After dominating Jacksonville, San Francisco, and Miami in consecutive weeks, the Baltimore Ravens seemed just like the dominant power everybody had been ready for all season. Overlook concerning the hiccup Saturday evening in opposition to Pittsburgh (minus Lamar Jackson), Baltimore is considered by many as the favourite to signify the AFC within the Tremendous Bowl. Regardless of current explosive performances in opposition to among the finest groups within the NFL, it’s nonetheless onerous to belief the Ravens based mostly on earlier postseason failures.
Since 2018, the Ravens have had one postseason victory, the lone playoff win in Jackson’s profession. In reality, 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 beneath head coach John Harbaugh over the previous 10 years, the Ravens don’t have a lot playoff success to point out for it.
This season Baltimore flew beneath the radar for fairly some time, as they’ve in earlier years. Most sports activities speak reveals outdoors of Maryland had been busy rambling on and on concerning 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 12 months, they’ve incessantly fallen down the record of speaking factors for many NFL pundits.
Baltimore has been quietly dominant however, whilst they’ve made their ascent up the mountain, Harbaugh’s group 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 lots 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.
Relating to successful on the street, the Ravens have been the perfect this 12 months — posting a 7-1 document. Baltimore additionally sports activities the perfect 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 probably the most well-balanced group within the NFL. The second loss to the Steelers in Week 18 wasn’t a very good look, however if you relaxation your celebrity 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 sensible alternative 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 wherein Jackson tossed the ball 59 instances enjoying from behind via the whole contest. Whereas Jackson was solely in his second 12 months as a professional, he was coming off an MVP marketing campaign — so to see the Ravens bounced in such a approach was stunning. That doesn’t imply the identical destiny awaits this time round, however it’s bought to be behind their minds. That loss looks like so way back, however we all know how historical past has a approach 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.
