Should we expect the (3-2) Ravens to earn a spot in the playoffs this season? The early indications are good as the team prepares to take on the Tennessee Titans on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The trip across the Atlantic Ocean might have come at a bad time, given the recent loss to AFC North rivals the Pittsburgh Steelers by the score of 17-10. But, it might have also come at a good time as the Titans are (2-3) on the year themselves.
Playoffs are never a guarantee
However, it is important for teams not to get too far ahead of themselves. a Baltimore Ravens fan, the playoffs are never guaranteed. Even when the Ravens do make the playoffs, fans are often left disappointed. The Ravens haven’t been able to perform their best when it matters most.
Take last year’s debacle as a prime example. The Ravens secured a Wildcard spot, after going (10-7) during the 2022 season and enjoyed a return to the postseason after missing out the year before when they post an (8-9) mark. However, they came out on the short end of a 24-17 game in Cincinnati.
If we look at the franchise’s recent history, playoff success has been few and far between. Since winning Super Bowl XLVII against the San Francisco 49ers in February 2013, the Ravens have won just two playoff games. They have only appeared in five postseasons since then, too, with encounters in 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022. Those wins were in the 2014 and 2020 Wildcard games.
More of the same or something different for the Ravens this year?
While even the most die-hard of fans may be optimistic about the chances of the organization this year, there will be questions about how far the franchise will be able to go this season and whether they will be playoff participants.
There are some that have suggested that Baltimore is overpriced and overvalued when it comes to the betting markets. According to 32red bet, the Ravens are priced at +900 to be the AFC Champions this season, behind the Kansas City Chiefs (+250), the Buffalo Bills (+450) and the Miami Dolphins (+450). While fans still have faith, there are prognosticators who contend that such aspirations are a little too optimistic.
It has been argued that John Harbaugh & Co. have been lucky and not overly impressive this season, aside from the Week 4 28-3 defeat of the Cleveland Browns. The other games have either ended in defeat, or we have had a slice of fortune to win, with scheduling luck involved. Nonetheless, a win is a win, and that’s all that really matters.
Tough 2023 NFL schedule remains
Moving forward, there are huge doubts about how many more wins the Ravens can put up on the board. The schedule certainly looks tough, especially as many of the teams that they’re set to face are all doing well. Of the 12 games still to play, there are seven that can be considered to be extremely hard.
Games against the Detroit Lions (4-1), Seattle Seahawks (3-1), Cincinnati Bengals (2-3), Los Angeles Chargers (2-2), Jacksonville Jaguars (3-2), San Francisco 49ers (5-0) and the Miami Dolphins (4-1) are all still to be played, thus potentially creating the route to the playoffs one that will be extremely tough to navigate.
Of course, a lot can change between now and when those games are all played, with football being a sport that can change on a daily basis. The Ravens may have players who step up as expected, while their opponents may fall off the edge of a cliff in terms of their own performances after solid starts.
Will the Ravens make the 2023 NFL playoffs?
Naturally, we would like to be optimistic and think that Baltimore has a solid chance of being in the mix, but as we know with the Ravens, nothing is a guarantee, and the NFL playoffs can sometimes look like a reach at one minute and then not, a moment later.
The bookmakers appear to like the Ravens’ chances despite the tough schedule ahead. And if their confidence is anything to go by, then perhaps Lamar Jackson will make a return to the playoffs. If they do, hopefully, it will be a lot more successful than their most recent trips to the postseason dance.
One Response
You are talking playoffs? At this point of the season the focus should be on whether this team can play with consistency which they haven’t shown and that was against some poor teams. Until this team can do that and not crumble when things get tough, there is no reason for Raven fans to pin their hopes on this team for the playoffs.