Don't look now, but Ravens are AFC title contenders
In large part due to their erratic first half, the Baltimore Ravens weren't accounted for when analyzing the AFC title race.
Forecasting the team's success at the start of the year would've been maddening, but the Ravens loom large as a sleeping giant, boasting an elite defense and run-first identity while winning four of their last five games.
Baltimore emerged as a perennial Super Bowl contender for much of the past decade due to an outstanding defense, and the team's playoff ambitions largely ride on the success of this unit. Prior to Sunday's game, Baltimore ranked first in rushing defense (74.9 yards per game), sixth in passing defense (222.9 yards per game) and fourth in scoring defense (18.3 points per game), punishing opponents into submission.
Free-agent acquisition Eric Weddle stabilized a secondary that was often out of its depth in 2015, while Terrell Suggs, C.J. Mosley, and the criminally underrated Brandon Williams lead a ferocious front seven. After the Denver Broncos won Super Bowl 50 on the strength of their defense, it would be unwise to count out the Ravens.
Joe Flacco's $120-million contract has been the object of ridicule since he signed it in March 2013, while the debate about whether he's "elite" or not triggers an armada of critics looking to strip him of his credibility. At this juncture of his career, Flacco isn't fazed by being the butt of numerous jokes, quietly leading his team to sustained success as the season rolls on.
On Sunday, Flacco was near his best, deconstructing a Dolphins team that had won six consecutive games by throwing four touchdowns in a 38-6 rout. He once submitted arguably the greatest playoff stretch ever en route to Super Bowl glory in 2012, and his penchant for improving when the games matter most is a daunting prospect for other AFC contenders.
With four games remaining, the Ravens sit atop the AFC North at 7-5 despite undergoing a roller-coaster start to the campaign, and appear poised to capture the division. The Bengals are almost certain to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2010, with A.J. Green and Giovani Bernard nursing serious injuries, while the Browns are setting records for ineptitude at 0-12.
Ultimately, the division may come down to a showdown against the team's archrival Pittsburgh Steelers, who much like the Ravens have battled consistency issues all year long. Baltimore will battle Pittsburgh on Christmas Day, an opportunity Flacco will surely relish. He sports a 9-7 career record against the black and gold.
The Ravens have never been anyone's idea of an alluring Super Bowl pick, but an outstanding defense, stout running game, and continued improvement from Flacco renders the team dangerous as the year comes to an end. Ascending through the AFC, the Ravens are the sleeping giant that no one wants to awake.