Expert Analysis
12/31/23
7 min read
Where Do Ravens Rank Among NFL’s Best Teams in Recent Memory?
The Baltimore Ravens clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC and did so in convincing fashion. Six days after a blowout win against the 49ers in San Francisco, the Ravens followed it up with a 56-point performance against the Miami Dolphins in Week 17.
They have firmly established themselves as the best team in the conference and after their win in San Francisco, the top team in the NFL.
But just how good is this team compared to previous No. 1 seeds? And should the Ravens be considered the favorites to hoist the Lombardi Trophy this season? First, let's look at how good the Ravens have been this season.
Offense's Growth Mirrors Jackson's
Let’s start with their offense, which averages 29.5 points per game. Through 16 games, the Ravens have scored 473 points. That is the second-most in franchise history, only behind the 2019 Ravens (531). Heading into Week 18, they have a point differential of 210, which is No. 1 in the NFL.
They are among the best offenses in the NFL because of QB Lamar Jackson. The 2019 MVP will likely win the award again after a five-touchdown performance in Week 17.
Jackson’s numbers aren’t as gaudy as they were the last time he won the award, but he is a much better quarterback. Jackson still makes a bunch of plays with his legs, but his arm has made the Ravens so dangerous this season.
Jackson completes more throws to the middle of the field, stressing defenses even more than usual. He's also hitting more passes down the sideline, and the added weapons of Zay Flowers and Odell Beckham Jr. have made the Ravens' passing attack more respectable.
Baltimore has put even more on Jackson's shoulders. He has a career-high 457 passing attempts. That is already 56 more attempts than he's ever had in a season.
Jackson also has 148 rushing attempts, the most he’s had since 2020. That means that Jackson has had the ball in his hands more than 600 times in 16 games. And that’s been fantastic for the Ravens. They’ve allowed Jackson to fully run the offense and the team is much better for it.
Defense Is As Imposing As Ever
But as good as the offense has been, the defense is why you can make a case that the Ravens are as good as any team in the AFC over the past several seasons.
Baltimore has the NFL’s No. 1 scoring defense, allowing 16.4 points per game. But unlike other No. 1-ranked scoring defenses, the Ravens take the ball away at an absurd rate. Baltimore has forced a league-best 29 turnovers.
Baltimore is at the top of nearly every key statistic on defense. Here is just a quick rundown of where they rank in some important stats on that side of the ball:
| Category | Ranking | Number |
| Sacks | 1st | 57 |
| Takeaways | 1st | 29 |
| Def. Red Zone TD percentage | 2nd | 40.4% |
| Def. Red Zone Scoring percentage | 2nd | 80.9% |
| Def. Yards Per Game | 2nd | 302.1 |
| Def. Passing Yards Per Game | 2nd | 195.6 |
| Third Down Conversions Against | 7th | 36.2% |
Baltimore's defense gets a bunch of turnovers and it doesn’t let opponents score. The Ravens create pressure on quarterbacks and don't often let teams score touchdowns in the red zone. That's what an elite defense is in today's NFL.
Ranking Top Seeds Since 2018
There’s 10 No. 1 seeds, 11 if you include the 2023 Ravens. So if you were to stack up all 11 teams, where would these Ravens rank? Remember, we are looking at these teams going into the playoffs rather than how they fared in the postseason.
- 1. 2023 Baltimore Ravens (13-3)
- 2. 2019 Baltimore Ravens (14-2)
- 3. 2022 Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
- 4. 2019 San Francisco 49ers (13-3)
- 5. 2018 Kansas City Chiefs (12-4)
- 6. 2022 Kansas City Chiefs (14-3)
- 7. 2020 Kansas City Chiefs (14-2)
- 8. 2020 Green Bay Packers (13-3)
- 9. 2018 New Orleans Saints (13-3)
- 10. 2021 Green Bay Packers (13-4)
- 11. 2021 Tennessee Titans (12-5)
The 2022 Philadelphia Eagles are high on the list because they were so balanced on both sides of the ball, much like the Ravens. But the 2023 Ravens are a significantly better-coached team on both sides of the ball, and their defense just has more talent in the middle at linebacker and safety. The 2019 49ers and 2018 Kansas City Chiefs were better on offense than this current version of the Ravens, but their defenses aren’t comparable.
The Ravens are one of the rare teams to have a top-two offense AND a top-two defense. That just doesn't happen very often in the salary cap era. It especially doesn't happen for a team paying a quarterback a ton of money. But somehow, the Ravens have managed to pull it off.
To show how good they've been compared to other elite teams, here is how all of the No. 1 seeds over the last five years have finished in points per game and points allowed:
| Year (Conference) | Team | Off. Rank | Def. Rank |
| 2022 (AFC) | Chiefs | 1st | 16th |
| 2022 (NFC) | Eagles | 2nd | 8th |
| 2021 (AFC) | Titans | 15th | 6th |
| 2021 (NFC) | Packers | 10th | 14th |
| 2020 (AFC) | Chiefs | 6th | 10th |
| 2020 (NFC) | Packers | 1st | 13th |
| 2019 (AFC) | Ravens | 1st | 3rd |
| 2019 (NFC) | 49ers | 2nd | 8th |
| 2018 (AFC) | Chiefs | 1st | 24th |
| 2018 (NFC) | Saints | 3rd | 19th |
Of those 10 No. 1 seeds, the only one that is close to having the same scoring offense and scoring defense of the 2023 Ravens is the 2019 Ravens. Baltimore went 14-2 that season, averaging a whopping 33.2 PPG. Their defense was outstanding, giving up just 17.6 points per game. They outscored their opponents by 249 points, which was a franchise record (by nearly 100 points).
However, the 2023 team is better for several reasons. Jackson is just a much more well-rounded quarterback. He understands the game better, and Baltimore has designed an offense under offensive coordinator Todd Monken that can be successful in the regular season AND the postseason.
But don't dismiss the defense. Baltimore has built a defense that can stop the highest-scoring offenses in the league.
The Ravens have faced three of the top four offenses in the NFL this season (not including themselves) and have shut down all three opponents (49ers, Lions, Dolphins). In those three games, they've outscored their opponents 127-44. Under Mike McDonald, they have a fast, athletic defense that can match up against any style of offense.
Time to book flights to Las Vegas?
This doesn't mean that the Ravens are a lock to win the Super Bowl or even come out of the AFC. Weird things happen in the NFL playoffs, and the ball can bounce in funny ways. But the Ravens aren't a fluke.
This is legitimately one of the best teams we've seen over the past decade, and it can beat you in several ways. In addition, the Ravens have a future Hall of Fame kicker in Justin Tucker, one of the most clutch kickers in NFL history. It's hard to beat the Ravens when they are so good in all three phases of the game.
The road to the Super Bowl in the AFC will go through Baltimore. The Ravens only need to win two home games to reach the Super Bowl again, so it's hard to imagine them not doing it this season.
Plus, the AFC is weak, as a whole, outside of the Ravens, which should mean that they will have a pretty easy road to Las Vegas. It would be a massive shock if the Ravens weren't representing the AFC in the Super Bowl in February.
