The Baltimore Ravens have reached an uncomfortable point in their season. A team with championship aspirations is coming off a disappointing divisional loss. Its starting quarterback remains day-to-day. Their schedule is about to get considerably more demanding.
The latest national power rankings reflect those concerns, even as outside evaluators continue to view Baltimore as one of the NFL's better teams. Four major outlets adjusted their assessments of the Ravens entering Week 7, with Baltimore falling in every ranking despite remaining in the top 10 in three of them.
The results illustrate the tension surrounding this team. Its overall talent still commands respect, but its recent performance has given analysts plenty of reasons to question its direction. Here's where the Ravens stand across four of the latest power rankings. There's still confidence in the collective, but a tough loss has been taken into consideration.
USA TODAY
Nate Davis moved Baltimore down two spots in USA TODAY's power rankings after its 13-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns. The ranking places the Ravens at 15, reflecting a setback for a team that entered the season with high expectations.
"Rookie TE Josh Cuevas comes off a big game, catching his first NFL TD and illustrating the boundlessness of Declan Doyle's offense."
FOX Sports
The Ravens fall three spots on FOX Sports this time, but they're still in the top ten. They're number nine, the highest-ranked team in the AFC North on this list.
"The Ravens should have run away from the Browns this past Sunday, only to lose 13-10 on a last-second field goal. Baltimore obviously isn't the same team when Lamar Jackson is on the sideline. Backup QB Ty Huntley led an excellent, game-opening touchdown drive, but basically did nothing the rest of the game after that. It feels like Jackson is close to a return, and boy do they need him, because the Bengals, Bills and Jaguars are up next. Without their leader, the Ravens won’t survive that."
CBS Sports
CBS Sports also places the Ravens in the top ten, at ten. Last week they were sixth, so the loss obviously hurt.
"They are now looking up to the Browns in the division. Yes, that's real. They need Lamar Jackson back badly."
ESPN
The Baltimore Ravens fall one spot from seven to eight in ESPN's ranking. Jamison Hensley lists their high number of penalties as their biggest concern and offers the following explanation.
"Baltimore's offense has been flagged an NFL-worst 31 times, with a bulk of the penalties coming from false starts (13) and holding (13). On Sunday, the Ravens were called for delay of game three times with backup quarterback Tyler Huntley, which led to a season-low 10 points. 'When you're fighting behind the sticks, it's hard to get in a rhythm,' offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten said Sunday. The Ravens have talked about trying to find that perfect balance of motions, shifts and cadences under first-year coordinator Declan Doyle to limit the pre-snap mistakes.
All four outlets moved the Ravens down after the loss to Cleveland, though the adjustment varied. The rankings suggest that national analysts still see enough talent on the roster to keep Baltimore among the league's more competitive teams.
The concerns are increasingly centered on execution, penalties, and the difference Lamar Jackson makes when he is available. The Ravens have a chance to respond against the Cincinnati Bengals, but they have little room for another frustrating performance. If Baltimore wants to climb back up the rankings, it will need to show that Sunday's loss was a setback it can learn from rather than a sign of deeper problems.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Power Rankings Roundup: Where do the Ravens stand entering Week 7?