14. Baltimore Ravens
We all knew it was only a matter of time, but it’s finally happening. The Lamar Jackson-led Baltimore Ravens are not only back on track, but they are back in the mix for their division. The Pittsburgh Steelers got a win in Week 11 as well, but the Ravens are not far behind them at 5-5 after winning three straight games since Jackson’s return to the field.
And this one against the Browns was…interesting.
Mark Andrews got a rushing touchdown on a fun fake tush push, but this wasn’t exactly a vintage performance from Jackson. Jackson had a pair of interceptions as the Browns’ defense continues to prove how tough it is from top to bottom, and arguably nobody on the field was more impactful than Ravens defensive star Kyle Hamilton.
This Ravens team is obviously extremely dangerous, even with five losses. They’re trending up but their competition also hasn’t been great since Jackson’s return.
13. Jacksonville Jaguars
When the Jacksonville Jaguars play the way we saw on Sunday against the Chargers, you can’t help but feel a little optimistic that they could actually make some noise in the AFC. They absolutely smacked the Los Angeles Chargers around on Sunday, holding Justin Herbert to one of his worst games of the season and showing some outstanding balance offensively.
Trevor Lawrence did a great job of capitalizing on scoring opportunities, and Travis Etienne was phenomenal for the Jags, especially when they got in the red zone. We saw contributions from newcomer Jakobi Meyers (who led the team in receiving) as well as veteran Tim Patrick, who caught a touchdown and drew another pass interference in the end zone, which ended up in a touchdown anyway.
The Jaguars’ defense was at its best in this game as well, holding the Chargers to just 6 points and 3-of-12 on third downs.