The Baltimore Ravens continue to make arguments week after week as a powerhouse in the league and potential Super Bowl contender. The Houston Texans were no match for the home team as Baltimore took the lead early in the second quarter and never looked back.
Let’s look at three takeaways from the Ravens’ Week 11 win over the Texans.
1) The Ravens defense can stop anyone
In what was expected to be the rebuilt defense’s toughest challenge yet, this one wasn’t really even a contest. The Ravens set the tone early with a strip-sack of Deshaun Watson on the Texans’ first drive and, aside from some DeAndre Hopkins chain-movers early on, this game was a disaster for Houston’s offense.
The strength of Baltimore’s defense begins with its elite secondary. The Ravens were able to notch seven sacks on the day because of the outstanding play of its shutdown corners (the trio of Jimmy Smith, Marlon Humphrey, and Marcus Peters), forcing Watson to hold the ball far too long.
Aside from the outstanding play from the unit as a whole, the credit has to go to GM Eric DeCosta, whose midseason adjustments have turned this defense completely around. Paired with the way the league’s No. 1 offense is playing, the Ravens look virtually unstoppable.
2) Lamar Jackson is just as dangerous with his arm as his legs
“He’s inaccurate.”
“He can’t be a true pocket passer.”
“He’s not a quarterback.”
“All that flashy run-first stuff won’t last long.”
“Defenses will figure him out.”
These might have been solid takes a year ago, but anyone still uttering them now simply hasn’t watched what Jackson has been doing. He’s proved each wrong with each week en route to consideration for the NFL’s MVP award.
Houston may have still believed some of these things coming into Baltimore, but they were sorely mistaken. Yes, Jackson can do some serious damage with his feet, but he can kill opposing teams with his arm too. His first two touchdown throws of the day were things of beauty, being placed where only the receiver could make a play.
Jackson has taken every criticism and worked to become a better passer. That dedication has paid off dividends this season with far better vision, footwork and accuracy than we saw from Jackson as a rookie. And perhaps that’s what makes him more dangerous than any other QB — there is literally no stopping him with the “pick your poison” mentality the Ravens offense is now capable of.
3) The Ravens are the best team in the NFL
Their Week 4 loss to the Cleveland Browns seems like a lifetime ago, and in the NFL, it kind of is. But perhaps that’s exactly what this season’s iteration of the Ravens needed. Since then, they have gone undefeated, shutting down some of the best teams in the league with suffocating defense and an electric offense that is capable of backbreaking drives.
I’m not sure how much more I need to hear. The case may be closed. Court adjourned. Baltimore is now officially the best team in the NFL at this point.
The Ravens feature the No. 1 offense and a stout and steadily improving defense. Week in and week out, the Ravens have truly looked unstoppable since Week 6. They’ve beaten three of the better teams in the league — the Seahawks, Patriots and now the Texans. And not just with last-second field goals and lucky breaks. These games were won handily by a combined score of 108-43.
Sure, there are several games left on the schedule, including premier matchups against the Rams and the 49ers over the next two weeks. But is anyone going to consider Baltimore underdogs in them?
I’m not.
Sure, the league changes week to week and I’ve half-expected the Ravens to show some cracks. But barring some huge setback in the coming weeks, I don’t feel any team has what it takes to beat these Ravens. They only seem to be getting better, and Jackson is leading that charge.
Maybe a small part of me is still expecting a “wake-up” game to come, but as the weeks roll by, it seems less and less likely. And maybe that will be the way of things all the way to February and the Lombardi Trophy.
