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Another week and another shutout for the 2017 Ravens defense. The latest performance has launched them to the the number one spot in footballoutsiders.com's metric ranking of DVOA, which takes into account the situation and opponent.
DVOA measures not just yardage, but yardage towards a first down: Five yards on third-and-4 are worth more than five yards on first-and-10 and much more than five yards on third-and-12. Red zone plays are worth more than other plays. Performance is also adjusted for the quality of the opponent.
The last time a Ravens defense finished on top of the league was in 2011, under Chuck Pagano. That defense is looked at as the best of the John Harbaugh era. The 2017 version of it is coming into it's own. If performances continue trending upwards and if the defense can manage to shut down the better quarterbacks left on the schedule and lead the team through a playoff run, the question of 2017's defense being better than 2011's will become legitimate.