Why Ravens are more dangerous than originally thought

The Ravens had high expectations heading into the 2023 season, but their 2-0 start has some believing they still underestimated them. Here are three reasons Baltimore is a tougher out than originally thought.

Talented depth

The Ravens were missing five starters Sunday, and yet, they still defeated the defending AFC North champion Bengals. Baltimore was without left tackle Ronnie Stanley, center Tyler Linderbaum, safety Marcus Williams, cornerback Marlon Humphrey and running back J.K. Dobbins, but it didn't feel like it.

Among those who stepped up was safety Geno Stone, who intercepted QB Joe Burrow in the third quarter. The 27-24 win only further proves how deep and talented the Ravens roster is, and head coach John Harbaugh certainly agrees.

"It says a lot about the guys that played," Harbaugh said. "It says that those guys are starting-caliber players who played winning football against a great football team in their house. That's what it says. They deserve it."

Growing confidence

Baltimore has several new players on both sides of the ball, which can sometimes result in bumpy starts as we saw in Week 1. However, QB Lamar Jackson and the Ravens promised to be sharper this week, and they certainly were.

Jackson was 24-of-33 for 237 yards and two touchdowns, completing passes to seven different receivers. Baltimore also rushed for 178 yards. It's safe to say the second win of the season has only raised the confidence of the team.

"Like I've been saying since camp, the sky's the limit for this team," Jackson said. "Our first game was like a preseason game for us, especially the starters because we hadn't played in a while together. But I felt like today we stepped it up."

Flowers is blooming

The Ravens have been short of wide receiver talent for years. That is no longer the case, especially with first-round pick Zay Flowers taking the league by storm. The 22-year-old already has 13 catches for 140 yards after two weeks and reeled in this highlight catch Sunday.