Pundits Predict Ravens' 2026 Record Following Schedule Release
Predicting the outcome of NFL games any given week during the season is a challenge. Predicting the outcome of every NFL game in May is absurd.
Of course, that doesn't stop pundits and fans from placing a "W" or "L" (does anyone put a "T?") next to each game on the schedule as soon as it's released. And why not? It's fun.
Here's a look at pundits' predictions for the Ravens' 2026 record:
WJZ’s Alex Glaze: 13-4, first in AFC North. "I think this team has an opportunity to do something special. I think that there are things you learn along your journey, there are scars that you learn from. And I think that this team has learned a lot of lessons over the last couple years. I think this is the year they get over the hump."
Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano: 12-5, first in AFC North. "It's been 28 years since the Baltimore Ravens suffered back-to-back losing seasons, and don't expect it to happen now that Jesse Minter has taken over for John Harbaugh. With a healthy Lamar Jackson, they are still the class of the AFC North. And they have a great chance to pad their record with games against teams from two of the NFL's weakest divisions (the NFC South and AFC South). More than half their games are against teams that missed the playoffs last year, and maybe only one — a road trip to Buffalo — is against an obvious Super Bowl contender. If they can avoid the slow start that's doomed them the last two seasons, this team has a shot to build a lot of momentum and hit the postseason on a roll."
The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec: 11-6, first in AFC North. "With a new head coach, three new coordinators and a number of roster changes, there's plenty of uncertainty with how the Ravens will fare in 2026. General Manager Eric DeCosta is also not done looking for upgrades and is still in search of a starting center, so this roster could still look a little different later in July. However, when Jackson has been healthy, the Ravens have contended. Minter's presence should mean an improved defense and the offensive line additions should correct some of the inconsistencies from last year. After last year's debacle, there's plenty of motivation at every level of the organization, too. Injuries are unpredictable, but if the Ravens stay relatively healthy, there's no reason that they shouldn't contend for the division and be a factor in the AFC playoff field."
Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer: Over 10.5 wins, first in AFC North. "The Ravens should return to roost with Jesse Minter replacing John Harbaugh [while] coming from Jim Harbaugh. Minter will get the defense closer to usual standards, while Lamar Jackson benefits from another dynamic offensive change."
Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame: 10-7, first in AFC North. "Baltimore is coming off an 8–9 season, but if Lamar Jackson is healthy, this group should be better despite key free-agent losses, including center Tyler Linderbaum and tight end Isaiah Likely, as well as the firing of longtime coach John Harbaugh. Everything could be determined late, with four divisional games to close the campaign."
Here are some additional record predictions, sans comments:
ESPN’s Mike Clay: 11-6
The Lounge #923: Reaction to Ravens' 2026 Schedule Release
Team insiders Ryan Mink and Garrett Downing share their biggest takeaways from the Ravens' 2026 schedule, including the toughest stretch, surprising twists, and game of the year. Plus, they hold the annual travel draft.
Takeaways from Ravens' Schedule
Here's a look at more pundit takeaways from the Ravens schedule:
Bold prediction: The Ravens go on an early tear to begin 6-0, which would mark the best start in franchise history.
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley: "This is easily the softest part of the schedule. Baltimore's first six opponents (the Colts, Saints, Cowboys, Titans, Falcons and Browns) had losing records and were a combined 37-64-1 (.369) in 2025. This tear would represent a turnaround from last season, when the Ravens struggled early and began 1-5, tying the worst start in team history."
The Ravens have the third-most favorable schedule.
NFL.com’s Nick Shook: "New coach Jesse Minter will have to hit the road to start the season but will do so against a Colts team that will either be playing Daniel Jones in his first game back from an Achilles tear or a backup QB. New Orleans visits Baltimore in Week 2, then the Ravens head south to Rio de Janeiro to face the Cowboys, making for an ideal opening trio of games. They then host the Titans, visit Atlanta and Cleveland, and then return home to meet Cincinnati, which represents another advantageous stretch of contests. The schedule increases in difficulty in the second half, but Baltimore never spends more than two consecutive weeks away from home throughout the entire season.
"Three of the Ravens' final five games will take place in the friendly confines of M&T Bank Stadium, including a regular-season finale against Pittsburgh, the matchup that determined the AFC North champion a year ago. The biggest hurdle might be their Week 13 bye, a much-needed late break that follows five consecutive contests against 2025 playoff teams (Bills, Jaguars, Chargers, Panthers, Texans), but good news exists there, too: Two of those five matchups will be held in prime time at home, where the Ravens can be especially difficult to defeat."
Ravens will need to finish strong to win the AFC North.
Hensley: "Baltimore ends the regular season with four straight games against divisional opponents: at Pittsburgh, home against Cleveland, at Cincinnati and home against the Steelers. This marks the first time in the Ravens' 31-year history that they will close a season with four consecutive games against division opponents. Jackson often excels at this point of the season, going 7-4 (.636) in his career against AFC North teams in December and January while throwing 19 touchdowns and six interceptions."
Biggest game: at Buffalo Bills, Week 8
Shaffer: "Could it be anyone else? The Ravens and Bills are the AFC's early Super Bowl favorites. Quarterbacks Josh Allen and Jackson have won two of the past three NFL Most Valuable Player awards. Both front offices made big swings in the offseason, with the Ravens signing pass rusher Trey Hendrickson and Buffalo trading for wide receiver DJ Moore. The Bills have won four of the past five meetings in the series, including back-to-back games decided in the final 90 seconds. The Ravens won just once in six tries at the old Highmark Stadium; now they'll get a shot at starting over in the new Highmark Stadium. It's all 'Game of the Year'-type material, even if it's not slotted for primetime."
CBS Sports’ John Breech: "You're talking about a game that can have serious impact on playoff seeding. The winner of this game would take a giant step ahead because now you have tiebreakers over the other team. They did play that wild game last year, but this is going to be two teams that look completely different going into this season because we have Joe Brady as the head coach in Buffalo, Jesse Minter as the new head coach in Baltimore. So I want to see what those coaches look like going up against each other."
Toughest game: at Houston Texans (Week 12)
The Baltimore Sun’s Brian Wacker: "The last time these two met, the game was a wrap by halftime, with the Texans jumping to a 24-3 lead and rolling to a 44-10 wipeout in Baltimore last October. The Ravens were also without several starters, including Jackson. Even if Baltimore is healthy for this one, though, Houston is an ascendant team that is loaded on defense with Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter dominating the edges, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair in the middle, Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter at cornerback and Jalen Pitre at nickel and Calen Bullock at safety. On offense, quarterback C.J. Stroud continues his rise and is bolstered by receivers Nico Collins and Tank Dell, along with a revamped offensive line. Houston will be a contender in the AFC."
Must-watch game: vs. Los Angeles Chargers, Week 10
Zrebiec: "The prominent storyline will be Minter facing his former team. However, don't discount how badly Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh will want to beat the Ravens after they abruptly fired his brother in January. The Chargers' roster and front office is loaded with people with Ravens ties. A 'Monday Night Football' audience will be treated to a matchup between two teams built in similar fashions."
One game the Ravens can't afford to lose: vs. Bengals, Week 7
Zrebiec: "After Week 6 and 7 matchups with the Browns and Bengals, the Ravens will go nearly two months without seeing another AFC North opponent. That puts pressure on them to protect their home field in the first meeting against the Bengals and get off to a good start within the division.
Making the game even more pressing, the Ravens' next five games after the Bengals matchup are against the Bills, Jaguars, Chargers, Panthers and Texans. All five made the playoffs last year. Dropping a home divisional game before that stretch could be problematic."
Joe Burrow Gets His Wish With Home Primetime Game Against Ravens
Joe Burrow asked and he received.
When last year's schedule release revealed that Cincinnati would play in Baltimore in primetime for the fourth year in a row, the Bengals quarterback said: "[It] isn't ideal. Maybe we can get one of those in Cincinnati next year. Please."
Whether or not Burrow's plea was a factor in the decision, the schedule makers put the Week 17 Ravens-Bengals game in Cincinnati on New Year's Eve in primetime.
"Burrow may have had a good reason to publicize that trend, as the Bengals went 1-3 in those prime-time contests," Yahoo! Sports’ Chris Cwik wrote. "Cincinnati managed to win that game in 2025 — which occurred on Thanksgiving — but lost its previous three prime-time games vs. the Ravens."
The Ravens have not fared as well in night games in Cincinnati.
"The Ravens have never won a primetime game in Cincinnati, losing under the lights there in 2006, 2007 and 2018," Hensley wrote. "But Baltimore is looking to end that streak with Jackson, who is 5-0 as a starter in Cincinnati."
Those trends aside, Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr included the matchup of AFC North rivals on his list of the best 11 games this season.
"The Bengals and Ravens in a New Year's Eve game could essentially be a win-and-in scenario similar to the Ravens-Steelers matchup last year," Orr wrote. "Cincinnati was one of my most clearly improved teams this offseason, and I think its rotational pass rush will challenge a newly rebuilt Ravens offensive line.
"Plus, there is always the possibility that new Raven Trey Hendrickson punishes a team he has long harbored some resentment toward, given how his contract situation with the Bengals ended. Baltimore will be worth watching all season, having changed head coaches for the first time in nearly two decades, but this will be a crucial late-season test outlining how the experiment is going through 16 games."
Mike Florio: Mike Tomlin's Assessment of Ravens and Jackson Will Be 'Must-See TV'
Former Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin's new gig is as an analyst on NBC's "Football Night in America," and he'll be on hand for the Ravens' game at the Atlanta Falcons in Week 5.
"Tomlin's assessment of the Ravens and quarterback Lamar Jackson promises to be must-see TV," Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio said. "That opinion is based on just a few minutes of hearing Tomlin talk during an 'FNIA' planning meeting on Monday about the challenge of defending Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, along with other things Tomlin believes Jackson needs to do as he gets closer to his 30th birthday.
"I'll defer the details to Tomlin. But his comments riveted the room. In general, you won't want to miss anything Tomlin says before any Sunday night game. You definitely will not want to miss what he has to say during the pregame show before Jackson and the Ravens face the Falcons in Week 5."
