Injury-Plagued Ravens Still In Control of Playoff Destiny

Baltimore must win its final two AFC North games.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens control their own destiny for the playoffs despite the number of injuries that have ravaged their roster.

Baltimore is still in first place in the AFC North at 8-5, followed by the Cleveland Browns (7-6), Cincinnati Bengals (7-6) and Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6-1).

The Ravens also hold the fourth seed in the AFC playoffs behind the New England Patriots (9-4), Tennessee Titans (9-4) and Kansas City Chiefs (9-4).

Baltimore has games against the Packers, at the Bengals, the Rams, and the Steelers over the final stretch of the season, which further puts their playoff lives in their own hands.

The Ravens can likely afford to drop games against the pair of NFC opponents as long as they beat their divisional opponents over the final stretch of the season.

In fact, Baltimore has a 98 percent chance of making the playoffs by going 2-2 with their two wins against the Bengals and Steelers, according to projectfivethirtyeight.com.

Baltimore is 1-3 in the AFC North win a win against the Browns and losses to Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Cleveland. 

The Bengals are 3-1 in the division, while the Browns and Steelers are 2-2. That's why it's imperative the Ravens win their final two division games.

The Ravens received some good news when Lamar Jackson avoided a high ankle sprain in Week 14 against the Cleveland Browns. That injury could have ended his season.

Instead, Jackson was diagnosed with a low ankle sprain, which means that he could be back in the lineup this week against the Packers.

“We’re going to see where we’re at with the situation," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "The plans are right now, in my mind, for Lamar [Jackson] to be out there. So, we’ll see where it goes this week. If he can go, he’ll go. If not, Tyler [Huntley] will be the quarterback. So, that’s where we’re at.”

However, it might be prudent to give Jackson an extra week of rest to get him ready for the showdown at Cincinnati, which beat the Ravens 41-17 on Oct. 24. 

The Ravens have shown incredible fortitude with their ability to compete with 20 players on Injured Reserve, including all seven starters.

"Everybody is doing their best, fighting their hardest," Harbaugh said. "I’m really extremely proud of every person on the team, coaches and players, and I’m very, very confident. We have four games left. Each one of those four games represents an opportunity for us to get where we want to go. I’m excited for that opportunity. We have tough, high-character people. It’s the NFL; we’re in a fight. We’re in a fight to get what we want, and we’ll be fighting."