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Elliot Harrison recently updated his preseason power rankings and the Baltimore Ravens still stand above half the league, though they dropped a single spot for. . . no apparent reason?
#15.) Baltimore Ravens
Previous rank: No. 14
The early word out of Ravens camp was that the passing offense felt a bit more 2018-ish and not so 1968-ish. Wide receiver had persisted in being a black hole for this team since Anquan Boldin left town, a spacey void that only Matthew McConaughey could find his way out of ... so enter Michael Crabtree (with chain) and John Brown. One has been known to make plays around the end zone, while the other has been the deep dish in Bruce Arians’ attack in Arizona. Both must contribute. Though confidence in rookie tight end Hayden Hurst is high, that position might not be as much of a productive crutch as it was last season, with Ben Watson now in New Orleans.
There isn’t a clear reason why Harrison dropped the Charm City franchise down a single peg, but the difference between 14 or 15 isn’t anything to complain about.
The Ravens offense held them back last season, ranking 29th in the NFL. If they can prove the plays made in camp are capable of scoring in the regular season, the team will be just fine.
Comparing this to their AFC North foes, the Ravens are in fair territory:
- Pittsburgh Steelers — 9
- Baltimore Ravens — 15
- Cincinnati Bengals — 27
- Cleveland Browns — 31
This feels fair with the star-studded Steelers offense placing in the bottom of the top-ten, while both the Bengals and Browns sit further down the list from Baltimore. Regardless, all four teams have the potential to beat their rivals and, as we know, no win is guaranteed in the AFC North. With A.J. Green’s wizardry to score at-will against the Ravens defense and the Browns additions, no game in this division will be a cakewalk.