One of the portions of the new collective bargaining agreement the NFL and NFLPA signed last offseason was the ability to expand the season to 17 games. Though it was never formally written when the 17-game schedule would be implemented, many expected it to start in 2021 as the NFL begins negotiations on their broadcast contracts with television networks. If that happens, there would be a new challenger added to the Baltimore Ravens’ 2021 schedule.
On Monday, Peter King of NBC Sports wrote that a 17-game NFL season is “highly likely in 2021” as the TV partners and NFL schedulers have been working under that assumption this offseason. In that scenario, the AFC North would face the NFC West with teams that finished in the same position in the standings facing off. Having both finished second in their respective divisions, the Ravens would take on the Los Angeles Rams.
The last time Baltimore played the Rams was two seasons ago in a 45-6 Monday night beatdown in Los Angeles. Lamar Jackson threw for 169 yards and five touchdowns while also rushing for 95 yards. Cornerback Marcus Peters had recently been traded from the Rams to the Ravens and made his former team pay, notching one of the two interceptions Baltimore had on Jared Goff that night.
However, with Los Angeles recently agreeing to a trade with the Detroit Lions for quarterback Matthew Stafford, the Rams might not be as much of a pushover this time around. It would be a very interesting matchup between two teams expected to fight for their respective division crowns and a spot in Super Bowl LVI.
What hasn’t been made clear yet is where the game would be played. Under the 16-game schedule, teams play an equal number of home and away games. If the schedule is expanded to 17 games, half the league would be forced to play an extra road game while the other half would get an additional home game.
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