The Baltimore Ravens either flicked a switch in some back room at the Under Armour Performance Center or the overwhelming deluge of bad things that have happened to them this season has made them solidify around one another. Whatever the reasoning, the Ravens are playing significantly better football over the last few weeks and are as deserving as any team in the NFL of earning a playoff spot. But with two weeks to go, Baltimore is anything but guaranteed to get there despite their 9-5 record.
The Ravens are coming off a 40-14 bludgeoning of the Jacksonville Jaguars, a 47-42 nail-biting win over the Cleveland Browns, and a 34-17 dominant victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Each game has seen this team get better and tested them in different ways.
Against Dallas, Baltimore was simply trying to get their footing after losing four of its last five contests, including four very important AFC games. By beating the Browns, the Ravens proved they can stand toe-to-toe with one of the better teams in the league and pull out a win in even the worst situations. And finally, against Jacksonville, Baltimore didn’t fall for the potential trap, taking care of business and putting up their most dominant and well-rounded game of the season.
With the 5-9 New York Giants and 2-10-1 Cincinnati Bengals the final two opponents of the regular season, the Ravens should hold an 11-5 record to finish. But because of how good the AFC has been this season, they could very well be the odd man out regardless, as seven other teams could have an 11-5 or better record themselves.
Yet when you look over the AFC playoff picture, are there any teams you think Baltimore wouldn’t stand a chance against? The Pittsburgh Steelers beat them twice, but both were really close games at a time when the Ravens weren’t playing their best football and Pittsburgh has gotten worse since then. Baltimore swept Cleveland and beat Indianapolis already. The Ravens took the Tennessee Titans to overtime, and the Miami Dolphins are playing well but are starting a rookie quarterback. Even the Kansas City Chiefs have looked vulnerable in recent weeks, barely edging by every opponent from Week 9 on.
Despite not always playing the prettiest football this season, the offense has put up 20-plus points in all but two games this year. The defense, when healthy, is a top-10 unit capable of pitching a near shutout against some very talented offenses. The few times both sides of the ball have clicked in the same game, Baltimore has dominated their opponent — winning 38-6 in Week 1 and 40-14 in Week 15.
Truly, the only AFC team that has looked at all dominant in December has been the Ravens, beating their last three opponents 121-73 (an average of 16 points per game). And on paper, they’ve got the talent on offense and defense to be something special with a kicker capable of winning close games. But Baltimore doesn’t control its own fate any longer, needing to win their final two games and hope the Browns, Dolphins, or Colts lose just one game to earn a playoff berth.
Baltimore has a legitimate shot at going to Super Bowl LV with how they’re playing right now . . . they just need to get into the playoffs first.
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