Hunting in Silence

Over the last couple of weeks, the Ravens have re-established themselves as elite AFC contenders.

But no one is talking about them.

Go to any national sports media website or simply turn on your TV and flip to ESPN. The talking heads on First Take and all the pundits online are talking about the same few teams when discussing the playoffs. Kansas City. Buffalo. Philadelphia. Detroit. Occasionally, we hear something about the Steelers or the Vikings, but nowhere near as often. When it comes to the MVP race, it’s all about Josh Allen and Saquon Barkley.

That’s not to take away from those teams and players. They’re all good and deserve to be talked about.

What confuses me, however, is the lack of conversation surrounding Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.

Yes, this team has had its fair share of struggles throughout 2024. Losses to the Raiders and Browns, who have combined for just six wins on the year, don’t exactly spell out championship contender. And then there’s the game against the Eagles, where Baltimore simply looked outmatched against arguably the best team in the NFC. The 24-19 final score looks a lot closer than the game actually was.

So, yeah, the negativity and skepticism surrounding the Ravens is warranted. But, to make a truly fair evaluation of them, you simply can’t ignore the impressive resume they’ve built over the course of the season.

Baltimore snagged two important divisional wins against Cincinnati, who’s a lot better than their record (7-8) suggests. Those contests showed impressive resolve on behalf of the Ravens, who had to scratch and claw their way out of several multiple-score deficits to come away victorious. They completely dismantled the Denver Broncos, a probable Wild Card team that came into town red-hot only to leave quietly on the heels of a 41-10 loss. They took care of business on Monday Night Football in Los Angeles, capturing a 30-23 win against a good Chargers team. And they humbled the Bills in primetime, scoring five touchdowns and limiting a Buffalo offense led by the MVP frontrunner to just ten points.

Then there’s Saturday’s win against the Steelers. The narrative all week was that Lamar Jackson and the Ravens just couldn’t beat Pittsburgh. They put that storyline to bed with a convincing 34-17 win at the Bank, capped by Marlon Humphrey’s electric pick-six. Both sides of the ball were in rhythm when it counted, and Baltimore was able to salvage its hopes for the AFC North crown. And, with the Steelers needing to win out despite a tough road ahead (the Chiefs and Bengals), there’s a good chance that the Ravens can lock up the division for the second consecutive season.

This team is battle-tested. There’s no way around it. If they can win in Houston on Christmas Day (and I think they will), the Ravens will have beaten every single AFC playoff team except Kansas City—who they only lost to by a toe.

That does a lot for Baltimore’s confidence heading into a pivotal postseason. If things go the way I predict, the Ravens will face the Chargers in a Wild Card game at the Bank. If L.A. couldn’t beat them at SoFi, I doubt they can at the Bank. A win would, in all likelihood, send the Ravens to Orchard Park for a rematch with the Bills. This will be a tough one, no doubt, but I think a suspect Buffalo defense coupled with Baltimore’s smashmouth run game (which, by the way, thrives in the cold) gives the good guys the edge. If they can get out of upstate New York with a win, it’s back to the AFC Championship for the second straight year—this time, at Arrowhead.

I know that this is all hypothetical and that there’s still a lot of football left to be played, but I think the Ravens have a really good shot at finally advancing to the Super Bowl. A lot of comparisons have been made between this year and their 2012 campaign, and I have to say that I agree. I’ve been critical of this team’s chances all year, but it’s hard not to get excited about what’s possible. Having a late bye week makes all the difference in the world, and Baltimore has looked completely rejuvenated over the last two weeks. Ever since Zach Orr moved Kyle Hamilton back to play a more traditional safety role and benched Marcus Williams, the defense has been a top-5 unit in the league.

Ravens EPA allowed per dropback rank

Weeks 1-9: 28th
Weeks 10-16: 1st

— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) December 23, 2024

On the other side of the ball, the Ravens have the most punishing running back in football—especially in January—and a passing game with legitimate weapons. And at the helm of it all is Lamar Jackson, who’s been playing out of his mind throughout what’s been the best season of his career.

But no one is talking about this. Maybe that’s for the best. After all, it lets the Ravens do what they’d prefer to do anyway.

Hunt in silence.

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