Where do the Baltimore Ravens stand entering week 3 in the AFC?

After Thursday night’s game between the Houston Texans and the New England Patriots, there are four undefeated teams left in the AFC. The Patriots (3-0), Baltimore Ravens (2-0), Denver Broncos (2-0) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) are the only undefeated teams left in the conference.

It’s kind of fitting that the Ravens, Patriots, Steelers and Broncos are the only undefeated teams left in the AFC. Since 1997, all four teams have won at least two Super Bowls and the four teams combine for 11 Super Bowl trophies during that time frame. The Ravens have a playoff record of 5-5 against the Patriots, Steelers and Broncos combined during that time as well.

But right now, where do the Ravens stand among the undefeated teams in the AFC in 2016? Most would say that the Ravens rank last among the four as the team is coming off of a 5-11 season in 2015 which kind of puts a dent in the Ravens respect value at this point.

However, history says when the Ravens win games no matter how the team looks, the Ravens are team not to be taken lightly. The Ravens over the years have never really been a flashy team. The Ravens typically don’t win pretty. And that’s just the way the Ravens organization likes it.

The Ravens are as healthy as the team has been in quite some time. The Ravens haven’t really been this healthy since 2011 when you think about it. It is early and the Ravens are still trying to find its stride and that’s what teams want to do early on in the season. You don’t want to peak too early and fade as the season goes along. I think that is where the Ravens are at this point.

I just get the sense that people are reading too much into the Ravens 5-11 season last year. Last year wasn’t simply about the lack of production. It was about health as well. When you have your best players on the field, normally you win. That isn’t exactly rocket science. The Ravens just hope that opponents underestimate them as well.