Where do Ravens land in latest power rankings after brutal Bills loss?

Adam Schultz

Where do Ravens land in latest power rankings after brutal Bills loss? image

I'm still not sure how the Baltimore Ravens managed to lose to the Buffalo Bills 41-40 in Week 1, and in truth, many inside the building are still asking themselves that same question.

Having the game well in hand with under four minutes left in the fourth quarter and up by two scores, the Ravens disintegrated, and the Bills escaped with a memorable win.

But let's not forget that up until those last four minutes, the Ravens laid a brutal beatdown on Buffalo.

Sean McDermott's defense was gashed on the ground by Derrick Henry (169 yards, two touchdowns) and through the air by Lamar Jackson, but managed to stiffen late to get the win.

But from Baltimore's perspective, does the loss impact how others view them in the race for the Super Bowl? NFL.com's Eric Edholm, in his first power rankings list of the year, has the Ravens at No. 3, but was so close to having them top of the pile.

"With seven minutes left in the fourth quarter on Sunday night, I started asking myself whether Baltimore deserved to leapfrog Philadelphia," Edholm wrote. "I think I would've made the switch at No. 1 -- had the Ravens finished the job."  

"I still believe the Ravens are going to blowtorch most of the league, but this one will stick in the craw for some time."

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Can Ravens overcome self-destructive behavior?

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh will be hoping that he doesn't look back on this game in 17 weeks and see it as the one that cost his team the No. 1 seed in the AFC and home-field advantage in the playoffs.

Granted, that might seem heavy-handed, but with the Bills and Ravens seen as the two clear-cut favorites for the conference (Kansas City Chiefs, too, and even Cincinnati), this tie-breaker could be all that stands between Baltimore and a clean playoff run.

Well, not now.

The other thing is with the Cleveland Browns up next, who pushed Joe Burrow and the Bengals all the way in a 17-16 loss; they won't be pushovers either. But they can't beat themselves.

If the Ravens start 0-2, alarm bells will be ringing loud and clear.

Do I still think the Ravens, as Edholm said, will blowtorch the league en route to the playoffs? Yes, but the other thing I'm worried about is the mental scarring from such a loss early on.

Luckily, we won't have to wait long to see if there is any. Lose to Cleveland and it'll be confirmed.

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Adam Schultz

Adam Schultz is a freelance writer at The Sporting News. An Australian journalist with years of experience covering the Dallas Cowboys and the NFL, Adam has interviewed several high-profile athletes in Australia for various sites and brings a unique view on the NFL.