Ravens not in first place for first time
-
The ' on Monday night not only reinforced the fact Kansas City, at this point in the season, is a superior team https://www.shopcavaliersedge.com/cleveland-cavaliers-jeresy/ante-zizic-jersey after defeating Baltimore for a third straight time. The lo s also knocked the Ravens from their perch atop the AFC North for the first time in nearly a year. Baltimore, 2-1 through three weeks, is now looking up at the , who are 3-0 for the first time since 2010.After relying on magic (as well as a Pittsburgh late-season collapse) to capture the AFC North in 2018, the Ravens coasted to a second-straight division title in 2019, winning six more games than Pittsburgh, who finished second with an 8-8 record. And while Baltimore should still be considered the favorite to win the division again, the Ravens, unlike last season, will have their work cut out for them.Monday night's lo s exposed the ugly truth about the Ravens: if you can stop their running game, your chances at victory increase considerably. The Chiefs held Jackson to under 100 yards pa sing. The Chiefs' defense deserves credit, and Jackson was also the victim of several dropped pa ses. He also made several costly overthrows, leaving critical points on the field.Baltimore's https://www.shopcavaliersedge.com/cleveland-cavaliers-jeresy/lamar-stevens-jersey offense continued an unseemly trend. Jackson was again the team's leading rusher, on a team that has (a Pro Bowler last season), (who rushed for 711 yards last season while averaging 5.3 yards per carry) and J.K. Dobbins, the team's second-round pick who had six times as many receiving yards than rushing yards on Monday. While Jackson is a dynamic runner, the fact that he is still being asked to be the team's leading ballcarrier is puzzling. BAL QB #8 CMP%68.8YDs576TD5INT0YD/Att7.48 Jackson's 32 carries through three games is six more than Baltimore's second leading rusher, Mark Ingram. The Ravens, given the Steelers' improved defense, will have to improve their pa sing game before their first game against Pittsburgh in Week 7. The Steelers, after watching the Ravens set the rushing record in 2019, have dedicated themselves to stopping the run. And while they have occasionally allowed some untimely completions as a result of their focus on stopping the run, Pittsburgh currently boasts the league's top-ranked run defense after holding its first three opponents to 162 total yards and 2.7 yards per carry. If Baltimore is going to have succe s against Pittsburgh, Jackson and his teammates will have to have succe s through the air in order to open https://www.shopcavaliersedge.com/cleveland-cavaliers-jeresy/collin-sexton-jersey things up for Baltimore's ground game.The Ravens' defense will have to ready itself for a vastly improved division, too. While the Steelers have surrounded with arguably their deepest receiving corps in his 17 years, the and have also seen significant growth on the offensive side of the ball. Cleveland, after getting manhandled by the Ravens in Week 1, responded https://www.shopcavaliersedge.com/cleveland-cavaliers-jeresy/matthew-dellavedova-jersey to that lo s with wins over Cincinnati and Washington. In both games, Cleveland's offense was the difference, with and combining to rush for 364 yards and five touchdowns while helping the Browns get above .500 for the first time since 2014. The Browns' defense has also shown signs of improvement, as Cleveland recorded three sacks and three interceptions of in Sunday's win. The Browns' defense also welcomed back linebacker and cornerback , who mi sed time earlier this year due to injury.Cincinnati is not expected to compete for the division title this season, but is nonethele s a significantly better team than the one that won just two games last season. After losing their first two games by a combined eight points, the Bengals managed to salvage a tie in Philadelphia on Sunday. While their defense is among the worst in the against the run, the Bengals are sixth in the league in yards allowed, 14th in points allowed and 12th in red zone efficiency. , the No. 1 overall pick, has enjoyed a stellar start to his career, as he has completed 64.5% of his pa ses for 821 yards with five touchdowns https://www.shopcavaliersedge.com/cleveland-cavaliers-jeresy/dante-exum-jersey and just one interception. As stated earlier, the Ravens should still be considered the frontrunner to come out of the AFC North. One lo s to the defending champs is not a major concern. They have the reigning league MVP under center, a proven rushing attack, and a defense that is currently fourth in the league in fewest pointsallowed. That being said, Baltimore's continued offensive i sues, along with the fact that each team in the AFC North made considerable jumps this offseason, has made them vulnerable in a division that is significantly more competitive than it was a year ago. And for the first time in a long time, they're not in first place.