Ian Rapoport: Ravens Have As Good a Chance As Any AFC Team to Reach Super Bowl if They Make Playoffs
The Ravens will punch their ticket to the playoffs if they prevail in Sunday night's winner-take-all game in Pittsburgh, and if they do, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport believes they can knock out anyone in the AFC.
"The crazy thing is if the Ravens go out and win, and certainly if the ground game looks like it did last week, they will have as good a chance to go out and compete and win games and reach the Super Bowl as maybe any other team, and certainly as they would've before they had all these issues this year," Rapoport said.
As Rapoport alluded, it's been a challenging season for the Ravens, who entered the season as a Super Bowl favorite, got off to a 1-5 start, and then rallied to put themselves in position to win an unprecedented third consecutive AFC North title.
It's also been a challenging season for Lamar Jackson. The two-time MVP has missed four games this season due to various injuries, including a back contusion that prevented him from playing in last week's win over the Green Bay Packers.
Jackson returned to practice Wednesday as a full participant, and Head Coach John Harbaugh said he's optimistic that Jackson will play against the Steelers.
Rapoport said this is an important game not only for the Ravens, but also for Jackson.
"There's a lot to play for this week for the Baltimore Ravens, and there's a lot to play for just as far as his entire career in Baltimore," Rapoport said. "... If the Ravens are going to give Lamar Jackson a huge contract extension, you have to imagine they're going to want to see him play like the MVP that he is. Sunday might be his only opportunity. … A lot is riding on this and everyone is going to be watching for many, many reasons."
What Is the Most Concerning Weakness for Ravens and Steelers?
ESPN’s Aaron Schatz identified a concerning weakness for every team that's in the playoffs or still in contention. For the Ravens, it's passing in the red zone.
"The Ravens have been awful this season when the field is condensed and there's less room to work with," Schatz wrote. "Quarterback Lamar Jackson has been particularly bad, ranking last in both passing DVOA and EPA per dropback inside the 20-yard line.
"With the injuries he has dealt with in 2025, Jackson hasn't had the mobility to do the magical things outside the pocket that have always given him an advantage in the red zone. And the Ravens don't exactly make up for it with a great running game, as they are only 19th in rush DVOA in the red zone."
The Ravens have been much more efficient in the red zone the past two weeks. They were 4-for-6 against the Packers and 2-for-3 the week prior against the New England Patriots.
"The good news for Baltimore is that this season's best defenses in the red zone are primarily teams from the NFC playoff field," Schatz wrote. "Denver (third) is a clear exception, but no other AFC team is in the top 10."
Schatz said the Steelers' most concerning weakness is their dependence on short passes.
"At age 42, quarterback Aaron Rodgers does not have the arm he once had, and the Steelers' passing game is designed around getting the ball out fast," Schatz wrote. "Rodgers has an average depth of target of just 6.1 yards, tied with the Browns' Dillon Gabriel for the shortest in the league this season. Rodgers has thrown 86% of his passes at 15 air yards or shorter, second behind Gabriel in this case.
"Why does this matter? The Steelers haven't been particularly efficient in this short passing game. Rodgers' DVOA on these passes is slightly below the NFL average."
Rodgers Will Ponder Future After Season Is Over
Speaking of Rodgers, he said he'll ponder his future when the season is over. The Ravens are hoping his contemplation will begin after Sunday night's game.
"I'm thinking about this week, but obviously I'm 42 years old and I'm on a one-year deal," Rodgers said, per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. "So you know what the situation is. Whenever the season ends, I'll be a free agent. So that'll give me a lot of options if I still want to play. I mean, not a lot of options, but there'll be options, I would think, maybe one or two, if I decide I still want to play.
"I've enjoyed this experience, and everybody in Pittsburgh has been fantastic to me on and off the field. And it's really what I was hoping for this experience was, it's been even better than I was hoping."
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin said on Tuesday that he's “committed to making sure” the game against the Ravens isn't Rodgers' last.
Baltimore and Pittsburgh were involved in a similar situation in the 2021 season. In a must-win game for both teams in Week 18, veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger led the Steelers to a 16-13 overtime win in Baltimore in what ended up being the final regular-season game of his career.
Kyle Hamilton Named to ESPN's All-Pro First Team
Safety Kyle Hamilton continues to accumulate accolades.
Hamilton, who was announced Wednesday as the winner of the Ravens’ MVP and Media Good Guy awards as voted on by local reporters, has been named to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell’s All-Pro first team.
"Hamilton's versatility has been essential for the Ravens," Barnwell wrote. "Last year, the Ravens salvaged what had been a frustrating defense by moving Hamilton into a deep-lying role, and they fielded one of the best defenses in the NFL from that point forward. This year? With the defense struggling to start the season, coordinator Zach Orr moved Hamilton back into the box, where he has had a Derwin James-like impact around the line of scrimmage. You're not really supposed to be able to play both of those roles at an All-Pro level. Hamilton does.
"Watching him just shrug off offensive linemen who outweigh him by more than 100 pounds to make tackles on run plays is just remarkable. He hasn't been in coverage as often as in years past, but Hamilton has been effective when called on to take on tight ends and slot receivers this season, too. His presence has been absolutely essential on a Ravens team that has faced uncertainty, inconsistent play and injuries from much of its front seven."
Center Tyler Linderbaum was named to Barnwell's second team.
