As I point out every time I do my monthly NFL power rankings, these lists shouldn't be taken too seriously. And asking Ravens coach John Harbaugh about them is a great way to get a cold stare and a curt answer.
Yes, the Ravens are on the rise in power rankings on sites such as ESPN, NFL.com and the Sporting News after throttling the Steelers. That's of little concern as they prepare for Sunday's game against the Titans.
But if they took a peek at Brian Billick's power rankings for FOX Sports this week, they might be surprised to read that the coach of the Ravens' 2000 Super Bowl team thinks the 2011 squad "might be the best Ravens team ever."
"The way the Ravens beat down the Steelers, given the normally close nature of these games, cannot be overstated," wrote Billick, who has worked as an analyst for FOX and NFL Network since he was fired in 2007. "I'm on record as saying this might be the best Ravens team ever, and I still might have underestimated them."
That being said, he still ranked them fourth behind the Packers, the Chargers and the Patriots. Go figure.