NFL Power Rankings, Week 7: 49ers, Texans make statements as contenders

KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 13: Quarterback Deshaun Watson #4 of the Houston Texans reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second half at Arrowhead Stadium on October 13, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 13: Quarterback Deshaun Watson #4 of the Houston Texans reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second half at Arrowhead Stadium on October 13, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
(Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

8. Baltimore Ravens (14)

Lamar Jackson has made it clear on numerous occasions that he would prefer to throw the football instead of running, but Sunday’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals was the perfect example of how dangerous the Baltimore Ravens quarterback can be with his legs.

As impressive as it was to see Jackson throw for 236 yards, it was the the 152 rushing yards with a score that stood out the most for Jackson during the 23-17 win over the Bengals in Week 6.

Defense has always given Baltimore a major advantage against opponents, but their strong ground game led by Jackson and Mark Ingram (52 rushing yards with a touchdown) makes this team even more dangerous.

Even if some will make the case that Baltimore doesn’t deserve as much credit for beating a winless Cincinnati team, this team is 4-2 on top of the AFC North for a reason with a difficult upcoming battle against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

Assuming Jackson continues to play at a high level along with the defense playing strong as usual, the Ravens are going to be a difficult team to defeat in the AFC, and could make plenty of noise come January if all continues to go well.