Ranking Every Game on the Baltimore Ravens Schedule From Easiest to Hardest

The Baltimore Ravens have a favorable slate, and here's how it stacks up, from least to most daunting, in terms of factors such as opposing quarterbacks, overall roster talent and coaching advantages.

Sep 24, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith (0) reacts after a play during the second half against the Indianapolis Colts at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Last year, the Baltimore Ravens learned the hard way that games are ultimately won and loss of the field between the lines and not on paper when looking at depth charts. They entered the 2025 season with the most hype and what was believed to be the most talent of any team in the league. Yet, injuries and inconsistent play caused them to miss out on making the postseason altogether.

This colossal failure resulted in major changes at the top and throughout the organization, starting with the head coach, where they replaced long-time steward John Harbaugh with former Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and revamped their offensive and defensive trenches with veteran and young additions.

Now that the 2026 schedule is officially out, it's the perfect time to rank the Ravens slate of games from least to most daunting as it currently stands.

Week 1 at Indianapolis Colts

While the former and original Baltimore franchise had a solid offseason and still has plenty of star talent on both sides of the ball with the likes of running back Jonathan Taylor and cornerback Sauce Gardner, what makes this matchup the list comes down to a couple of major factors.

First and foremost is that it will either be Colts quarterback Daniel Jones' first game back from a torn Achilles he suffered in December, or Minter's defensive unit might end up going against one of either 2025 late-round pick Riley Leonard or former 2023 first-round bust Anthony Richardson.

The second significant factor is the prep time that Minter and his staff will have to prepare for this matchup with film from last year to go off of, as the Colts are returning both play-callers, whereas the Ravens are trotting out something totally new and won't be tipping their hand in the preseason. Combine these two factors with the fact that it will be played on the road and mark the first regular season game of a new era for the Ravens, their players will be laser-focused and fiercely determined to put their best foot forward.

Week 4 vs. Tennessee Titans

The Ravens couldn't have asked for an easier matchup among their remaining opponents to face at home in their first game back from their international business trip in South America.

They'll be going up against a new-look Titans squad led by second-year quarterback and 2025 first overall pick Cam Ward. The Titans added some new weapons to their arsenal at wide receiver via the draft and free agency and shaped their defense under first-year head coach Robert Saleh, but it likely won't be enough to overcome what will likely be a hot Ravens team through the first few weeks.

Week 2 vs. New Orleans Saints

After finishing with one of the worst home records in franchise history last year, the Ravens get their first chance to wash that awful taste from their and the fans' mouths in their home opener, where they'll be hosting another young upstart team led by a second-year signal caller in Tyler Shough. If healthy, his talented group of pass catchers could potentially challenge Baltimore's talented secondary, but it's still a mismatch on paper, taking everything into account.

Week 16 vs. Cleveland Browns

The Ravens have taken care of business with relative ease at home against this particular division rival, dropping 35-plus points in each of the last two while holding the Browns to under 20 in both. At this point in the season, they'll be in the midst of a four-game divisional gauntlet to close out the final month and will be determined to make the most of it by a minimum of winning their last two home games, which starts against Cleveland on Dec. 27, two days after Christmas.

Week 5 at Atlanta Falcons

The Ravens first primetime game will come against a team that has explosive talent on offense at the skill positions with the likes of Drake London, Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson but will be led by one of two injury-prone left-handed quarterbacks in either Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr. Atlanta's defense has young up-and-comers who flashed as rookies, the Terrell brothers and are led by Pro Bowl safety Jessie Bates III but that won't be enough to slow down Lamar Jackson and the Ravens new-look offense.

Week 3 at Cowboys (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

Sep 22, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) signals during the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images | Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

While this looks like the toughest game of the Ravens’ softer opening slate of games, it's still against a non-playoff team from a year ago in another country where neither one of them will have a homefield advantage. There's also the fact that Jackson is 2-0 against the Cowboys in his career, and although they've made some key additions to the roster and coaching staff this offseason, the Ravens have made more and better ones, giving them a decisive edge in this international interconference matchup.

Week 7 vs. Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals have historically been a slow-starting team under head coach Zach Taylor, and until he can prove otherwise, it can be assumed that history will repeat itself in 2026 despite the overhaul the front office made in the defensive trenches and backfield through the draft and free agency.

Week 6 at Cleveland Browns

Coach Todd Monken watches different groups practice at the Browns mini camp in Berea on April 21, 2026. | Lisa Scalfaro / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For some reason, the usually lowly Browns regularly find a way to give the Ravens a run for their money in front of the Dawg Pound, even if they still come up short more often than not. The two teams have split the last two meetings in Cleveland, with both being decided by a touchdown or less. In his first game, going up against his former team, where he was canned after guiding Jackson to two of the best seasons of his career in three years as the Ravens' offensive coordinator, Browns first-year head coach Todd Monken will have his team hyped up and locked in for this AFC North clash.

Week 14 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Coming off a well-placed bye, this interconference showdown will serve as the Ravens' tune-up before they close out the regular season with four straight divisional matchups. Jackson is 7-3 against Buccaneers starting quarterback Baker Mayfield and is 3-0 against Tampa Bay with an average passer rating of 125.1 and eight touchdowns to no interceptions. Nevertheless, it should be an entertaining and potentially high-scoring game with the weapons at both quarterbacks' disposal.

Week 11 at Carolina Panthers

The Panthers are one of the few teams the Ravens don't lead the all-time series against, trailing 4-3, and even though they've won three of the last four, they're 1-3 all in Carolina all-time. This particular Panthers squad they'll be facing is the reigning NFC South champions, who showed a penchant for playing up to a higher level of competition, and this matchup will be the first of back-to-back road games before the Ravens' bye week.

Week 18 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Depending on how the year plays out up to this point, this season finale could wind up deciding the winner of the division crown for the second year in a row and get flexed into primetime, or the Ravens could have the AFC North title clinched with a week to spare, and they decide to rest several key starters against their archrivals. Either is possible, but in the event that the latter comes to pass, this game slots in here on the difficulty scale.

Week 12 at Houston Texans

In the final bout before their bye, the Ravens will take on a familiar foe who they have played in each of the last three seasons, including twice in 2023, with the second time coming in the wildcard round of the playoffs.

While they're 4-0 against the Texans with Lamar Jackson under center dating back to 2019, they'll be looking for some revenge. In Week 5 last year, Houston ran up the score and boisterously celebrated as they blew out a banged-up band of Baltimore backups led by Cooper Rush, who was replaced as the No. 2 quarterback before the end of the season and released after the first season of the two-year deal he signed last offseason.

There's no denying how elite the Texans' championship-caliber defense has been under head coach DeMeco Ryans, but Jackson and the Ravens have had no trouble turning it into minced meat when healthy.

Week 10 vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Even though they'll be coming off their first of two mini-byes, this game will be a dogfight that both sides are going to be hyped up for, as Minter will be going up against his former team, where he spent the past two years.

His mentor and Chargers head coach, Jim Harbaugh, will want to stick it to the team that just fired his older brother after nearly two decades of prosperity and faithful service. There are several other ties between the two teams when it comes to the personnel, scheme, and even front office that mirror each other in many ways. Jackson is 4-0 against the Chargers in the regular season and 3-0 against Justin Herbert head-to-head. With both of them having new play-callers, it'll be exciting to see who comes out on top in what could be an epic duel.

Week 9 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Although they will be playing the first of back-to-back primetime home games, this one will be coming off a short week against the reigning AFC South champions, who are equipped with one of the most talented quarterbacks and brilliant offensive play-callers in Trevor Lawrence and Liam Coen. The Jaguars defense under Anthony Campanile is one of the most ferocious in the league, and neither one of these teams has won back-to-back games against the other in this series since 2003.

Week 15 at Pittsburgh Steelers

Jan 4, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Baltimore Ravens place kicker Tyler Loop (33) reacts after missing the game winning field goal against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second half at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

This game will be one of the hardest for the Ravens, both physically and mentally, as it's their first of the season against their archrivals and reigning division champions. It will also be taking place in the same venue where their 2025 playoff hopes came to a soul-crushing end in last year's finale. While being physical won't be a challenge, staying composed and managing their emotions will be a main focus because, on paper, they have a decisive talent advantage yet again, especially at quarterback, where the ever mercurial Aaron Rodgers is still not under contract with Pittsburgh.

Week 17 at Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Burrow finally got his wish of a primetime game against the Ravens at home, but he could come to regret it if there winds up being a hat and t-shirt celebration for the visiting team when it's all said and done. However, victory won't come easily for Baltimore as the Bengals are usually red-hot and playing their best at this point in the season because they've given themselves no margin for error. Expect Burrow and his dynamic wide receiver duo of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to do everything in their power to try to defend the jungle and send the Ravens home packing. It'll be up to Minter and Jackson to put both sides of the ball in the right positions to prevail in what could be the AFC North title game.

Week 8 at Buffalo Bills

The Ravens have outplayed the Bills in each of their last three meetings, yet managed to find mind-boggling ways to lose the last two late in the game with a chance to complete a rally or seal the victory.

Josh Allen is the best quarterback they will face this season, as the former league MVP has shown that he can carve them up and make clutch plays with his arm as a passer and legs as a bulldozing runner. It's hard to fathom that the latest installment of this rivalry between these two generational quarterbacks won't be played on primetime, given how epic the last two have been, but that could play into the Ravens' favor from a psychological standpoint, as it won't have the added pressure of having the whole nation watching for the first time since 2022.