Morning Coffee: Where do Ravens fit in crowded AFC playoff picture?

John and Jim Harbaugh are the only brothers to meet as head coaches in NFL history. Every time they square off, the younger brother walks away with a grin on his face after another win.

John improved to 3-0 head-to-head all-time against his brother Jim last night, as the Baltimore Ravens beat the Los Angeles Chargers 30-23 on Monday Night Football.

The Ravens trailed 10-0 early in the second quarter but overcame a deficit of 10 or more points to win for the fourth time this season. The four wins after trailing by 10 or more points is already the franchise record for the most such wins in a single season.

Led by running back Derrick Henry, Baltimore dominated Los Angeles on the ground with a 212-83 edge in total rushing yards in the victory.

Henry averaged 5.8 yards per carry for 140 yards on 24 rushing attempts. Justice Hill averaged 13.8 yards per carry for 55 yards on four attempts.

While critics will point towards a lack of consistency, the Ravens have now scored 30 or more points in seven of their previous nine games, going 7-2 over that stretch.

Baltimore is now just a half-game back of the rival Pittsburgh Steelers for the best record in the AFC North with five games remaining on their regular-season schedule.

While the Detroit Lions and the Philadelphia Eagles are clearly the class of the NFC, things are a little more complicated in the AFC.

Four teams have eight or more wins. Seven teams have seven or more wins.

Where do the Ravens rank among the Super Bowl contenders?

We should get a little more clarity on their outlook with a highly anticipated showdown against one of the NFC’s best coming up on NFL Sunday for Week 13.

This is the Morning Coffee for Tuesday Nov. 26, 2024.

Where do Ravens fit in crowded AFC playoff picture?

You don’t need to break down the film to recognize the Ravens’ biggest strength.

Anyone who watched last night’s win over the Chargers would have recognized what changed from the second quarter on as they rallied from an early 10-0 deficit.

Henry delivered three runs of 10 or more yards on the same drive to ignite the Baltimore rushing attack.

The Ravens outgained Los Angeles 212-83 on the ground. It’s the first time in Jim Harbaugh’s NFL coaching career that his team has allowed more than 200 rushing yards in one game.

It’s also the eighth team this season that Baltimore has outrushed its opponent by at least 100 yards – the second-highest mark through 12 games by any team in NFL history.

The fact that the Ravens finished with 212 rushing yards is that much more impressive when you consider both the opponent and the fact that Lamar Jackson was held to 15 rushing yards on eight attempts for an average of just 1.9 yards per carry.

Henry delivered his sixth game in a Baltimore uniform with 100 or more rushing yards, which is already the second-most in a season in franchise history.

Henry’s 552 rushing yards after contact are by far the most in the NFL this season. He trails only Saquon Barkley for the NFL rushing yards lead.  

Of course, Henry and Barkley will be in the spotlight once again this Sunday when the Ravens host the Eagles.

This is the first season in NFL history in which multiple players have rushed for 1,300 yards in their first 12 games with a team.

Those players will step on the same field Sunday in a showdown between two of the top five choices to win the Super Bowl at FanDuel in Baltimore and Philadelphia.

The Ravens are currently a 2.5-point home favourite.

Baltimore is currently +700 to win the Super Bowl at FanDuel – tied with the Buffalo Bills as the fourth choice. The Eagles are currently the third choice to win it all this season at +650.

Only the Lions (+300) and Kansas City Chiefs (+500) have shorter odds to win the Super Bowl entering Week 13.

We’ll get a better idea of where the Ravens should rank as a Super Bowl contender when they host Philadelphia on Sunday.

Baltimore gets a bye in Week 14, before closing out the season against the New York Giants, Steelers, Houston Texans, and the Cleveland Browns.

If they win on Sunday, could the Ravens run the table? Absolutely. They could also lose on Sunday and stumble down the stretch with a below .500 record over their final five games.

You don’t need to be a football expert to understand Baltimore’s biggest strengths.

It will be very interesting to see how they match up against another legitimate contender on Sunday, and whether they can play their best football down the stretch entering the postseason.

The AFC is absolutely loaded with the Chiefs, Ravens, Bills, Steelers, Chargers, and Texans all in the mix.

I have Baltimore as the second-best team in the AFC. They certainly have the potential to exceed rank that ranking when it matters the most in the playoffs.

Have a great day, everyone!