Experts think Ravens are ‘Super Bowl ready’
The Ravens are the third seed in the AFC, but they’ve been so dominant on both sides of the ball during their five-game winning streak that a growing number of experts think they’re primed for a run at the Super Bowl.
“The AFC may be loaded, but the Baltimore Ravens are in a unique position to make the Super Bowl, even with a road ahead to get there,” wrote Tyler Brooke of the 33rd team. “Baltimore made a statement in the AFC Wild Card, dominating its division rival with a 28-14 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Ravens set a franchise record with 299 rushing yards on 50 carries , an average of 6.0 yards per attempt.
“This kind of dominant performance makes the Ravens feel good about their position in a divisional game against the Buffalo Bills. Confidence helps, but it’s an elite level of complementary football on both sides of the ball that “The Ravens appear to be the most dangerous team in the league.”
A Ravens win against the Bills could set up an AFC championship rematch with the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs in Kansas City.
“The Ravens look like a team that performs well against both of these opponents on paper,” Brooke wrote. “The Ravens have faced both teams before, knocking out Buffalo in a 35-10 win in September and losing to the Kansas City Chiefs because of an Isaiah Likely toe out of bounds late in their game opening of the season.
“These games took place early in the year, when Baltimore was still trying to figure out its identity. Today, the Ravens are riding a five-game winning streak into the AFC Divisional Round with a surprisingly healthy roster , pending Pro Bowl status for wide receiver Zay Flowers.”
ESPN’s Mike Greenberg and Paul Hembo came away from Baltimore’s convincing win over the Steelers thinking the Ravens were going to win the Super Bowl.
“If they can run Derrick Henry like that and Lamar Jackson starts the running game, I don’t think anyone will beat them,” Greenberg said. “If I had to choose right now, betting an amount of money that matters to me on the only team that is going to win the Super Bowl, I would put it on Baltimore.”
Hembo said: “Me too. They’re the best team, at least when they’re playing their best. … When they’re playing their best, they’re totally unstoppable offensively. They’re also the best defense in the NFL at over the last two months.”
