In a matchup of the two top seeds in the AFC playoff race, the Baltimore Ravens proved that there’s definitely a gap between them and the rest of the AFC as we head into the playoffs. Sunday’s 56-19 dismantling of the Miami Dolphins comes on the heels of a huge 33-19 road win at the NFC’s No. 1 seed San Francisco 49ers.
The Ravens once again displayed that versatility in all three phases that’s made them the unquestioned best team in the league headed into the postseason.
It was the same theme for the Ravens when facing top competition this season; they’ve literally taken the opposing team apart piece by piece. In wins over the Lions, Seahawks, Jaguars, Niners and Dolphins, teams that were at least three games over .500, the Ravens have outscored them 185-54.
That’s an average score of 37 to 11 each outing, complete domination, and the reason the Charm City has the second-best odds to win next month’s Super Bowl in Las Vegas.
Jackson Likely Solidified MVP Win
After jumping to the forefront of the MVP race following Monday night’s win, Jackson went out and very likely wrapped up the award.
Jackson was masterful as he dissected the Dolphins defense to the tune of 18 of 21 for 321 yards and five touchdowns as he finished the game with a perfect QB rating of158.3.
It was Jackson’s third career perfect game, tying him with Tom Brady, Kurt Warner, Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger for the most in league history (min. 15 attempts).
For Jackson it was proof that he’s definitely gotten better as a passer. It’s exactly what first-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken set out to do when he arrived, and Jackson has responded.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh raved about his superstar QB in his postgame interview.
“I don’t know if I’ve seen a more impressive performance in a game,” Harbaugh said. “I’m not sure if I’ve seen a more impressive performance in a season to date. Obviously, we have a lot more to do.
To step up and play the way they have and to put an exclamation point on it — with a performance like this, pretty much a well-rounded, perfect performance like that after the opening bell.”
What’s Next For Ravens?
With the top seed in the AFC secured, next for the Ravens is Sunday’s season finale against the archrival Pittsburgh Steelers.
It’s very likely that Harbaugh sits his main guys and gives them rest until the divisional round of the playoffs. With the bye in hand the Ravens can now begin to mend some of those nagging injuries over the next three weeks.
Although many of the team’s fans would love to see Harbaugh play his starters next week in an effort to knock the Steelers out of the playoffs, it’s too risky and shouldn’t happen.
This is why you want to secure that top seed and the bye, to rest players and try to get as healthy as possible. It just so happened that the Ravens did it with a week left in the regular season.
