Ravens Still Have Clear Path To Postseason

Hope and optimism with the Baltimore Ravens seem to have vanished early in the season from the fan base, but there's no reason to believe this can't still be fixed.

The Ravens are off to a rough start at 1-4, the first time that has happened since 2015, a year in which they finished with a 5-11 record. While the record isn't excellent, the start of the season hasn't been all that horrible.

Their first three games featured two 2024 playoff teams in the Buffalo Bills and the Detroit Lions, where they lost by one possession. Baltimore also took care of business in a blowout 41-17 win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 2.

Things started to go off the rails against the Kansas City Chiefs when Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson got hurt and the offense lost momentum. The Ravens suffered a 17-point loss to Kansas City in Week 4, and things got worse in Week 5 with a humiliating 44-10 loss to the Houston Texans.

The theme of the first quarter of the Ravens' season has been poor defense and injuries. A lot of injuries.

It seems all the chips are stacked against the Ravens in their hopes of making the postseason. There is actually a pretty simple path to getting there: trusting in Jackson and Harbaugh.

Baltimore Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

ESPN shared their roundtable of the AFC North's quarterback situation, with all but the Pittsburgh Steelers having a different starter going into Week 6. There were a couple of key stats that might pique the interest of the Ravens fan base, offering them a glimmer of hope.

Since 2018, Jackson has had a 39-11 record as the starter for the team in the final three months of the regular season. That 78% winning percentage is the second-highest record in the NFL in that span. Ravens fans can probably predict who is number one, and he's got three Super Bowls to his name.

Not only that stat, but ESPN Analytics also added that the Ravens still have a 40% chance of making the playoffs, the ninth highest in the AFC. For a one-win team, that percentage can be a lot worse.

Baltimore's schedule is actually pretty favorable for the team. With Jackson out this week vs. the Los Angeles Rams, that would leave his return after the bye in Week 8 against the Chicago Bears.

That's when things start getting better for the Ravens, as they face five teams with .500 or below records. Two of those teams are in the AFC North (Bengals twice and Browns once).

The Ravens should get healthier after the bye week, as they have six games where they should be favored and win. As long as they can split the rest of the five games, they can still get to nine or 10 wins on the season.

It won't be easy, but with Jackson back at quarterback after the bye week, the Ravens could give themselves a fighting chance to shock the football world and make the playoffs.

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