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The Baltimore Ravens have taken most of the season to re-discover themselves amid a tough start to the year, but that doesn’t change the opinion some folks have about the team.
Though the Ravens have been upstaged most of the year by the likes of the Pittsburgh Steelers and resurgent Cleveland Browns, is it possible they are still the best team in the division? Many would say the answer to that question is an obvious no, but some aren’t sure.
Even in spite of losses, the Ravens could be the best team in the AFC North according to PFF analyst Steve Palazzolo. He dropped this bit of knowledge recently.
Such a take is bold considering the fact that the Ravens have lagged behind the competition not only in the AFC but within their own division as well. Still, the team has plenty of talent on offense and defense and could be rounding into form in a big way late in the season. It’s possible the Ravens miss the playoffs entirely, so they will be depending on things going right elsewhere in order to get in.
Still, that doesn’t change the fact that some like the direction they’re heading.
AFC North 2020 Results
It’s been an up and down year for the Ravens this season in the conference. They’ve swept Cleveland with a couple of big performances, but against Pittsburgh, Baltimore was narrowly defeated 28-24 and 19-15. The games were close, hard hitting and simply epic battles between the sides that mirrors plenty of what’s happened in the rivalry lately. Last season, the Ravens swept the Steelers with some close wins en-route to the AFC North title. This season, the shoe was on the other foot both times. Lately, the Steelers have struggled, but the irony is the Ravens will be depending on them to win a few games at the end of the season to get into playoff position.
Does this sound like the best team in the division? Not to some, but their play has been the hottest as of late in a stacked group.
Ravens Playoff Hopes Boosted With Late Surge
Baltimore’s dominating work the last few weeks has helped put them in position for a playoff birth, even as they remain on the outside looking in of the AFC conversation. Miami’s win over New England didn’t allow Baltimore to move up, and the Ravens will now have to hope the Dolphins slip up over the final two weeks of the season against either the Raiders or the Bills in order to allow them to sneak in with a pair of wins themselves. Miami owns a tiebreaker over Baltimore for the final playoff spot. The Ravens, however, might not need to worry about this if they are able to get some help from their NFC North foes the rest of the way.
The bottom line? This season, the AFC North is loaded with solid teams, and could manage to get three in the postseason if things break right. Who is the best of the bunch? It’s likely a matter of personal opinion, but after watching the Ravens recently, some think they are the easy answer.
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