So, the 2024 NFL season is finally underway, and for the Baltimore Ravens, it wasn’t the start to the campaign that they were hoping for. The Maryland outfit headed to Arrowhead to face off against the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs in a repeat of last season’s AFC Championship game. Unfortunately, despite a late rally that might trigger an upset, the clash would have the same result, with Patrick Mahomes once again triumphing over Lamar Jackson by the barest of margins.
Deep into the fourth quarter with time ticking away, the Ravens found themselves on first and goal with time ticking away, trailing by seven points. With the final play of the game, the visitors thought they had tied things up when quarterback Jackson thought he had found Isaiah Likely in the back of the end zone as the clock expired. However, unfortunately for him, the tight end had a toe out of bounds, and the touchdown was disallowed.
That allowed the Chiefs to escape with a narrow victory, and now the latest Bovada NFL odds make the reigning champions a short-priced +475 favorite for a history-making this straight Lombardi. For the Ravens, however, it is back to the drawing board. But how has the team fared following their first defeat of the campaign in recent years? Does history show that they can bounce back with a bang?
Colts’ Upset in Week 3
Most recently the Ravens made a great start to the campaign, winning their first two games of the 2023 season with victories at home to the Houston Texans and on the road at their rival Cincinnati Bengals.
Shockingly, however, they came unstuck on week three, dropping a surprising overtime defeat to the Indianapolis Colts on home turf. This loss urged the team to scrutinize their offensive efficiency and defensive consistency, and they immediately returned to the win column.
With pivotal adjustments made focused on enhancing the offensive line’s protection schemes to give Jackson more time and space to operate, the Ravens secured a resounding 28-3 win against the divisional rival Cleveland Browns on week four.
They would then lose again on week five on the road at the Pittsburgh Steelers, before reeling off four straight victories to secure their spot at the summit of the AFC North. They would end the regular season as the AFC’s top seed, before losing to the Chiefs in the conference championship.
Early Season Blow by the Dolphins
In 2022, the Ravens faced an early defeat, losing in week 2 against a revitalized Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins. The pair embarked on an 80-point thriller which was ultimately won by the Floridians by a score of 42-38, highlighting vulnerabilities in Baltimore’s secondary. The team quickly addressed these issues by reinforcing their defensive backfield and focusing on communication and coverage adjustments.
Those changes reaped immediate rewards with a bounce-back victory against the New England Patriots, before another defeat against the Buffalo Bills in week four. Those inconsistent results were a sign of things to come.
By the end of week 13, they had a record of 8-4 however, an injury to Lamar Jackson in that game week clash against the Denver Broncos ended the former Louisville Cardinal’s season, and that spelled trouble for his team. They would lose three of their final five games before being eliminated in the wildcard round of the playoffs by Joe Burrow and his Bengals.
Opening Week Upset by the Raiders
In 2020, the Ravens were one of the stars of the show, emerging as a true powerhouse in the AFC thanks to the brilliance of quarterback Jackson. He led his side to the Divisional Round of the playoffs where his side ultimately had to bow out to Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. The following year, the Ravens were expected to continue their upward trajectory, but they were in for an almighty shock on week one of the new campaign.
Their season began with a shocking overtime loss to the lowly Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium, leaving the Ravens shell-shocked as to what went wrong. However, the setback catalyzed Jackson and Co. to reevaluate their game plan. The team responded by tightening their defensive cohesion and enhancing their offensive versatility, with key players like Mark Andrews and Marquise Brown stepping up to the plate.
The results were resounding. The Maryland side reeled off five straight victories following that opening-day upset, including beating the heavyweight Kansas City Chiefs by just one point in week two. Further defeats followed against the Bengals in week 7 and the Dolphins in week 11, but by the end of week 12, the Ravens were sitting pretty with a record of eight wins and three losses. From there, however, the wheels well and truly came off the bus.
The M&T Bank Stadium side proceeded to lose their final six games of the campaign, with four of those losses coming against divisional rivals. That resulted in them ending the season with a losing record and missing the playoffs altogether.
