Baltimore Ravens Schedule Offers Hope

It happened so fast. From first to worst in the toughest part of the Baltimore Ravens schedule, we saw the Ravens drop back to back division games and fall to the bottom of the AFC North.

First there was the Steve Smith penalty in Cincinnati. Then Ben Rothelisberger torched the Ravens for six touchdowns, exposing their secondary as one of the weakest in the league.

But wait, there’s hope.

Before you give up on the season and set your sights on the draft, let me explain how the Baltimore Ravens will still make the playoffs.

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Although two straight division losses set the Ravens back, Baltimore is looking at a rather easy schedule for their last seven games. The Ravens are set to host the Titans, Chargers, Jaguars, and Browns. I have the Ravens winning all these games putting them at 9-4. A win over Cleveland secures the sweep and puts pressure on the Bengals to finish strong.

On the road, Baltimore will face the Saints, Dolphins, and Texans. I have Baltimore losing to New Orleans and beating Miami and Houston. The 2-1 road record will put Baltimore at 11-5 by the end of the season.

On the other side, I have Pittsburgh experiencing misfortune their second half of the season. Two straight games against tough opponents in Indianapolis and Baltimore saw Ben Rothelisberger be as prolific a passer as he’s ever been in his career.

But do you really expect Rothelisberger to keep that magic game to game for the rest of the season? No, no, no. This is the same team that lost to Tampa Bay at home. The Steelers have a much harder schedule than the Ravens. They haven’t faced Cincinnati in their division series yet and I also see some upsets coming along the way.

I have Pittsburgh getting swept by Cincy and giving up home losses to New Orleans and Kansas City. A 4-3 record in their last seven games will put the Steelers at 10-6 and one game behind Baltimore.

The Cleveland Browns have the toughest second half of the season, so they should fall off in a big way. The Browns only face one non-playoff contender, and every win is monumental at this point. I have Cleveland going 2-6 finishing the season 8-8 and last place in the division.

And lastly there is Cincinnati, who I ultimately think will take the division in the end. Although I see some key losses already on their schedule, the Bengals are in the driver’s seat, as they have yet to face Cleveland or Pittsburgh once.

I have the Bengals losing only to New Orleans and Denver which would make them 11-4-1, one game ahead of Baltimore.

Just one upset, one game can mean the difference between securing the division or a wild card spot. Here we go, Baltimore. This season is going to come down to the last game.

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