Ravens Favored to Host Familiar Foe in Playoff Projections

The Baltimore Ravens are far from the model of your typical division leader. They currently lead the AFC North with a 6-6 record, a sentence that was considered unthinkable just a few years ago, as they could realistically slip into the playoffs with a record right around .500.

Even while dealing with a constant rotation of on-field concerns that most frequently include the offensive line prohibiting the rest of the potential scorers from finding their rhythm, the oft-injured Lamar Jackson's sudden slippage in production and the beleaguered defense, none of their once-imposing divisional neighbors have convincingly capitalized on the fallen favorites.

The Cleveland Browns are effectively out of the race while the Cincinnati Bengals, reinvigorated since adding Joe Burrow back to the starting unit, will require further collapse from one of the de-factor division headliners. The Pittsburgh Steelers are only getting unhealthier and older as the season progresses, leaving two matchups across the final five weeks to determine which northern pseudo-contender will limp into the postseason.

Baltimore Ravens Quarterback Lamar Jackson — Bengals Barrett Carter (49) rushes Ravens Lamar Jackson (8) during their game at M&T Bank Stadium on Thanksgiving Thursday November 27, 2025. The Bengals won the game with a final score of 33-14. | Phil Didion/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ravens have the best odds of the bunch, with ESPN's Football Power Index giving them a 60.2% chance of advancing past Week 18, which will almost certainly land them with the No. 4 seed in sparing them from the less-lucky field of Wild Card hunters. But if that were to happen, they'd have to face the best non-division winner of the bunch, and that's a team that the Ravens would be otherwise-best off avoiding.

Attempting to Avoid the Inevitable

The Buffalo Bills have eight wins to their name entering Week 14, two more than the current northern leaders. One of those pivotal victories was convincingly earned against these Ravens in Week 1, when they added to their most recent playoff victory with a 15-point fourth-quarter rally to stun the same team in back-to-back games between seasons.

And just like how the Ravens seem like the frontrunners to nab the AFC's fourth seed, the Bills look destined to be bound to the Wild Card round. Their briefly-dormant rivals, the New England Patriots, are all the way back with an 11-2 record, and they're getting tougher to catch by the week in continually adding to a 10-game win streak.

Most likely wild card round matchup to occur:

Bills-Ravens, with a 24% chance it happens.
— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) December 1, 2025

The Bills, much like several other Wild Card bets, would fare well against the underachieving Ravens, who won't look like themselves until Jackson finds the health to burn opposing defenses on the ground like he has over the course of his career. But he'd benefit from avoiding another run-in against his personal foil in Josh Allen, who hasn't stop one-upping the two-time MVP since winning the award himself earlier this year.

Buffalo's looked lackadaisical at times themselves, dealing with their own version of the wide receiver shortcomings that Ravens fans can certainly rationalize with. But after a rollercoaster ride of a season that's somehow included a five-game win streak and losses against nearly every competent team they've lined up against, an embarrassing first-round butt-whooping against their same old tormenters would be an appropriate way for this group to go out.

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