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Crows prove their dismissal as The Super Bowl contenders were premature
The question posed by some pundits following the Ravens’ loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 1 was whether they should still be considered legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
After Baltimore’s resilient 24-10 victory over the Colts in Indianapolis on Sunday, the story has changed.
“The Ravens cannot be dismissed as one of the top contenders after making the most of their worst week possible,” wrote Childs Walker of the Baltimore Sun.
That week, All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley with a late-season ankle injury, All-Pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey tested positive for COVID-19 and several key defensive players missing training most of the week. Things got even darker on Sunday when All-Pro defensive end Calais Campbell left the game with a calf injury in the first set, and the offense was smothered in the first half.
The Ravens took control of the game in the second half, however, winning the battle on both sides of the ball and reaffirming their status as one of the best teams in the league.
“Many pundits appeared to nullify the Ravens’ chances in the AFC North after failing at home against the undefeated Steelers,” Walker wrote. “This loss, combined with their sudden eruption of high profile injuries and [Lamar] Jackson’s patchy performance marked them as a shooting star.
“After the Colts ‘win, which put the Ravens on a 12-game winning streak halfway through their schedule, pessimism looks like overreaction. By measures such as Football Outsiders’ point differential and DVOA, they’ve never stopped being one of the best in the league. “
Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com wrote: “Outside of the defending champions, there is still no team in either conference that I trust more.”
One of the main reasons Rosenthal is optimistic about the Ravens is their defense.
“I believe this group of Ravens defenders, ranked first in points allowed, are their best since Ray Lewis, Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs and Ed Reed have toured the country,” Rosenthal wrote. “The addition of Yannick Ngakoue gives defensive coordinator Don Martindale even more options when it comes to deploying his creative blitzes and excellent secondary coverage.
“The Baltimore defense has stifled contenders for AFC Pittsburgh and Indianapolis in successive weeks, Jackson’s turnovers against the Steelers being the only reason there is no full blast” The Ravens are back! “talk after their win over the Colts.”
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