The numbers say the Baltimore Ravens will win the AFC North
![PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 30: Tony Jefferson #23 of the Baltimore Ravens reacts after a defensive stop during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on September 30, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 30: Tony Jefferson #23 of the Baltimore Ravens reacts after a defensive stop during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on September 30, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Febonybird-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2017-2F07-2F1043889628-850x560-bfd9930c95adc02bf87f35a6e777f64a953429933302bab2afc66adca6674864.jpg)
The Ravens defense by the numbers vs. the Bengals defense by the numbers:
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The Ravens defense stands alone as the best defense in the National Football League. The Ravens have beaten a couple of struggling offenses (Bills, Titans) but they have also had some major tests. The Ravens took a short flurry from the Steelers, but tamed their offense for three quarters of the action. Baltimore dominated the Broncos. The Broncos may be 2-4, but they pushed the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams to the brink and almost pulled off two huge upsets. The Ravens win over Denver was one of quality.
There doesn’t seem to be a weakness of the Ravens defense. The Ravens defense has had exactly, one bad half of football. They struggled in the first half of the Bengals game, without Jimmy Smith and with C.J. Mosley leaving the game early. The Ravens are a bad circumstance away from being 5-1 and having a flawless start to the season defensively. The Ravens lead the league with 26 sacks as well. They just had a shutout win where they sacked a quarterback 11 times. The Ravens defense looks unbeatable.
The most impressive thing about the Ravens is that they haven’t given up a second half touchdown this season. The moral of the story is that the Ravens have a great group of defensive talent, Don Martindale calls a great game, and when he figures a team out he shuts them down completely. It’s almost a bad thing to have too much success against the Ravens defense in the first half, because it focuses Martindale on how to stop it in the second half. The Ravens defense is amazing. The Ravens win the battle of the defenses by default.