Ravens Stop Power Rankings Free Fall After Bengals Win

After avenging their Thanksgiving home letdown against the Cincinnati Bengals two weeks ago with a dominant shutout to snap a two-game losing skid, most national pundits continue to be more encouraged about the Baltimore Ravens than they were last week. The consensus belief is that they are trending in the right direction, with their MVP quarterback finally looking like his old self. Their lowest ranking is No. 17, and their most common is No. 15.

Now, it’s time to see where the team lands in the NFL landscape of power rankings heading into Week 16.

Sports Illustrated: 15 (Last week: 17)

"Since 2017, Ravens fans have not had to watch a single week of football in which Baltimore was not in playoff contention. Think about that for one second." - Conor Orr

ESPN: 15 (Last week: 19)

"Jackson's salary cap number skyrockets from $43.5 million in 2025 to $74.5 million next year, which makes reducing this hit the priority for Baltimore. The Ravens acknowledged last offseason that they had internal discussions about a new deal for Jackson, who represents himself. What will it take to get a new contract? Last March, coach John Harbaugh said, "When Lamar gets paid, he's going to be the highest-paid player in football, just like he was last time. I think every contract he signs, probably until he decides to hang up his cleats, he's going to be that guy." - Jamison Hensley

The Ringer: 15 (Last week: 18)

"Kansas City is eliminated from the playoffs, Buffalo just proved that New England’s offense can be slowed down (at least for a half), and the AFC South will have to beat up on itself in the coming weeks. Baltimore hasn’t even cracked the top five of the most impressive teams in the conference, but it still has a golden opportunity to make a deep run in the playoffs because of all the parity (and injuries) across the league. If the Ravens win against the Patriots on Sunday, there will be several people clamoring to get back on the bandwagon—including me." - Diante Lee

NFL.com: 15 (Last week: 16)

"Lamar Jackson took four sacks, and Baltimore's offense scored just 17 points, but it was arguably the team's most complete performance since before Jackson got hurt. The Ravens were outstanding defensively, with Kyle Van Noy's INT and Alohi Gilman's TD return the cherry on top. They kept the Bengals from getting into any kind of rhythm, achieving that classic Baltimorean balance they've always sought. And most importantly, Jackson looked like Lamar Jackson; inherently, Baltimore looked like a playoff team. The Ravens' postseason chances likely will hinge on the Week 18 showdown with the Steelers, but the Ravens have two tough games before that. Don't snooze on them just yet. They can heat up in a hurry." - Eric Edholm

Sporting News: 16 (Last week: 20)

"The Ravens are seeing the real Lamar Jackson again with his hamstring injury not bothering him. It also helps when Derrick Henry is rolling for chunk runs. They will hope they can still make amends for the Steelers loss in Week 14." -Vinnie Iyer