Baltimore Ravens: Spoiler Role Fits This Team Perfectly

The Baltimore Ravens have little to play for. That does not mean they are laying down for their opponents.

John Harbaugh will not allow it. He is a hard-nosed coach who demands that his team fights to the very end. The Baltimore Ravens proved that in the win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Baltimore could have easily gave up on this season after back-to-back weeks of getting blown out by playoff contenders. They were starting their fourth different quarterback on the season who had only been with the team for less than two weeks. The Steelers were one of the hottest teams in the NFL and have an offense that is difficult to contain.

Harbaugh and the Ravens did not care about what happened the first 16 weeks of the season. They wanted to beat the Steelers and get the season sweep. That’s enough reason to celebrate alone. Not only did they get that, they may have knocked the Steelers out of the playoff race. They are not done there.

Harbaugh will not say that the Ravens are playing the role of the spoiler, but we will do it for him. They likely booted their arch rival from playoff contention and can make things more complicated for another division foe in the final week of the season. For a season that was been lost for nearly a month, that’s plenty of motivation to finish strong.

The Cincinnati Bengals will play the Denver Broncos tonight and it has a lot of playoff implications for the entire AFC. A win for the Bengals would significantly alter the current standings, while a Broncos victory would shake things up as well. Here is the complete scenario depending on tonight’s outcome.

Week 17 is just another game on the schedule for Baltimore. They have nothing to play for other than pride. The Bengals, on the other hand, could be playing for a first-round bye in the playoffs. The pressure is all on Cincy.

The Ravens will not acknowledge it publicly, but since they cannot make the postseason, they want to ruin everyone else’s season. That’s a role they should embrace even if it was never the goal to start the year. Beat your rivals and make their season just as miserable as it has been for the Ravens.

The Steelers are facing that reality now. Baltimore might only have five wins this season, but the two over the Steelers are likely to be why Pittsburgh’s season is over at the same time. No team likes losing, but there is a different feeling when you know you have no chance to make the playoffs and are just on the verge of making it. The heartbreak is more depressing when you’re so close, yet so far.

The Ravens have another opportunity to put a damper on another team’s season this weekend. The Bengals are looking to potentially lock up home field advantage depending on the outcome tonight. A win over the Bengals could force Cincy to play during the first week of the playoffs and not get the bye. Baltimore could ultimately help end the AFC North champions season a week earlier than the Bengals would like to be playing.

Despite having the most players on injured reserve, the Ravens are still fighting. It was only one game, but Ryan Mallett showed that he is capable of winning with the current makeup of this team. That has a lot to do with the coaching staff preaching that they will not quit.

Next: Mallett, Ravens May Have Ended Steelers Season

There has not been much to be happy about with this Ravens team. They are currently slated to draft in the top 10 and we have already started to shift our focus on players in the upcoming draft. We want good play – and to stay healthy – in the last game from the players who will be around next season.

Beating the Steelers and Bengals in consecutive weeks to close out the year while also spoiling their playoff hopes is the ultimate win-win on a disappointing 2015 season.