The Ravens missed out on clinching a playoff spot Sunday, but they could still earn their fifth straight trip to the postseason this weekend.
They just need a little help to do so.
The Ravens will become the only team to reach the playoffs for the last five seasons if they take down the Washington Redskins, and either Pittsburgh (playing San Diego) or Cincinnati (playing Dallas) loses.
Here's a complete look at what needs to happen for the Ravens to clinch a playoff spot on Sunday:
Baltimore can clinch a playoff berth with:
1) BAL win PIT loss or tie OR
2) BAL win CIN loss or tie OR
3) BAL tie PIT CIN loss
The Ravens could also potentially wrap up the AFC North race this weekend.
If the Ravens win, and Pittsburgh and Cincinnati both lose, then the Ravens will repeat at as AFC North champions.
"We have an opportunity to accomplish our first and foremost objective – I wouldn't say our most important objective – but the first objective on the agenda, which is to win the division," Head Coach John Harbaugh said Sunday. "That's something that we need to do."
Regardless of what happens this weekend, the Ravens will win the AFC North if they are able to win two of their final four games to finish the season 11-5. The Steelers and Bengals are both 7-5, so they can't finish any better than 11-5.
At worst, if the Ravens finish 11-5 they would be 4-2 in the division and 8-4 in the conference, which would give them the division tiebreaker over Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.
"We need to get to 11 wins to [win the division]," Harbaugh said. "It would have been 11 either way with Cincinnati having won, so that hasn't changed. The idea of the highest seeding that we can get in the playoffs is still in front of us, too, so we're going to be working hard to get those things done."
