A look at where the Baltimore Ravens land in the national power rankings.
The Baltimore Ravens were handed a Week 2 loss at the hands of the New Orleans Saints. After a strong Week 1 win, the team was humbled and showed again why they have had 15 fourth-quarter losses since 2019.
Baltimore has the makings of a contender, but they have also run into an issue that continues to rear its ugly head.
With their loss, here is where the Ravens sit in national power rankings.
NFL.com - No. 5
Per NFL.com's Nick Shook, the Ravens have dropped from No. 3 to No. 5, which is not a terrible fall by any means.
Shook points to how Baltimore was leading with ease through nearly three quarters of action, but the odd decision to move away from running back Derrick Henry cost them the win. Again, these are issues reminiscent of the John Harbaugh era, which is odd that they remain present under new head coach Jesse Minter.
Yahoo Sports - No. 7
Yahoo Sports has the Ravens dropping a similar amount, but from No. 3 to No. 7 in Week 2. One major component of the collapse that was mentioned was the loss of wide receiver Zay Flowers.
Flowers is dealing with a nagging hamstring injury, which led to his being sidelined. His absence was felt, despite Rashod Bateman having a strong game of 88 yards and one touchdown on seven receptions.
If Bateman can play again in a similar way when Flowers returns, the offense will be tough to dea with.
ESPN - No. 7
Similar to the other publications, ESPN has Baltimore dropping from No. 2 down to No. 7.
Longtime Ravens beat writer Jamison Hensley mentioned the pass protection leading to the loss, as the offensive line only boasted a 33 percent success rate. Quarterback Lamar Jackson was sacked three times, which ultimately led to their loss.
The Athletic - No. 13
The Athletic posted the biggest fall for the Ravens in the Week 3 Power Rankings, as they went from No. 5 down to No. 13.
The publication chose to focus a bit more on highlighted players, such as rookie linebacker Zion Young, who got more involved with three total tackles, and a mention of how well rookie guard Vega Ioane played.
Those are all well and good, but they did not lead to a victory.
The Verdict
The Ravens stumbled a bit, which is the usual expectation for a team that has a brand-new coaching staff, but those repeated issues cannot be ignored. The fourth-quarter collapses must be done away with, or Baltimore may find themselves in the same mess they were in in 2025.
Not having Flowers impacted the team, but he may be ready to play in Week 3 as will defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike and linebacker Teddye Buchanan. If all three return, this Ravens team will be more dangerous, on paper.
