The Ravens are unbeaten in three games and ranked No. 1 in several NFL power polls. They are scoring touchdowns and compiling yards in record numbers, and their defense continues to dominate every running game it faces.
It's a great beginning to a possible championship season, and we all know the Ravens are a good team, but how good? Are they capable of taking that next step from a year ago, from the AFC championship game to the Super Bowl?
Some answers will come in the next three weeks. There aren't any more perennial losers on the schedule like the Kansas City Chiefs or Cleveland Browns; there are serious contenders. On Sunday, the Ravens travel to Foxborough, Mass., to play the New England Patriots (2-1), then host the Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) followed by a road game against the Minnesota Vikings (3-0).
The Ravens then have a bye week, and by then, they might need one.
"The sky's the limit," Ravens running back Willis McGahee said. "Right now, we just got off this game playing Cleveland, and we have another game right in front of us, which is New England, and we're going to go in there and hopefully continue our success."
We're all still searching for answers about this football team. You couldn't find any Sunday in the Ravens' 34-3 win over Cleveland. There was one huge positive sign in that the Ravens squashed the Browns, and that's what great teams should do against weaker teams. The Ravens didn't do it two weeks ago against Kansas City.
All the signs point to this being a good, well-balanced team. Second-year quarterback Joe Flacco is playing well and has taken control of the offense. He's spreading the ball around, and the Ravens have numerous weapons with unselfish receivers and running backs and a young, aggressive offensive line.
The offense has been even more dominant than the defense, long the strength of this team. The Ravens have incredible depth on the defensive line, and their linebackers give the team one of the best front sevens in the NFL.
What's not to like about this football team?
"Being around here for the last couple of years, and those guys fighting and battling to get where they're at, it's been a growing process," Ravens Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed said of the offense. "It's still a growing process because they have some young guys over there making plays.
"It's exciting," Reed continued. "Definitely, hats off to those guys. We appreciate the rest. You're going to need the defense later on this season. So getting that rest now is definitely going to help."
