Ravens Get Below-Average Midseason Grade But Are Still Popular Pick to Win AFC North
With the season at the midpoint, pundits are looking at the current state of teams and how the second half could play out.
Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame issued midseason report cards and gave the Ravens a "D."
"This has been a bizarre year for Baltimore," Verderame wrote. "One of the Super Bowl favorites coming in, the Ravens started 1–5 thanks to a horrific defense that allowed 32.3 points per game during that stretch. Lamar Jackson also missed three games with a hamstring injury.
"However, the Ravens are headed in the right direction, beating the Bears and Dolphins in consecutive games while allowing just 22 points combined. Things have been ugly so far, but fortunes could be turning."
NFL.com’s panel of analysts also believes the Ravens are on the right path. Even though the Ravens (3-5) trail the first-place Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3) by two games in the AFC North, 22 of 25 NFL.com analysts predicted the Ravens will win the division. The three other voters went with the Steelers.
Add ESPN’s Dan Graziano to those who are bullish on Baltimore.
"I'm confident the Ravens will run down Pittsburgh and win the AFC North in spite of their terrible start to the season," Graziano wrote.
ESPN’s Football Power Index, which is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team's performance going forward for the rest of the season, has the Ravens ranked as the eighth-best team in the league. That puts them ahead of teams such as the Denver Broncos (7-2), New England Patriots (7-2), Seattle Seahawks (6-2), and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2). The Steelers are 17th.