The Ravens’ season has taken another sharp turn-this time, in the wrong direction. Heading into Week 14, Baltimore was sitting atop the AFC North at 6-6, riding high on the momentum of a six-game win streak. But after a tough 27-22 home loss to the Steelers, they’ve dropped to 6-7 and now sit second in the division, a full game behind Pittsburgh, who also holds the head-to-head tiebreaker.
The loss doesn’t just sting-it reshapes the entire playoff picture for a team that had clawed its way back from a 1-5 start. For a while, it looked like the Ravens were scripting a classic late-season surge, one that could end with a division crown in what’s been the NFL’s weakest division this year. But the signs have been there for weeks: this team has struggled to find consistency on both sides of the ball, and those cracks are now widening at the worst possible time.
Let’s be clear-rattling off six straight wins after the bye was impressive. That stretch showed grit and resilience.
But the back-to-back home losses to the Bengals and now the Steelers? Those are the kinds of defeats that derail playoff runs.
If Baltimore does end up missing the postseason, it’ll be the first time in four years and only the second time in the last eight. That’s not the standard this franchise has set for itself-and they know it.
The Playoff Picture Just Got Murky
Before kickoff in Week 14, the Ravens were holding down the No. 4 seed in the AFC. Now?
They’re looking up at a crowded field from the No. 10 spot. The Texans (7-5) and Chiefs (6-6) have leapfrogged them, and both own head-to-head wins over Baltimore.
To make matters worse, those two face off in primetime, meaning one of them is guaranteed to gain more ground.
And don’t forget about the Dolphins. They’ve battled back to 6-7, same as the Ravens, and while Baltimore holds the tiebreaker from a Week 9 win, that cushion could disappear quickly if the Ravens can’t stop the slide.
The Road Ahead Is Brutal
If there’s any hope left in Baltimore, it’s about to be tested-and then some. Here’s what’s waiting for them:
- Week 15: at Bengals (4-9)
- **Week 16: vs.
Patriots (11-2)**
- Week 17: at Packers (8-3-1)
- Week 18: at Steelers (7-6)
Yes, they get a shot at revenge in Cincinnati after a sloppy Week 13 loss at home. But beyond that?
It’s a gauntlet. The Patriots and Packers are two of the most complete teams in the league right now, and both are in the thick of their own playoff pushes.
Then there’s the season finale in Pittsburgh-a place where wins don’t come easy, especially when the stakes are high.
Baltimore has been decent on the road this season, going 3-2 away from M&T Bank Stadium. But those wins came against Miami, Minnesota, and Cleveland-none of whom are playing at the level of New England, Green Bay, or even this version of the Steelers.
The Harsh Reality
The Ravens already pulled off one resurrection this season. Coming back from 1-5 to 6-6 is no small feat.
But doing it again? With this schedule, and with the way Lamar Jackson and the defense have looked lately?
That’s a much taller order.
Jackson hasn’t quite found his rhythm, and the defense has been inconsistent-flashing at times, but too often bending at critical moments. The margin for error is razor-thin, and Baltimore is running out of time, opportunities, and answers.
It’s not over yet-not mathematically. But if you’re being honest about what this team has shown over the past two weeks, the road to the playoffs no longer looks like a climb. It looks like a cliff.