The Baltimore Ravens kicked off week 2 in the NFL with a win over their primary rival in the Pittsburgh Steelers in quite convincing fashion by the score of 26-6. In the first-two weeks of the season, where are the Ravens in the NFL's pecking order?
Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco looked good in the pocket making quick and decisive throws against the Steelers. The running game without Ray Rice rushed for 157 yards against the Steelers as well. On top of it all, the Ravens defense through two games this season has allowed the fewest touchdowns in the NFL with just one.
The Ravens look like a team which could cause problems for a lot of opponents. The Ravens from offense, defense and special teams don't do anything elite at the moment. The team as a whole executes a lot of good things. The Ravens defense has the best potential to be elite. In fact, one could argue that the Ravens defense is elite right now.
Looking into the week 3 matchup against the Cleveland Browns on the road, this upcoming game will tell a lot about where the Ravens stand. The Ravens during the 2013 season struggled on the road. The Ravens went just 2-6 on the road including a loss to the Browns.
One of the key aspects to look for from the Ravens perspective is how they attack on offense early in the game. The Ravens offense is notorious for starting out slow on the road and not being able to maintain a positive rhythm for a long period of time.
If the Ravens can start out fast against a solid defense like the Browns, it will set the tone going forward in a lot of ways and will allow the Ravens defense to attack on the road more than they are accustomed to.
If the Ravens were to win on the road against the Browns, the Ravens would improve to 2-1 in the AFC North which would obviously match their overall regular season record. Even though the team would love to be 3-0, the Ravens would have most likely accepted a 2-1 record before the season started.