Tag: Baltimore Ravens playoffs

Ravens’ playoff scenarios for Week 17: What seed will Baltimore earn?

The Baltimore Ravens have a plethora of ways to get into the postseason now but what seed will they have and who will they face?

Week 16 isn’t completely over, as the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots still need to clash on “Monday Night Football.” But for the Ravens’ playoff scenarios, things are as clear as they’re going to get until next week when the dust settles. And with fans hungry to know where Baltimore stands in the playoff hunt, it’s a perfect opportunity to see exactly what’s potentially in store for the Ravens beyond Week 17.

Using ESPN’s playoff machine, I calculated every major scenario for the AFC to determine what is most likely to happen for the Ravens. While I didn’t factor in ties, this breaks down how Baltimore could be as high as the fifth seed and as low as out of the postseason entirely, and everything that needs to happen for each scenario.

For those wanting to keep track of the madness, it all starts tonight with the Bills vs. Patriots. But in Week 17, the Ravens vs. Bengals, Dolphins vs. Bills, Steelers vs. Browns, Titans vs. Texans, and Jaguars vs. Colts are all critically important to figuring out where Baltimore winds up and who they’ll face in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs.

Let’s dig into each possibility below and just how likely each scenario is.

Ravens stake claim on No. 6 seed in playoffs after Colts, Browns lose in Week 16

With the Colts and Browns losing in Week 16, the Baltimore Ravens now control the 6th seed and just need to win out to claim a playoff spot

The Baltimore Ravens had a few playoff scenarios that could earn them a spot at the big kid’s table this week. And by taking care of their own business, beating the New York Giants 27-13, it was time to watch the scoreboard.

Baltimore got exactly what it needed, seeing both the Indianapolis Colts lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 28-24, and the Cleveland Browns lose to the New York Jets, 23-16. The Ravens are right in the thick of the playoff race again, sitting in the No. 6 seed Sunday evening.

With the Colts and Browns falling to 10-5 and Baltimore holding the head-to-head tiebreakers against both teams, the Ravens sit ahead of both and their path to the playoffs is far simpler. But that doesn’t mean they’re fully locked in yet. The Ravens will still need to beat the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17 to cement themselves into the Wild Card round.

For the first time in quite a few weeks, Baltimore is fully in control of their own destiny. And they’ve been heating up at exactly the right time, seeing the offense begin to find a rhythm with a defense that is just starting to get healthy again. The Ravens are far from perfect but the rest of the AFC hasn’t looked any better, giving hope Baltimore can still live their Super Bowl dreams this season.

[vertical-gallery id=58357]

Ravens are playing playoff-caliber football but still might not make the cut

The Ravens are doing everything right recently, winning 3 big games and improving each step. But they still might not be playoff-bound

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.

[listicle id=58082]

Proposed playoff changes would have been a positive for the Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens would have gotten into the playoffs in 2017 with a 9-7 record had they played under the newly proposed NFL CBA for 2020

The NFL and NFLPA have been working hard at the negotiating table on a new collective bargaining agreement. The current CBA runs out after the 2020 season, making a new deal imperative for both the league and players to avoid a potential work stoppage.

Among the potential changes coming to the NFL is a change in the playoff format. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, a current proposal has the NFL playoffs expanding from six teams to seven and would begin as early as the 2020 season.

While the Baltimore Ravens had no trouble getting into the playoffs last season, earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a 14-2 record, they would have benefitted previously. Back in 2017, the Ravens finished seventh in the AFC with a 9-7 record, which under the new CBA proposal would have been enough to lock up a playoff spot.

However, the flip side is that last season would have seen the Pittsburgh Steelers slide into the postseason with an 8-8 record after losing to Baltimore’s backups in Week 17. With only one bye being proposed under the new CBA, the Steelers would have faced off against the No. 2 seed Kansas City Chiefs.

With the Ravens looking like the cream of the crop in the AFC for the near future, the expanded playoffs likely won’t have much effect on their chances. However, it could give them a lesser opponent in the first round and help them get on a roll.

Let us know what you think about the new proposed playoff rules.

[vertical-gallery id=42644]