National Football League

Are Lamar Jackson, Ravens the Chiefs' biggest threat in the AFC?

Published Nov. 6, 2023 6:43 p.m. ET

While the NFL looks wide open at the midway point of the 2023 season, several of the usual suspects remain near the top — including last year's Super Bowl participants Philadelphia and Kansas City — but another team has emerged as a strong threat: Baltimore. Having notched several convincing wins over potential playoff contenders, the Ravens are tied for first in the AFC with a 7-2 record and aren't showing any signs of slowing down.

The Ravens' injury-marred 2021 and ensuing 2022 season weighed down by their standoff with QB Lamar Jackson over a contract extension are both firmly in the rearview mirror. Jackson is healthy and playing like an MVP candidate once again under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken. Meanwhile, Baltimore's defense is once again among the league's best. In typical Ravens fashion, they're getting key contributions from overlooked younger players, like 2020 seventh-round pick Geno Stone — the NFL's current interceptions leader — and seemingly refreshed veterans like Kyle Van Noy.

The Ravens have made the playoffs in four of past five seasons with Jackson as their primary starter, but they have only won one game with him under center. (Jackson missed last season's wild-card round loss to Cincinnati with a knee injury.)

That said, can they contend with the Chiefs for AFC supremacy?

It's a no-brainer if you ask the "Undisputed" crew, but Skip Bayless, Keyshawn Johnson and Richard Sherman all have different reasons why.

"I'm a defensive guy, so I'm gonna go with great defense," said Sherman, a former All-Pro cornerback. "The Ravens are getting to the quarterback. It's not pressures, it's not quarterback hits — it's sacks. They have 35 sacks on the season, and they're getting it from a plethora of guys. They have a great rotation."

Sherman shouted out Stone as well as perennial Pro Bowl cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who Sherman labeled as "consistently" one of the best corners in the league.

"I always trust defense over offense," Sherman added. "I think defense wins championships. If you can get to the quarterback consistently with a lot of different guys, you're gonna be a tough team to beat. And they're doing it at a historic. They haven't given up 10 touchdowns on the season yet. … You've got to give those guys a ton of credit."

Bayless, who picked the Ravens to win the Super Bowl before the season started, agreed with Sherman, pointing out how Baltimore dominated NFC playoff contenders like Detroit and Seattle within a three-week span. He also pointed out that Jackson and the team's running back depth deserve credit too.

"Baltimore has an overpowering, overwhelming, overarching defense that can just annihilate like they did to Seattle [on Sunday]," Bayless said. "Lamar is now leading the NFL in completion percentage — try that one on for size. Every time I look up, they find another back like the one they found undrafted out of East Carolina yesterday (Keaton Mitchell). … It's like an assembly line of backs for them. Every time I look up, there's another one, and they're pretty good."

To Bayless' point, the Ravens have the second-most rushing yards as a team in the NFL — despite losing top running back J.K. Dobbins to a torn Achilles in Week 1. Of course, a big part of that reason is Jackson's own ability to run the football.

"Baltimore is giving you so many looks on the offensive side of the ball," Johnson said. "Lamar Jackson can run, he can throw, they're starting to involve [Odell Beckham Jr.] a lot now. When you just start to look at the team, Todd Monken has come in and given them exactly what they wanted on the offensive side of the ball."

Baltimore's next test comes against division rival Cleveland, which boasts one of the best defenses in the league, on Sunday (1 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).

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