The Ravens can punch their playoff ticket this weekend with some help.
Here's who Ravens fans should root for in Week 16:
Cincinnati Bengals (10-4) at New England Patriots (7-7)
Saturday, 1 p.m., CBS
A Patriots loss and Ravens win/tie would secure Baltimore's playoff spot. However, a Bengals win also would keep them in first place in the division. The Ravens have other ways into the playoffs. The best-case scenario for Baltimore would be a loss by the Dolphins against the Packers, which would also put Baltimore in the dance with a win/tie. If the Bengals lose and Ravens win, it's a tie atop the AFC North again. If the Bengals lose their next two games, which is a possibility with the Bills up next in Week 17, and the Ravens win their next two, Baltimore has the AFC North title locked up. While either result here isn't necessarily bad, let's hope for the best-case scenario.
Root for: Patriots
New Orleans Saints (5-9) at Cleveland Browns (6-8)
Saturday, 1 p.m., CBS
The Browns are technically still alive in the playoff chase and one of the Ravens' 10 playoff-clinching scenarios involves a Browns loss (or tie).
Root for: Saints
Houston Texans (1-12-1) at Tennessee (7-7)
Saturday, 1 p.m., CBS
This depends on who you would rather win the AFC South division title. The Jaguars (7-8) are knocking on the door as winners of three straight. Meanwhile, the Titans have lost four straight games, going from a runaway division leader to on the cusp of getting knocked out. The Jaguars beat the Ravens with a comeback win in Week 12 and are hot. But the Titans have a pedigree of success. Who is the better potential playoff matchup for Baltimore? Right now, it looks like the Titans.
Root for: Titans
Las Vegas Raiders (6-8) at Pittsburgh Steelers (6-8)
Saturday, 8:15 p.m., NFL Network
Both teams are hanging by a thread in the playoff chase. The Raiders have had some magic lately, winning four of their last five, including a wild walk-off last week against the Patriots. The Steelers would lock in their first losing season under Mike Tomlin with another defeat and would be feeling pretty good coming to Baltimore if they had back-to-back wins under their belt.
Root for: Raiders
Green Bay Packers (6-8) at Miami Dolphins (8-6)
Sunday, 1 p.m., FOX
If the Ravens and Patriots win on Saturday, all eyes will be on this game to see if it catapults Baltimore into the postseason. A Dolphins loss would do it. The Packers are coming off an impressive home win against the Rams, and they'll be quite happy going from the frozen tundra to warm Miami. The Packers have won two straight while the Dolphins have lost three in a row.
Root for: Packers
Los Angeles Chargers (8-6) at Indianapolis Colts (4-9-1)
Monday, 8:15 p.m.
This is a weird one because conventional wisdom would suggest a Chargers loss would be good since they are a wild-card threat. However, the Chargers could mess up tiebreaker scenarios for the Ravens if it came down to that. Baltimore would win a head-to-head tiebreaker if it somehow ended up in ties with the Jets and Patriots. A Chargers win actually increases the Ravens' playoff odds unless the Bolts lose out.
Root for: Chargers
