The Baltimore Ravens and the Dallas Cowboys are arguably the biggest sides after the Eagles and Chiefs, from the NFC and AFC, respectively. Following the Chiefs’ defeat by the Eagles, some have declared the former to be the AFC favorite. The Cowboys, on the other hand, are second in the NFC East, behind the Eagles. Their 8-3 record is the best out of any second-placed teams in the NFL currently, and even better than many division toppers.
But which one of them could be a longer survivor in the season? Fox Sports NFL analyst Nick Wright has a clear answer to that exact question for one particular reason. He is firm with the defending champions Chiefs’ status as well, but his analogy of the Ravens highlights one major area of improvement for the side.
Nick Wright favors the Dallas Cowboys over the Baltimore Ravens
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Talking to The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Wright revealed a critical pattern that might trouble the Ravens in the long run. Despite boasting one of the league’s best offenses, the Ravens’ defense has not been up to the mark. Cowherd presented his picks from both conferences for the postseason, and he had favored the Ravens higher than the Cowboys. But Wright explained why it should be vice versa.
“I would flip-flop them (Ravens) and Dallas. I don’t know about you, I was watching Sunday night… The Ravens were up 13-3 on a hopeless Chargers team. And I thought, oh! Baltimore could absolutely lose this game”, Wright revealed the reason why the Ravens wouldn’t make a higher pick on his list. “Like, of all the really really good teams, they’re the only one that a 10-point lead doesn’t feel safe”, he explained why the Ravens were not as untouchable as some others on the list.
He further added that everyone has a hiccup game, and the Cowboys had their own disappointments against the Cardinals and the 49ers. But aside from that, they are a great team. That’s why, according to him, he would place the Cowboys higher than the Ravens. He also talked about the Chiefs briefly: “I’m not gonna argue with you anymore about the Chiefs, I’ll just let you keep planting your flag. There’s a lot of teams in front of them.”
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The Kansas-born analyst later concluded by saying, “Obviously the Chiefs are excellent,” keeping his faith in the team despite the late niggles. But how has Cowherd placed the rest of the teams according to their current form?
Dallas Cowboys and 49ers as good as the Chiefs, Ravens statistically better
Cowherd has kept the Chiefs 3rd on his list, placing the Eagles and 49ers ahead of them. Then the Ravens and the Cowboys follow the champions to complete his top 5. While the first place can’t be argued, the following four spots could be easily interchanged, given that all of them have an equally impressive record for the Chiefs. Surprisingly, Wright’s bottom-seeded Ravens are the only team in the league except for the Eagles that have gone past the 9-win mark.
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On the other side, the Eagles’ division rival Cowboys have had a great season, arguably as impressive as the Chiefs, according to their back-to-back meetings at least. But they have fallen to the fifth spot compared to the former’s third. Maybe that’s why Wright decided not to argue with Cowherd, as he had a slightly different view on the Champions.
What might not be fixed is the list overall as the season enters its latter stage. With only 5 games remaining, equations and plots could change drastically. That’s why it’s probably not better to count out the Ravens or to prioritize any other team. In the uncertain grids of Gridiron, it’s better to keep a neutral view while analyzing things unless one wants to look stupid a few games later. Just take Cowherd’s 10th entry, Broncos, for example.
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You could have your own opinions, though, without looking stupid, so feel free to draw your own list in the comments. We will find out 5 weeks later!
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