NFL.com No. 15 No. 16 “Lamar Jackson had four sacks and Baltimore’s offensive scored only 17 points. But it was the team’s best performance since Jackson’s injury. The Ravens’ defense was outstanding, and Kyle Van Noy’s interception and Alohi Gillman’s touchdown return were the cherry on top. The Ravens prevented the Bengals from establishing any rhythm and achieved that classic Baltimorean equilibrium they’ve been seeking. Most importantly, Jackson looked just like Lamar Jackson. Baltimore inherently looked like a postseason team. The Ravens’ chances of making the playoffs will likely hinge on their Week 18 matchup with the Steelers. However, the Ravens still have two difficult games to play before then. Do not snooze just yet. “They can heat up quickly.” The Athletic No. 15 No. 21 “MVP: Derrick Henry. Baltimore doesn’t have many great candidates, which is why the Ravens still only have a.500 record after their win on Sunday. Henry did surpass 1,000 yards Sunday with 100 yards gained on only 11 carries. In seven of his eight previous seasons, he has exceeded the 1,000-yard milestone. Henry is the fifth-best rusher in history with 116 touchdowns. The Ringer No. 15 No. 18 Kansas City has been eliminated from the playoffs. Buffalo showed that New England can be slowed (at least temporarily) and the AFC South is going to have to take a beating in the next few weeks. Baltimore may not have cracked the top five teams in its conference, but the parity and injuries in the league give it a great chance to make the playoffs. “If the Ravens beat the Patriots this Sunday, many people will want to jump back on board the bandwagon. That includes me.” ESPN.com No. 15 No. 19 “Extension candidate: Quarterback Lamar Jackson. Baltimore’s priority is to reduce Jackson’s salary, which will skyrocket from $43.5m in 2025 up to $74.5m next year. Last offseason, the Ravens admitted that they held internal discussions regarding a new contract for Jackson who represents himself. What is required to secure a new deal? John Harbaugh, the coach, said in March that Lamar would be the highest paid player on football once he gets paid. I believe that he will be the highest-paid player in football for every contract he signs. This is likely to continue until he hangs up his cleats. FOX Sports No. 16 No. 21 “They’re down, up, in, out… who can figure out this team anymore?” Even if Lamar Jackson looks off, it’s still a good thing to shut out Joe Burrow and his Bengals. Sports Illustrated No. 15 No. 17 Since 2017, Ravens’ fans have never had to watch one week of football where Baltimore wasn’t in the playoffs. “Just think about that for a second.” USA Today No. 15 No. 19 “They won a game of football 24-0, but didn’t even have possession for 21 minutes?” It’s no wonder that we thought the team would win the Super Bowl.” CBS Sports No. 17 No. 20 The team that we saw beat the Bengals was the one we were expecting to see in this season. The Patriots are the next opponent. They must build on this with a strong performance. Pro Football Focus No. 8 No. 9 “Step One for the Ravens has been a great success. The offense performed better than ever in Week 15’s 24-0 win over the Bengals. They averaged 7.9 yards per game. Derrick Henry (70.8% grade, 29th) carried it 11 times for a total of 100 yards. Derrick Henry (70.8 grades; 29th), who received an overall PFF score of 81.9, was responsible for the damage. Defense, which had been slackened in 2025 was also better. Baltimore allowed a 38.2% rate of success while scoring a pick-six and shutting down the Bengals offense. The Ravens, now 7-7, are doing everything they can to get back in the race for AFC North.