4 reasons to consider Baltimore Ravens as Super Bowl favorites

The Baltimore Ravens hosted potential NFC contenders in two of the last three weeks, and they put together two straight dominant performances. While the team needs to get through the AFC to make the Super Bowl, the Ravens going 4-0 in their last four games has shown that this is a team that could be Super Bowl favorites. Here is why.

4. The Baltimore Ravens have an elite defense

As the games continue to go by, it is getting harder and harder to ignore just how good the Ravens' defense was. There was the argument that they had not played tough opponents, but they blew out the Lions and Seahawks. The Lions were a bit banged up, but the Seahawks had their full arsenal of weapons. It did not matter.

This defense is elite and does not have many holes. Still, they make up for a lot of their issues with the combination of Roquan Smith and Mike MacDonald. Between MacDonald being one of the best defensive play callers in the NFL and Smith being the quarterback who can not only execute his defense but also take it to the next level, the Ravens have the tandem that any elite defense needs.

Roquan Smith is elite, and so is Marlon Humphrey. Justin Madubuike and Kyle Hamilton are taking the step into that status of player. They have elite players at all layers of their defense. With Jadeveon Clowney, Michael Pierce, Patrick Queen, Geno Stone, and Brandon Stephens all having either the best years of their career or their best year in some time, this is a unit that has to be taken seriously. Defense wins championships, and the Ravens have the best.