After a slightly shaky mid-season stretch, the Baltimore Ravens have won their second straight AFC North division title and enter the playoffs as arguably the hottest team in the NFL.
Despite not getting the first seed and home-field advantage this year, the Ravens might be in the best position to win the Super Bowl since Lamar Jackson's arrival. Don't let having to play that extra game fool you.
To be a little more dramatic, Baltimore is the team best suited to end the reign of the Kansas City Chiefs as kings of the NFL. There are many reasons why this is the case and of course, it starts with Jackson.
It's looking like this could be the Ravens' year
With all due respect to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen for his fine season, Jackson should be the MVP this year. Not only did he lead the league in touchdown-to-interception ratio but he also made history. He's the first quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards and rush for over 900 in the same season.
His evolution under offensive coordinator Todd Monken has made him even more dangerous than he was before and we all know you've got to have a quarterback if you want to win a Super Bowl. Jackson is obviously a huge part of what makes the Ravens’ offense so lethal, but Derrick Henry is pretty much just as big of a piece.
Henry demolished the idea that running backs fade away at 30, rushing for nearly 2,000 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also set a career-high in rushing yards per attempt. As the weather turns colder in the playoffs, a strong running game can keep your offense running and with Henry at the wheel, the convoy that is the Baltimore offense shows no signs of slowing down.
Of course, there's more to winning a Super Bowl than just scoring a ton of points. You have to stop your opponent from scoring too. After some ugly struggles earlier in the season, the Ravens' defense has come together at the perfect time.
No, this isn't the 2000 defense by any stretch of the imagination. However, Zach Orr's group deserves a ton of credit for going from a liability to an asset.
Since switching safeties in Week 11, the Ravens are first in scoring defense, total defense, pass defense, yards per play, and EPA. On tape, they're more fundamentally sound and it goes to show that having confidence in the back end of the defense can make all the difference to the entire unit.
They say “defense wins championships,” and the Ravens definitely have a group that can accomplish that goal.
Finally, the existence or belief in “momentum” is hotly debated around the NFL but no one can deny Baltimore's hot finish has put the league on notice. You hear a lot about being “the team no one wants to play right now” entering the playoffs, but the Ravens truly have that look. They won their final four games and none were close. They scored 30 in every game and the defense more than held their own.
Of course, anything can happen in the postseason and that's why the NFL playoffs are so great. That said, the Ravens are the best equipped to win it all in years. Throw in Kansas City’s close games this year and one would figure their luck in one-score games will eventually bite them.
It's all in front of the Ravens. Their march towards destiny starts in five days. To borrow the team's social media slogan, it's time to conquer all.