The Ravens' unique set of strengths makes them a contender to fear

An emphatic win over a division rival last week showcased everything the Ravens do well.

They topped the Bengals 34-20 by passing and rushing for big yardage. Gus Edwards capped multiple long scoring marches with short touchdown runs. Odell Beckham Jr. (116 receiving yards) and Nelson Agholor (37-yard TD grab punctuated with a somersault) flicked a switch under the Thursday night lights.

Baltimore's five sacks derailed several Cincinnati drives. The Ravens pulled away from a vulnerable opponent that lost Joe Burrow to injury before halftime.

The Ravens beat the rest of the AFC to eight wins. They swept the Bengals and drubbed the Lions and Seahawks - two defensively leaky probable playoff teams - by a combined score of 75-9. Baltimore's pristine plus-127 point differential ranks third in the NFL behind the Cowboys and 49ers.

No Super Bowl contender has as many ways to win games. The Ravens' rushing prowess is unparalleled. They deploy the ultimate dual-threat quarterback, an array of playmakers, and menacing defenders at every level. Plus, their Harbaugh brother isn't suspended from coaching. What's not to like?

Mark Andrews' absence is one obvious concern. The irreplaceable tight end probably won't return this season from ankle surgery. Andrews has been Lamar Jackson's favorite target since he turned pro:

Losing him hurts, but plenty of teams know the feeling. Serious QB injuries within the Ravens' division (Burrow, Deshaun Watson) and beyond it (Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins) have lowered the caliber of play at the position and magnified the importance of good health. Crucially for Baltimore, Jackson hasn't missed a start after being sidelined down the stretch the past two seasons.

He could reach his first conference championship game if he reins in the fumbling. Jackson has put the ball on the ground 10 times in 11 weeks.

Despite the sloppiness, the Ravens rank fourth in scoring (27.6 points per game) and second in points allowed (16.1). They lead the NFL in rushing yards (155.1 per game), rushing touchdowns (21), average starting field position (their 32.2-yard line), and sacks (44) even though they blitz less frequently than 23 teams, per Pro Football Reference.

No defense has given up fewer TDs (13, including zero in three games). If the Ravens' offense torches the Chargers on Sunday night, they'll be the first team since 2015 to score 30 points in six straight weeks, per Stathead.

They possess a rare combination of strengths. Few teams that gain 2,000 passing yards and 1,500 rushing yards through 11 games also record 40 sacks and allow fewer than 4.5 yards per play.

The Ravens achieved that, copying one predecessor this century:

Efficiency distinguishes their aerial attack. Jackson ranks 13th in passing yards (2,441) on the NFL's 23rd-most attempts (302, or 27.5 per game). His completion percentage (69.5%, fifth in the league) is a personal best. Jackson's interception rate (1.7%, ninth) hasn't been this good since his 2019 MVP peak.

Jackson thrives under pressure - his 11 big-time throws on such snaps lead the NFL, per PFF - because he can escape it. He tops all quarterbacks in carries (101), rushing yards (535), runs of 10 or more yards (19), and missed tackles forced (28) despite running fewer designed keepers in new offensive coordinator Todd Monken's system.

His scrambling opens windows to run, throw, and dazzle.

Jackson consistently feeds Edwards (10 rushing TDs, third-most in the league) and first-round rookie Zay Flowers (53 catches, 17th among wideouts). Agholor and Beckham come and go in the offense, but the veteran receivers and undrafted running back Keaton Mitchell are explosive in spurts. Slammed for dropping seven passes in a nightmarish loss to the Steelers, the Ravens only had six drops in their other 10 games.

On defense, these standouts step up weekly for coordinator Mike Macdonald.

• A league-high six Ravens - Justin Madubuike, Jadeveon Clowney, Kyle Van Noy, Odafe Oweh, Patrick Queen, and Kyle Hamilton - have at least three sacks. Madubuike (sacks in eight straight games) and Oweh (team-best 18.8% pass-rush win rate, per PFF) lead the charge.

• Hamilton and Geno Stone are two of the NFL's 10 best safeties by PFF grade. Stone's six interceptions rank second in the league. Lacking weak links, no Ravens defender has allowed more than one TD pass in coverage.

• Hamilton's versatility impresses - he's lined up for more than 150 snaps at safety, at slot corner, and in the box, per PFF - and Roquan Smith wreaks havoc everywhere. Smith is one of three NFL linebackers who's recorded five pass breakups and 35 stops, which is a tackle that seals an offensive failure.

Context mitigates some of Baltimore's individual shortcomings. Of Jackson's 10 fumbles, only three happened in the last six weeks and just two of those were lost. Justin Tucker's 82.6% field-goal hit rate is poor by his standards, but the legendary kicker remains automatic (18-for-18) from inside 50 yards.

One team trend troubles. Fourth-quarter collapses doomed Baltimore against Pittsburgh in Week 5 and Cleveland in Week 10. The Steelers blocked a punt, then intercepted and strip-sacked Jackson in the final frame. The Browns had a pick-6 and outscored the Ravens 16-0 over the final 10 minutes of that matchup.

Every team with playoff aspirations is flawed. The Browns and Steelers struggle to pass the ball. Once unstoppable, Kansas City's offense is last in the league in second-half scoring. The Bills' and Jaguars' losses tend to be ugly. The Dolphins and Cowboys are winless against plus-.500 opponents, and only two of nine Eagles wins have been by double digits.

The Ravens' Christmas Day visit to the 49ers - whose elite defenders and offensive weapons uplift steady passer Brock Purdy - will be monumental. The franchises haven't met much since the 2012 season, when Baltimore edged San Francisco 34-31 in Super Bowl XLVII, also known as the Harbaugh Bowl.

The upcoming rematch is a potential championship preview. Except for Andrews, Baltimore has every piece in place to play for all the marbles again.

Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.