The Baltimore Ravens emerged victorious in Week 9, beating the Indianapolis Colts 24-10 to pick up their sixth win of the season. Though not the prettiest or most complete win we’ve seen from this team, Baltimore showed a different side of themselves and it has some pretty excited about what’s coming next.
Mark Schofield of Touchdown Wire released his newest power rankings for the 2020 NFL season, and bumped the Ravens up one spot to No. 7. It’s not the biggest jump in the world but it stops a backward slide that saw Baltimore go from No. 1 all the way down the eighth.
Schofield specifically pointed to the Ravens’ offensive adjustments this week. He noted the offense came out sluggish to start with quarterback Lamar Jackson struggling. But a halftime adjustment to go more up-tempo against the Colts not only proved to be the winning strategy but has Schofield wondering if this “unlocked a new era for the Ravens offense.”
It’s worth noting that Jackson was a perfect 10-for-10 in the second half, helping Baltimore sustain drives with both his arms and legs. The Ravens went on to score 17 of their 24 points in the second half while the defense completely stymied Philip Rivers and Indianapolis’ offense.
With Jackson under center, Baltimore’s offense has often been viewed as a bit of a gimmick by some while others took it as an evoltion of the position and of offenses as a whole. Regardless of which side you fall on, adding a quick-paced attack to their arsenal is yet another thing opposing defenses have to gameplan for an potentially deal with in-game. And as we saw in Week 9, it might just be the thing the Ravens and Jackson need to do to get back into a rhythm and find success.
The next few weeks are crucial for Baltimore. Though they’re 6-2 right now, games against the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers could end up determining their playoff fate. At the least, those games will show just how capable the Ravens are.
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