Why Lamar Jackson, Ravens thrive against NFL’s best
More Teams. More Games.
Pat McAfee explains why he was impressed by how the Ravens played against the 49ers. (1:53)
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The Baltimore Ravens are more than the team with the best record in the NFL. The Ravens are one of the most dominant teams when playing against the best.
In a 33-19 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Monday, Baltimore improved to a league-best 6-1 against teams who entered with a winning record. The Ravens’ plus-133 point differential is fourth-best in the Super Bowl era, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
“I believe we play better under pressure,” Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson said. “We keep our poise. We stay locked in no matter how the game may seem, no matter what the crowd noise is [and] no matter how hard the defense is hitting us.
“I don’t think anybody plays like us. We just need to keep playing that way [and] keep playing the Raven way.”
Simulate your own scenarios and check the latest playoff picture. Playoff Machine »
• Projecting the playoff bracket, races »
• Full schedule » | Standings » | More »
Baltimore is 3-0 against teams that currently lead their divisions, winning by an average margin of 20.6 points. The Ravens beat the Detroit Lions (38-6) at home before defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars (23-7) and 49ers on the road the previous two weeks.
On Sunday (1 p.m., ET, CBS), the Ravens play host to the AFC East-leading Miami Dolphins (11-4) as they continue the NFL’s toughest final four-game stretch of the regular season, according to ESPN Analytics. Baltimore (12-3), which has won five straight, can clinch the AFC North as well as the AFC’s No. 1 seed with a victory.
“We play a brand of football that people don’t want to play,” Ravens inside linebacker Patrick Queen said. “Everybody wants to be out here [being] cute, playing basketball on grass and stuff, and we [are not] with all that.
“You can do all that stuff; we’re just going to hit you in the mouth every play, honestly. We couldn’t care less about all the pretty stuff you do, gimmick stuff. You still have to line up and play football. You still have to get touched, so that’s our mindset. That’s how we want to come out and just hit people in the mouth.”
In those three games against division leaders — Detroit, Jacksonville and San Francisco — Baltimore trailed a total of 9 minutes, 27 seconds. The Ravens led for the final 55:37 against the Lions, the final 51:21 against the Jaguars and the final 45:57 against the 49ers.
“The biggest thing is we try to get ahead and kind of go from there,” Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. “It seems like balls kind of bounced our way, and we just have to keep playing fundamental football. That’s the biggest thing. If we can be fundamentally sound, I think we have a pretty good chance against anybody.”
The only three teams who had a better point differential than Baltimore against teams who entered the game with winning records are the 2007 New England Patriots (plus-164), 2014 Patriots (plus-157) and 1995 49ers (plus-150). The 2014 Patriots won the Super Bowl, the 2007 Patriots lost in the Super Bowl and the 1995 49ers lost in the divisional round of the playoffs.
The Ravens have a 21.2% chance of winning the Super Bowl, according to ESPN Analytics. That’s second behind the 49ers (31.7%).
“I was part of a championship team,” said Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who won a Super Bowl with the 2021 Los Angeles Rams. “I knew what the locker room was like. I knew what the atmosphere was like. I knew how the games went and I knew what the talent was like, and this team has everything and if not more, to be a team like that.”