Baltimore Ravens 2020 schedule – Syndication Server

Meeting the Ravens 2020 opponents: The Cleveland Browns

We take a closer look at each of the Baltimore Ravens’ opponents on the 2020 NFL schedule, starting with Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns

Training camp and the regular season quickly approach as we enter the summer months. With the schedule released and the NFL moving back into their training facilities, the regular season occurring in its entirety is looking more plausible. With an eye towards the 2020 NFL season, we’ll take a look at each of the Baltimore Ravens’ opponents, in order. From the records against each other to the big performances, we’ll take a deep dive to prepare you for the regular season.

The Ravens will open the 2020 NFL season against their AFC North rival Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium, before meeting back up in Week 14 as well. Being a divisional game, it’s a chance for both teams to start the 2020 season off on the right foot.

Let’s start with the reason for all the heat between Cleveland and Baltimore.

The rivalry

The Browns/Ravens rivalry is one of the more unique stories in the entire NFL, as one team was essentially the rib of the other. In 1995, Browns owner Art Modell moved his team out of the city that it had called home since it’s inception in 1946. Modell’s desire for a brand new stadium was a goal not shared by the authorities in Cleveland. The team was made to leave behind their name and history in Cleveland and became the Baltimore Ravens. Essentially this made the Ravens an expansion team, although one with an existing roster and two first-round picks in the 1996 NFL Draft.

After three seasons without a team, during which a brand new stadium was built, the Browns were reactivated in Cleveland for 1999 and joined the Ravens in the then-AFC Central division.

Modell remained an unpopular figure in Cleveland for the rest of his life (he sadly died in 2012). Never the most popular owner with the Browns fans, “The Move” only intensified the ill feelings towards him that had started in 1963 when he fired founding coach Paul Brown. But as much as he was vilified by the fans in Cleveland, Modell was a popular figure with the people of Baltimore after bringing the NFL back to the city following the Colts elopement in 1983.

Let’s move on to how the rivalry has fared over the two decades it’s existed, on the next page.

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USA TODAY Sports predicts Ravens will get over their playoff hump

Nate Davis of USA TODAY Sports has the Baltimore Ravens once again leading in the regular season but they thrive in the playoffs this time

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The Baltimore Ravens are once again the best team in the NFL. At least, that’s what Nate Davis of USA TODAY Sports has in his 2020 NFL season record predictions. Davis has Baltimore at 13-3, which leads not only the AFC but the entire league.

Not only does Davis have the Ravens with the best regular-season record, but he has also the Ravens finally getting over their playoff issues and making their way to Super Bowl LV against the New Orleans Saints. Sadly, Davis also predicts the Saints will be the winners of Super Bowl LV, which would give Baltimore its first loss in the big game since the Ravens were founded in 1996.

Still, the record prediction points to a belief Baltimore is only going to get better after a spectacular 2019 campaign that ended prematurely. Davis specifically noted the Ravens’ lack of travel this season and a weaker second half of the schedule, which should prime them for an easier path to the postseason. With the additions Baltimore made this offseason, it’s easy to argue that the Ravens have enough talent to make their way through the playoffs.

The top seed in last year’s AFC playoff bracket has a golden opportunity to make amends given it will travel a league-low 6,310 miles while playing this year’s easiest schedule (.438 opponent winning percentage in 2019) – one that wraps with non-playoff teams from last year over the final six weeks. Factor in the addition of veteran DL Calais Campbell and potential impact rookies in LB Patrick Queen and RB J.K. Dobbins … and this doesn’t seem like a fair fight.

Baltimore returns reigning MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson. While it might be unfair to expect Jackson to improve upon his 2019 season, his continued development, as well as the growth of wide receivers Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin, should do wonders. With running back J.K. Dobbins added into the mix, the Ravens should have more insurance in the backfield. That bit them in the playoffs against the Titans when Mark Ingram went down with a calf injury.

Defensively, Calais Campbell and Derek Wolfe’s additions completely revamped the defensive line. Combined with the selections of linebackers Patrick Queen and Malik Harrison in the 2020 NFL Draft, the middle of Baltimore’s defense should be dramatically improved over last season. For a defense that was already near the top of the league last season, those improvements could easily have them labeled as the best defense in the league in 2020.

Many expect the Ravens to do well this season but all eyes will be on the team come the postseason. After getting booted in their first playoff game the last two years, Baltimore has to at least win a postseason game or they’ll be looked at as paper champions yet again.

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Predicting the Ravens’ 2020 record: Big and bold edition

With the schedule out and most teams finalizing their rosters, we can better predict what the Baltimore Ravens’ final record will be.

The NFL released the full 2020 schedule and with it, the schedule for the Baltimore Ravens. Though we’ve known which opponents the Ravens would face this season, the order in which they came and how many primetime games Baltimore would be featured in will have a dramatic impact on what their final record could be.

With most teams putting the final touches on their 90-man rosters, we have a much better idea of the talent levels for each of the Ravens’ 2020 opponents. With that in mind, the writers here at Ravens Wire each threw out their prediction for the season, with some of us going pretty bold.

Matthew Stevens – 12-4

The already strong teams on Baltimore’s schedule didn’t really get any weaker and the bad teams will take time to improve. What looks to be the easiest schedule in the NFL might not prove to be that by the time the season finishes but the Ravens have some pretty easy cakewalks this year as long as they show up hungry and ready to play every week. I already tossed out my game-by-game final score predictions and have Baltimore once again destroying a bunch of teams en route to a solid 12-4 record.

But at this point, the regular season isn’t really the important part. They’ll be judged solely by how they perform in the postseason. Baltimore is talented enough to practically guarantee a playoff spot barring some serious misfortunes. But they’ll need to prove they can step up in the postseason, something they haven’t done the last two years.

It doesn’t matter if they go 16-0 or 10-6 this season, if they’re one-and-done in the playoffs, fans will be livid.

Neil Dutton – 14-2

There are a couple of games on the docket where, with a critical eye, you could see Baltimore dropping. Away at the Philadelphia Eagles is never easy, the New England Patriots still own a talented defense and the Tennessee Titans may have permanently scarred the Ravens after their playoff win over them. But I have faith in this Baltimore team to overcome those obstacles. The two games I have them actually losing are to the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes, as well as the Thanksgiving clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But even that is assuming Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is healthy and playing at a competent level.

A seven-game win streak between Week 4 and Week 12 will break the back of this schedule and put the Ravens in contention for the AFC’s No. 1 seed.

Kevin Oestreicher – 15-1

It’s pretty hard to imagine a more dominant team than the one the Ravens had in 2019, but I believe that they are well positioned for an even better year in 2020. The team faces the easiest strength-of-schedule in the entire NFL based on 2019 records. Plus Baltimore revamped the defensive line and added more weapons for quarterback Lamar Jackson, making this team better on paper than it was last year.

I believe Baltimore’s only loss comes in Week 1 to the Cleveland Browns, but then a 15-game win streak put the Ravens right where they left off last year: in prime position to make a Super Bowl run.

Alex Bente – 11-5

Consider me a tad cautions here, but the Ravens seem to have a history of falling short when expectations shoot through the roof. For the latest example, look no further than the January playoff debacle against the Titans.

That said, they’ve also had a tendency to go above and beyond when counted down and out. And this Ravens team has done that in spades under Lamar Jackson, proving doubters wrong time and again as the young quarterback and his team have progressed in their early relationship. Maybe times have truly changed.

Do I see a repeat of the lighting they captured in a bottle last season? No. But on paper, they are still the best team in the division (by a wider margin now), and that alone gives them the edge to take the title again. But the Ravens have a target on their backs, no question, and as a result, they may drop an unsuspecting game or two in their 2020 campaign.

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3 easiest games on Ravens’ 2020 schedule

The Baltimore Ravens might have some tough matchups on the 2020 schedule but they also face some of the worst teams in the NFL too.

The Baltimore Ravens’ 2020 schedule was released. While we’ve known who the Ravens would play this season, the order was still up in the air and could dramatically change the difficulty of some matchups. But with the schedule released, some games look to be even easier than previously thought.

While Baltimore has more than a few really tough matchups to be concerned about, the easiest strength-of-schedule in the NFL will see the Ravens face off against some cans as well. These three games should be the easiest of the bunch for Baltimore.

Check out game-by-game score predictions from around the NFL Wires network:

Buf / Mia / NE / NYJ // Bal / Cin / Cle / Pit // Hou / Ind / Jax / Ten // Den / KC / LV / LAC //// Dal / NYG / Phi / Was // Chi / Det / GB / Min // Atl / Car / NO / TB // Ari / LAR / SF / Sea

Week 5 vs. Cincinnati Bengals

All the talk is rightfully focused on the Bengals’ first-round pick and new franchise quarterback Joe Burrow. Many pundits think Cincinnati is primed for a quick turnaround this season and could be a legitimate threat with Burrow under center.

But it’s not like Andy Dalton was a terrible quarterback before Burrow came to town and the Bengals weren’t consistently competitive in the AFC North before this draft. Nearly all rookie quarterbacks struggle upon getting into the league, including greats like Peyton Manning. Week 5 will be Burrow’s first serious test and welcoming into the NFL by a great defense and the Ravens have often made rookie passers look especially terrible.

An early home game against a division opponent with a rookie quarterback and limited talent on both sides of the ball should give Baltimore a massive edge in this game.

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Ravens games we’re most excited about in 2020

The Baltimore Ravens 2020 schedule is littered with amazing matchups. Though it might be the easiest strength of schedule based on last year’s records, Baltimore will face off against a number of top teams in 2020. With so many great games circled …

With so many great games circled on the calendar, the writers here at Ravens Wire came together to discuss which ones we’re most excited about this season. Take a look below to see which games we’ve highlighted and what we believe makes them so special.

Check out game-by-game score predictions from around the NFL Wires network:

Buf / Mia / NE / NYJ // Bal / Cin / Cle / Pit // Hou / Ind / Jax / Ten // Den / KC / LV / LAC //// Dal / NYG / Phi / Was // Chi / Det / GB / Min // Atl / Car / NO / TB // Ari / LAR / SF / Sea

Matthew Stevens: Week 11 vs. Tennessee Titans

This game didn’t get much love on the schedule with it being in a standard timeslot, but seeing no hoopla about the matchup is actually even more fitting. It’s going to be a knock-down, drag-out fight between two teams that love to run the football and are coached well. The fact this is a replay of the Divisional Playoffs only adds fuel to the fire and Ravens fans are absolutely going to be pumped for it.

Baltimore spent so much of their offseason gearing up for this exact game and shoring up the weaknesses that got them kicked out of the playoffs in the first place. But this will be the real test and if the Ravens can not only win but pull off a decisive victory, you’d have to think their Super Bowl chances are going to shoot through the roof.

No matter which way you slice it, this might actually be Baltimore’s most exciting game of the 2020 season.

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Ravens to travel the least in the NFL in 2020

The Baltimore Ravens will only travel 6,310 miles for games on their 2020 schedule, making it the least of any team over the last four years

The Baltimore Ravens won’t have to travel very far from home in order to play football in 2020. With the Ravens’ 2020 schedule released, Baltimore has a pretty easy slate of games ahead of them and not a lot of travel to be had.

According to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, the Ravens will only travel 6,310 miles this season, which is the lowest of any team over the last four years. They’ll travel nearly a third of the 15,624 miles they saw last season and have no road games on the west coast. The furthest game for Baltimore will be in Week 2 against the Houston Texans, a distance of 1,254.7 miles when calculated from stadium to stadium.

After traveling across the country for at least one game in each of the last three seasons, Baltimore’s limited travel in 2020 is a welcome change. In 2015, the Ravens had four long treks, opening the season with back-to-back games against the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders and as well as back-to-back games against the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals.

While the lack of long flights might put a dent in someone’s air miles, the hope is the Ravens are able to stay fresher over the course of the season and it will result in more wins. But we’ll just have to see if that theory proves correct and if Baltimore can improve upon their 14-2 record from last season.

Check out game-by-game score predictions from around the NFL Wires network:

Buf / Mia / NE / NYJ // Bal / Cin / Cle / Pit // Hou / Ind / Jax / Ten // Den / KC / LV / LAC //// Dal / NYG / Phi / Was // Chi / Det / GB / Min // Atl / Car / NO / TB // Ari / LAR / SF / Sea

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5 hardest games on Ravens’ 2020 schedule

The Baltimore Ravens have the easiest strength of schedule in 2020 but will still have a few really tough games.

With the 2020 NFL schedule released, we finally know when the Baltimore Ravens will play each and every game and in which order. While the Ravens have the easiest schedule in the NFL, at least according to last year’s records, that doesn’t mean it’ll be a cakewalk this season.

Baltimore is slated to play some of the best teams in the league and with most roster improving from last year, there are plenty of games that will be tough. With an eye towards the future and which matchups could be the biggest thorns in the Ravens’ sides, let’s take a look at the hardest games for Baltimore in 2020.

Check out game-by-game score predictions from around the NFL Wires network:

Buf / Mia / NE / NYJ // Bal / Cin / Cle / Pit // Hou / Ind / Jax / Ten // Den / KC / LV / LAC //// Dal / NYG / Phi / Was // Chi / Det / GB / Min // Atl / Car / NO / TB // Ari / LAR / SF / Sea

Week 1 vs. Cleveland Browns

The way the Ravens embarrassed the Browns at the end of last season, Cleveland is going to be looking for some revenge and a strong start for 2020.

While the Browns have struggled a lot in recent years, they’ve usually played Baltimore very tough regardless of their talent level. Cleveland is arguably one of the most talented teams in the league and with a new coaching staff, they might finally be able to turn that talent into wins. But it all starts in Week 1, which is a tough ask for the Ravens.

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Ravens have 5 primetime games in 2020 including Thanksgiving matchup vs. Steelers

The Ravens will get a rare treat when they take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thanksgiving. It’s just one of their five primetime games

The Baltimore Ravens cemented themselves as one of the best teams in the NFL last season. They quickly overcame defensive issues to coast through the second half of the season, posting a 14-2 record. Not only did they win almost all of their games, they absolutely destroyed several playoff teams in the process. While the 2019 season didn’t end in the fashion the Ravens would have liked, they’re reaping the rewards of their regular-season success in 2020.

With the Ravens’ 2020 schedule released, Baltimore is slated to play five primetime games this upcoming season. The Ravens will be featured on “Monday Night Football” twice, “Sunday Night Football” once, and “Thursday Night Football” twice, including a great Thanksgiving matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Here’s the full list of primetime games Baltimore gets in 2020:

Week 3 vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Week 10 at New England Patriots
Week 12 at Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 13 vs. Dallas Cowboys
Week 14 at Cleveland Browns

It’s worth pointing out the Ravens have only had one other game on Thanksgiving, which just so happened to also be against the Steelers. Baltimore won that game, 22-20, edging out Pittsburgh in the final minute. As shown on the main photo, wide receiver Jacoby Jones won the coveted turkey leg that night after being tripped up by Steelers coach Mike Tomlin on a long kickoff return.

Perhaps even more impressive than the sheer number of primetime games Baltimore will get is that they have three of them in a row. From Week 12-14, the Ravens will be on in front of a national audience. That consistency in the spotlight should help Baltimore increase their fanbase abroad.

With several marquee matchups on the docket for 2020, and plenty in the spotlight, the Ravens will have a chance to show the entire world just how good they are.

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Derek Wolfe excited to not have to play against Patrick Mahomes twice a season

Newly signed Baltimore Ravens DL Derek Wolfe is out of the AFC West now and is excited to escape Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes

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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is one of the few new faces of the NFL. After winning the NFL’s MVP award in 2018, Mahomes gave the Chiefs their first Super Bowl title in 50 years by beating the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. Former Denver Broncos defensive lineman Derek Wolfe is out of the AFC West now after signing a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens this offseason, and he’s hoping that means the end of playing Mahomes twice a season.

“I mean I’m glad I don’t have to play against (Mahomes) twice a year now,” Wolfe said, per Mike Klis of 9News. “Because he was such a huge pain in the ass. You’d get a lead on him and they’d still find a way to come back. They have such a good team all around. I’m excited to be part of another team that’s looking just like that.”

However, Wolfe might want to look at Baltimore’s schedule this season before he becomes too thankful. The Ravens are set to take on the Chiefs in Baltimore this upcoming season and are liable to meet in the playoffs if both teams continue to be as good as they proved last season.

Since Wolfe came into the league in 2012, the Broncos have gone 7-9 against the Chiefs. However, since Mahomes became the starting quarterback in 2018, Kansas City has beaten Denver in all four meetings by a combined score of 110-55. The Ravens haven’t fared much better, losing their two meetings with Mahomes by a combined score of 60-52.

Baltimore is hoping the additions of Wolfe and Calais Campbell this offseason will be the juice they need to get over tough teams like the Chiefs and to another Super Bowl.

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