What Pundits Expect in Ravens-Browns Game

NFL.com analysts and The Ringer’s NFL staff have made their midseason Super Bowl predictions. Not surprisingly, the Ravens received their share of votes to either win it all or at least represent the AFC. Here’s the breakdown:

NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha: “Lamar Jackson gets that much-coveted Super Bowl win with the help of an elite defense that frustrates Jalen Hurts in his second straight bid for a championship.”

NFL.com’s Marc Ross: “Lamar Jackson has prompted me to flip my preseason pick. He erases all doubts about past postseason failures when he wins the regular-season and Super Bowl MVPs — a year after Patrick Mahomes accomplished that feat. Beyond Lamar’s heroics, the Ravens’ defense holds up its end of the bargain by stifling Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown.”

The Ringer’s Nora Princiotti: “Baltimore’s latest pair of 30-plus-point victories against NFC contenders shows how dominant this team can be, and the Ravens look balanced enough to make it all the way — they’re currently plus-115 in net points, best in the league by a wide margin. The defense is not just the best in the NFL, but also good enough to be drawing historical comparisons to the 2000 Ravens, an elite unit that played in an era when it was basically legal to give a quarterback a swirlie at midfield. The offense has proved that spreading out and passing the ball more won’t diminish the advantages of the run game and Lamar Jackson’s mobility. And Jackson leads the league in both completion percentage and rushing yards per game among quarterbacks. It’s hard to pick anyone other than Kansas City coming out of the AFC, but the eye test says that the Ravens are a better football team right now.”

The Ringer’s Ben Solak: “The AFC is going to be an absolute bloodbath this year, and I can’t imagine feeling confident in any AFC champion pick at this time. Accordingly, I’ll pick the team I’ve enjoyed rooting for the most: That’s the Baltimore Ravens, who have finally built a functional passing game led by Jackson and paired that offense with a versatile, suffocating defense. Nobody has played better ball through nine weeks than the Ravens. Why not them?”

NFL.com’s Keegan Abdoo: “John Harbaugh takes home his second Lombardi Trophy with the best coordinator duo in the NFL and the league MVP.”

Nick Shook: “Philadelphia returns to football’s biggest stage with a team that had to work harder to get there. The seasoning proves well worth it, as the Eagles find a way to shut down Lamar Jackson and Co., bringing home the title that eluded them a season ago.”

Brendan Walker: “Jalen Hurts defies all odds and repeats his MVP-caliber Super Bowl performance from a year ago, this time out-dueling Lamar Jackson.”

The Ringer’s Danny Kelly: “The Eagles are the league’s most deep and talented team from top to bottom and just have too many advantages over their opponents, in both personnel and scheme. With a strong offensive line and a uniquely talented quarterback in Jalen Hurts, the tush push essentially changes the math for Philly, giving the team an extra down with which to work—both in short-yardage situations and near the goal line. It also helps to have A.J. Brown as a near-automatic ball winner downfield, and DeVonta Smith is one of the best no. 2 receivers in the league. Plus, they’ve still got a great rotation of pass rushers that can help them close out games. Put it all together, and this squad is built to win it all.”

The Ringer’s Danny Heifetz: “Every Eagles series is first-and-9. As long as they keep converting the tush push at roughly the same rate that Steph Curry makes free throws (better than 90 percent), they are the favorite in a weak NFC. It’s hard to pick against a team for which fourth-and-1 doesn’t feel dramatic.”

NFL.com’s Brooke Cersosimo: “There’s no blackout this time around. With George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey leading Kyle Shanahan’s offense, it’s neck-and-neck the whole way until the 49ers’ defense makes one final stop — via a shoestring tackle of Lamar Jackson just short of the end zone — to give San Francisco its sixth Lombardi Trophy.”

NFL.com’s Eric Edholm: “Losers of three straight games at the moment, the struggling 49ers can be Super Bowl contenders again if Brock Purdy and the defense tighten up. In a crowded AFC field, Lamar Jackson could be the X-factor on that side of the tournament bracket.”

Not only is the AFC North the best division in football though nine weeks, but it could end up being historically good.

Every team in the division is at least two games over .500, which marks the first time that’s happened this late in the season since the divisions were realigned in 2002, according to Breech. If the season ended today, all four teams would make the playoffs, which is unprecedented.

The Ravens are in the driver’s seat, as they hold a 1.5-game lead over the Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, and Pittsburgh Steelers, who are all 5-3.

The Baltimore Sun’s Childs Walker looked at the prospects for each of the Ravens’ division rivals going forward. Here’s a synopsis:

“The Browns’ upside as a Super Bowl contender took a severe hit when their best offensive player, running back Nick Chubb, suffered a season-ending knee injury. Watson’s shoulder pain left them with one of the league’s worst offenses, but their defense is such a potent anchor that they’re in excellent position, with a 62% chance to make the playoffs, according to both The New York Times’ projection system and Aaron Schatz’s DVOA featured on FTN Fantasy.”

“The Bengals proved last year they could overcome a messy start to make a deep playoff run and appear on track for another in-season recovery. Their defense is nothing special compared with the Browns or the Ravens, but a healthy Joe Burrow is one of the scariest opponents in the league. The New York Times puts their chance to make the playoffs at 69%, while Schatz’s DVOA has them at 59.4%.”

“The Steelers put themselves in position to chase a playoff berth with close wins over the Ravens and Browns but still have to take their unremarkable offense to Cleveland, Cincinnati and Baltimore. Their minus-30 point differential is the worst in the division, and The New York Times puts their chance to make the postseason at 44%, while Schatz’s DVOA has them at 54%.”