stats. Lamar Jackson threw only 15 passes (completing 12) and ran for 87 yards. Still, the Ravens gave up 19 answered points in the fourth quarter and almost blew another late lead.
Fox Sports: 5 (Last week: 8)
Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry working in tandem to the tune of 238 rushing yards was just as fun as we were hoping it would be. Granted, steamrolling the Dallas defense might not be overly difficult, but it was still nice to see Henry rumbling for the first time this year, with Lamar making all the right plays beside him.
USA Today: 7 (Last week: 9)
Lamar Jackson was great and the Ravens rolled to a big lead before they had to thwart a late Dallas charge. The outcome was never in doubt. One question that exists is Justin Tucker’s leg. He missed his lone chance at a field goal and is no longer the sure thing.
Yahoo Sports: 8 (Last week 7)
Mark Andrews’ usage continues to be odd. He ran four routes Sunday vs. the Cowboys with just one target, via Mike Clay of ESPN, and no catches. The Ravens didn’t throw it much, but when they did, Andrews was barely a part of that. It’s fair to wonder if he fully recovered from his broken fibula last season.
USA Today: 17 (Last week: 15)
Good week for Team Harbaugh. But though RB Derrick Henry seems to be dialing into the offense, the defense presents an odd dichotomy – the league’s best against the run and worst against the pass.
Sporting News: 8 (Last week 9)
The Ravens took it to the Cowboys with Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, and the running game, and they had enough defense to avoid blowing another late lead in Dallas. They are slowly rounding into their 2023 form.
Pro Football Talk: 14 (Last week: 14)
The Ravens should propose this rule change in March — reduce each game to 45 minutes.
The Score: 9 (Last week: 10)
The Ravens won’t be spending too much time celebrating their first win of the year. John Harbaugh’s team nearly blew a 28-6 lead in the fourth quarter against Dallas before hanging on.
The 33rd Team: 13 (Last week: 15)
The Baltimore Ravens needed a win in Week 3 to avoid a 0-3 start, and they got one in Dallas. They ran for 273 yards, and Lamar Jackson averaged 12.1 yards per passing attempt. Yet, the Cowboys managed to hang around and make the game tight after scoring 19 points in the fourth quarter. Baltimore has to figure out a way to be more effective in the fourth quarter after nearly blowing another double-digit point lead. But a win is a win, and the Ravens are moving back up the rankings.
Sharp Football Analysis: 8 (Last week: 9)
The Ravens secured a crucial 28-25 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, improving their record to 1-2 after starting the season with two losses. The team spread the ball around, with Lamar Jackson completing passes to seven different receivers in the first half alone. The emergence of players like Zay Flowers and Isaiah Likely provides additional options in the passing game, potentially reducing reliance on traditional go-to targets like Mark Andrews. The defense’s ability to hold off the Cowboys’ late surge demonstrates resilience, though allowing such a comeback attempt may be a point of concern.
CBS Sports: 13 (Last week: 15)
They beat the Cowboys behind their running game, but they sure did make it interesting in the second half. The defense has to tighten up.
Pro Football Network: 8 (Last week: 8)
The Ravens tried hard to blow Sunday’s game against the Cowboys, but they held on for a 28-25 victory in Dallas. Baltimore is built like a true contender and, with a shaky start in the rearview, is primed to go on a big run.
Bleacher Report: 15 (Last week: 14)
After falling in the season opener to the Kansas City Chiefs and then being stunned at home by the Raiders, there wasn’t a team in the NFL who needed a win more in Week 3 than the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens got that win—and they did so by getting back to what they do best. To say the Ravens went run-heavy against the Cowboys is an understatement—Baltimore ran the ball a whopping 45 times Sunday, including 25 carries for 151 yards and two scores from Derrick Henry in his best game as a Raven.
Fansided: 15 (Last week: 17)
The Baltimore Ravens are no longer winless! Phew. While there may not be a more self-sabotaging team when up by double-digits in the fourth quarter in the NFL, they still narrowly managed to escape with a 28-25 win. The final score was much closer than the game suggested. The Ravens took control of this game from their first drive and poured it on the Cowboys’ defense all afternoon. Running back Derrick Henry showed flashes of his old self running for 151 yards and two touchdowns. The team on the whole ran for 274 yards with three rushing touchdowns. The Henry/Lamar experiment worked for the first time and it worked wonderfully. The penalties are starting to rear their ugly heads, and Baltimore needs to play more disciplined football. However, they came away with a win on the road against a potential playoff team. There are still several question marks surrounding the eliteness and validity of this team, but they play Buffalo and Cincinnati in their next two games, so we won’t have to wait long for the answer. For now, we’ll take what we can get as we move on to the next one.
The Arizona Republic: 12 (Last week: 12)
We still think the Ravens will be right in the thick of the AFC Playoff race, and Derrick Henry (25 carries, 151 yards, two touchdowns) is a big reason why.
Sportsnaut: 12 (Last week: 18)
Pretty sure the Baltimore Ravens fan base didn’t need that for their health. Lamar Jackson and Co. utterly dominated Dallas for three quarters, coasting into the fourth with a 28-6 lead. Then, the Ravens seemingly forgot there was another 15 minutes left to play. Fortunately, Jackson and Henry’s 238 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns were just enough to escape Dallas with a victory. That game isn’t good for the heart, but it is the turnaround this Ravens’ season needed.