Week 10 of the NFL season is about to get underway, making now as good a time as ever to look back on whether those preseason sleepers to win the Super Bowl are living up to expectations.
We aren't talking about the teams that have met high expectations. (Chiefs, Eagles, 49ers -- you get the idea.) It's time to look at teams that had longer odds to lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy back in August who are making a decent push in November.
Here is a look at two preseason sleepers chosen by three major outlets, and how they are fairing ahead of Week 10.
Those Lamar Jackson arm anglespic.twitter.com/xYfFw6xXXV
— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) November 7, 2023
One sleeper pick selected by the CBS Sports, ProFootball Network and Action Network was the Baltimore Ravens. And boy, have they exceeded expectations.
Lamar Jackson a lot to do with that, regaining his 2019 MVP form and topping all quarterbacks in the league with a 71.5 completion percentage. His efforts have helped Baltimore top the AFC North with a 7-2 record, and move from 18-1 odds at DraftKings to start the season to 9-1 ahead of Week 10.
Tua Tagovailoa gets the Dolphins on the board with a touchdown pass to Cedrick Wilson Jr.
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 5, 2023
pic.twitter.com/1CdslCEUOx
Perhaps an even bigger preseason sleeper pick among the same three outlets is the Miami Dolphins. Mike McDaniel's team was priced at 25-1 odds to win the Super Bowl prior to Week 1 largely because of how much the team crumbled last season when Tua Tagovailoa was sidelined.
Tagovailoa's resurgence and his continued chemistry with Tyreek Hill have made Miami an AFC East powerhouse and a legitimate contender. They are now priced at 11-1 odds at DK to win it all.
Current AFC playoff standings pic.twitter.com/YrT53qVsbl
— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) November 6, 2023
So, which preseason sleeper pick tops the other?
We could get the answer to that question on Dec. 31 when the Ravens host the Dolphins at M&T Bank Stadium. Since there is over a month until this game takes place, there aren't betting odds for it yet -- a lot can happen between now and New Year's Eve, of course.
For now, we'll just have to see how these two teams battle in their upcoming matchups. The Ravens are currently six-point favorites to defeat the Cleveland Browns, while the Dolphins enjoy their bye week and gear up to host the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 11.
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