Pundit Predicts Ravens Will Win Division, Be the Team 'Nobody Wants to Play' in Playoffs
Even though the Ravens are 1-5 and have sole possession of last place in the AFC North, they still have a roster so talented (along with a favorable schedule) that there's reason to be cautiously optimistic about their chances of going on a tear and making the playoffs.
Yahoo! Sports' Frank Schwab is throwing caution to the wind. Not only does he believe the Ravens will win the division, but he also thinks they'll have it clinched before taking the field in Pittsburgh in the season finale even though the Ravens currently trail the first-place Steelers (4-2) by three games.
"There's a guy named Lamar Jackson, who's probably going to come back to the lineup this week," Schwab said on “Yahoo! Sports Daily.” "The Ravens are going to beat the Steelers for that division. The Ravens are going to the playoffs, and the Ravens are going to be the team in January nobody wants to play."
Schwab predicted the Ravens' resurgence will begin with this Sunday's home game against the Chicago Bears.
"The Ravens are six-and-a-half-point favorites this week against the Bears. The oddsmakers haven't given up on the Ravens and neither have I," Schwab said. "I think this Ravens team is about to get really, really hot. I truly, honestly think, results be damned, this is a top 10 team in the NFL. I'm going to die on this hill.
"The Ravens are going to win on Sunday. The Steelers are gonna lose to the Packers. I think all of us would predict that. Then they're only two games behind the Steelers. They play the Steelers twice. They're going to beat the Steelers."
When "Yahoo! Sports Daily" co-host Caroline Fenton expressed skepticism about the Ravens overtaking the Steelers to win the division, Schwab doubled down, saying Baltimore will do so "easily."
The Ravens have a shot, but it's going to be difficult. They need to win nine of their 11 remaining games to reach 10 victories, which is widely viewed as the minimum number needed to reach the playoffs.
The Steelers' schedule gets tougher – five of their next six games are against teams with winning records – but anyone writing off a team that has never had a losing record in Mike Tomlin's 18 seasons as head coach does so at their own peril.
What Ravens Need to Do on Offense and Defense to Turn Their Season Around
The Baltimore Sun’s Josh Tolentino looked at what the Ravens need to do on each side of the ball to turn their season around.
The offense, which has scored a total of 13 points in the two games Jackson has been sidelined, obviously gets a huge boost when he returns from his hamstring injury, but Tolentino said having the two-time MVP on the field won't solve everything.
"His presence alone drastically shifts opposing defenses' game plans and provides the Ravens a real chance that they haven't felt or experienced since he limped off the field in Week 4. Jackson's return, though, can't be treated like a simple plug-and-play," Tolentino wrote. "[Offensive Coordinator Todd] Monken must use Jackson's return as an opportunity to reset and streamline the offense, to play faster and lean on the run game, and recapture the sense of unpredictability behind Jackson and Derrick Henry that makes Baltimore a potent offensive threat."
Regarding the defense, Tolentino said the unit needs to build on its encouraging performance in Week 6, when it held the explosive Los Angeles Rams offense to 17 points and 241 total yards.
"If this team is going to climb out of its hole, the defense needs to stack stellar performances," Tolentino wrote. "Consider Baltimore's 17-3 loss to the Rams in Week 6 as a step in the right direction. There were flashes of better tackling and tighter coverage, but the Ravens need to show more consistency, especially as key pieces, such as middle linebacker Roquan Smith, return to the starting lineup."
ESPN Writer Weighs in on Jackson's Contract Situation
The Ravens and Jackson have yet to finalize a deal on a contract extension, and ESPN’s Dan Graziano said it's the most interesting looming offseason quarterback contract situation.
"Because of the bonus structure in the extension he signed two years ago, Jackson's cap number balloons to $74.5 million in 2026," Graziano wrote. "Sure, the Ravens could do a restructure and knock that number down into the mid-$30 million range. But restructures just push a cap issue into future years, and you wonder if the better route is a new deal."
Graziano said one of the factors that makes the situation more interesting is that Jackson doesn't have an agent.
"If the Ravens have to renegotiate to get next year's cap number down but Jackson doesn't care to, there's no intermediary to work out those differences," Graziano wrote. "I imagine this all works out in the end, as it did last time. But you'll remember it got dicey the last time and obviously could again for a number of reasons."
