Observations from around the AFC North:
Baltimore
I had the Baltimore Ravens pegged as the third-best team in the AFC North for much of this season (at least before the Steelers' collapse), but their performance against Cincinnati shows they are for real. I have no problem eating crow on this, but the reason I was skeptical about the Ravens is their depth, which is subpar almost across the board. I saw the Ravens as similar to the Washington Redskins, who are very talented at the top of their roster but lack adequate replacements should the stars go down. The Redskins' stars have gone down but the Ravens' have not, and Baltimore's starters have been very impressive. With the ridiculous amount of injuries Baltimore had to deal with last year, the football gods could be evening things out this season and the Ravens aren't complaining. Obviously, the division title is theirs to lose at this point.
The Baltimore defense continues to get the ball in its hands and put exclamation points on the turnovers by scoring. The Ravens run some exotic defenses that no other team in the league will try, a true testament to defensive coordinators Rex Ryan and the level of playmakers the Ravens have on defense. The uncanny ability to score on defense is an outstanding weapon and certainly one of the biggest reasons for Baltimore's success.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
