Ravens Rookie Promises AFC North Title

The Baltimore Ravens have sprung up to seriously threaten their divisional standing for the first time all season following Week 10, finally making good on some of the promise they tantalized the NFL with as one of the season's likeliest contenders.

The AFC North wasn't projected to be one of the worst divisions in the league, but the Ravens' closest competition did little to build on their early leads atop the injured and uncoordinated squad.

The Cincinnati Bengals entered this fall with some promise of their own before succumbing to an even more disappointing defense than what Baltimore trotted out, as well as one key injury, but the Pittsburgh Steelers' collapse was even quicker. Their quick 4-1 lead has almost completely fallen apart, now sitting at 5-4 with their bye week behind them, while the Ravens have ridden a three-game win streak right back into the thick of the wide-open AFC playoff race.

Confidence Born out of Results

Rookie linebacker Teddye Buchanan made an appearance on ESPN shortly after the Ravens' 27-19 win over the Vikings in Minnesota, where he guaranteed Baltimore's completion of the ongoing comeback with a confident "Absolutely, yeah. No question...because that's what we're gonna do. We have the team to do it."

"Quite honestly, we've been at the lowest of the low," he continued. "We were one and five. We felt kind of the whole world against us at one point. But we kind of came out of that and we're resurging as a new team, and [in that' bye week, we had our backs against the wall and we still feel that. So we're gonna continue to fight and continue to win."

Buchanan's played a key role in the Ravens' sudden turnaround, winning the AFC Defensive Rookie of the Month in October for the 38 tackles he brought down, and he's found his way in the NFL right when the Ravens have needed it the most.

Baltimore Ravens Linebacker Teddye Buchanan — Oct 26, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) passes the ball under pressure from Baltimore Ravens linebacker Teddye Buchanan (40) at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Even as his team spent that month getting throttled by seemingly every contender looking for a piece of the Ravens, the belief persisted that the Ravens could survive to see meaningful December football if they made good use of their first few games out of the bye. Their front-loaded schedule opened up a November slate that generally lacks in highly-competitive opponents, and they've shown that ability to rise to the moment with three consecutive wins, most recently building on that momentum in their Minnesota visit.

Now that they've hit the best general version of themselves this season, their two remaining games against the Steelers look that much more appetizing. They still have a long way to go, even in Buchanan's defensive position group, but they look primed and ready to take advantage of a division that had left them for dead.

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