[jwplayer cfZzcYxP-ThvAeFxT]

After beating up on the Houston Texans 41-7 in Week 11, the Ravens have firmly announced they are the best team in the NFL right now and it’s not even close.

In a game against an opponent leading their division and sitting in the third seed in the AFC playoff picture coming off a bye week, Baltimore didn’t flinch. They pressured Deshaun Watson — an MVP-contending quarterback — all game long, forcing him into big mistakes. They locked down the then-No. 8-ranked scoring offense to just seven points, which came in garbage time. They ran over and around the Texans’ third-ranked rush defense to the tune of 263 yards and a touchdown — more than the entire Texans offense put up. Quarterback Lamar Jackson continued to make his case for the NFL’s MVP award with a 70.8% completion rate, 222 yards, four touchdown passes and no interceptions, proving he’s just as deadly through the air as with his legs.

For Houston, this was a complete embarrassment and proved they’re nowhere near Baltimore’s level. But the Texans aren’t alone there this season.

The Ravens have dismantled three of the best teams in the NFL over their last four games. They’ve made the Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots and now Houston look unprepared, incapable and downright silly, beating them by a combined 108-43. Now keep in mind that those three teams were considered real Super Bowl contenders before getting on a field with Baltimore. And yet the Ravens beat all three teams in the exact same fashion, looking better each week along the way.

The offense is physical yet capable of explosive plays. They’ve punched defenses in the mouth on the ground, even when everyone knows the run is coming. They’ve created mismatches through the air and raced by defenders for huge plays. They’ve used misdirection as an art form.

Jackson has been a huge part of that, earning serious talk as the NFL’s MVP this season. He’s gone 185-of-279 (66.3%) for 2,258 passing yards and nearly a 4-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He’s added another 788 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. He’s likely on his way to his third consecutive AFC Offensive Player of the Week award.

But the defense has been the icing on the cake. The midseason additions of impact players like cornerback Marcus Peters and linebacker Josh Bynes have turned this defense around completely. After it started the season looking unorganized, confused and just plain bad, there’s a case to be made that it’s now the best defense in the league.

The Ravens are generating a potent pass rush in spite of not having a star pass rusher or enough depth at outside linebacker. They’ve been locking down some of the better receivers in the NFL, with Watson, Russell Wilson and Tom Brady throwing for an average of just 206 yards. At the very least, the Baltimore defense should be considered the most dangerous in the league; it’s notched nine takeaways over the last four games, including five returned for touchdowns. Regardless of what their opponents do well offensively, Baltimore has shut that exact thing down.

What’s the final and perhaps the best argument is that with how young and new the roster still is, this is a team that should actually continue to improve in the final six weeks. As guys like Peters and Bynes get more acclimated to the playbook and their defensive teammates, they should steadily improve their play. Jackson continues to improve each week, both in his awareness and as a passer. The coaching somehow gets better each week as well, with silly mistakes quickly getting eliminated.

With yet another playoff contender checked off their schedule, the Ravens have looked unstoppable over the last four games and seem to be picking up speed with each win.

[vertical-gallery id=37274]