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Baltimore Ravens: How the Ravens can still make the playoffs

By Ben Palmer

Dec 18, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs (55) reacts during the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 18, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs (55) reacts during the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports /
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This season has been a difficult one for the Baltimore Ravens and their fans. Their chances of making the playoffs don’t look great, but it’s not impossible. Here’s how they could do it.

The Baltimore Ravens are sitting at 8-6 on the season currently, and it’s been a tumultuous season to say the least. ESPN’s FPI gives the Ravens a 27.4% chance of making the playoffs, it’s not likely, but it’s possible.

If the Baltimore Ravens want to win their division, they have to win their next two games. Simple right? Problem is, both of those games are on the road, and they’re both against teams the Ravens have a rough history with.

Their first game, on Christmas Day, will be against the Pittsburgh Steelers (as if you needed to be reminded of that). If the Steelers win on Sunday, they clinch the AFC North, done and done.

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However, if the Ravens win, there’s still a chance that Baltimore could bring home their first AFC North title in four years. They would just then have to go to Paul Brown Stadium and beat the Cincinnati Bengals, a place the Ravens do not have a good history at.

Winning two games in a row doesn’t sound all that difficult, but here’s the problem: the Baltimore Ravens have two (yes, two) road wins on the year. Those two wins came against the Cleveland Browns and the Jacksonville Jaguars, two teams that have a combined record this year of 2-26.

The Ravens last road win was on September 25th, and since then they’ve lost to the New York Giants, the New York Jets, the Dallas Cowboys, and the New England Patriots.

If the Ravens do happen to lose to either the Steelers or the Bengals, they can still make the playoffs, it’s just going to be really hard. They’d be fighting for the final Wild Card spot, as they wouldn’t be able to jump over the Kansas City Chiefs for the number five spot.

For the Ravens to get that last spot, they would need the Miami Dolphins to lose their final two games and the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans would have to lose at least one of their final two games.

It’s going to be difficult, but it’ll just have to be taken one game at a time. If the Ravens are able to beat the Steelers on Sunday, it would be the first time in team history that Baltimore has swept Pittsburgh in two straight seasons.

There’s reason to be optimistic though. The Bengals aren’t exactly a great team, for one, and the Ravens still have one of the best defenses in football. In fact, the team is 6-1 when holding an opponent to 20 or fewer points. Both the Steelers and the Bengals were held to 14 points in their games with Baltimore this season.

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As long as Joe Flacco can get himself right on the road (he has a 75.7 passer rating with five touchdowns and seven interceptions on the road this year), and the Ravens defense plays to its capabilities, the team has a very realistic shot at the postseason.

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