There's Stiil Hope Because the AFC is Weak

[vmax]

But they have to win Sunday and turn things around.

 

 

Baltimore (4-5) is one game out of the No. 6 and final postseason spot in the AFC, trailing the Cincinnati Bengals (5-4), Tennessee Titans (5-4) and Miami Dolphins (5-5). The Ravens hold the head-to-head tiebreaker advantage over the Titans and play host to the Bengals on Sunday.

It feels like the Ravens are anything but a playoff contender, given the current circumstances. Baltimore has lost four of its past five games, including three in a row.....The Ravens can rest their hopes on something more than inner conviction. Baltimore's chances of reaching the postseason is 36.1 percent, according to ESPN's Power Football Index. Among the teams contending for that No. 6 spot in the AFC, only the Titans (43 percent) have a better projected playoff chance than Baltimore.

The reality of this playoff picture is the final playoff team in the AFC is going to be flawed and a huge dropoff from the Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans and Los Angeles Chargers.

The Bengals have a historically bad defense. The Titans have one of the NFL's worst offenses. And the Dolphins are starting Brock Osweiler at quarterback......The Ravens have also shown the ability to rebound in November and December.....Could the Ravens have another run in them this year? Baltimore's remaining strength of schedule ranks No. 27, which is the sixth-easiest in the league.

This year, the Ravens' biggest remaining challenges are Sunday's home game against the Bengals and road trips to Atlanta (4-5), Kansas City (9-1) and the Los Angeles Chargers (7-2). But Baltimore also has home games left with the Oakland Raiders (1-8), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-6) and Cleveland Browns (3-6-1).....http://www.espn.com/blog/baltimore-ravens/post/_/id/47211/ravens-somehow-in-playoff-hunt-despite-no-wins-in-29-days

 

[papasmurfbell]

https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/standings/

Ten and Indy are surging. The Ravens better get off their ass soon or they will be 5 back.

[vmax]

I'll add this: the Ravens defense may not be as weak as we think. They did hold the Saints to 24 points and the Steelers to 23.

The Saints put up 51 Sunday and the Steelers 52 Thursday night.

 

The Ravens still remain a flawed, inconsistent team. Special Teams has been a big let down. And of course the offense....

If they have to start Lamar Sunday...???...well, I don't know what to think of their chances of winning. The Bengals may not be able to adapt to him and their defense went south Sunday along with their DC.

 

This came after the Bengals became the first team in the Super Bowl Era to give up 500 yards in three straight games and are on pace to give up the most yards in NFL history....They didn't stop the Saints on Sunday from scoring on any of their nine possessions before taking a knee in field goal range to end the game in the 51-14 loss.....https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/bengals/2018/11/12/cincinnati-bengals-fire-defensive-coordinator-teryl-austin/1975454002/

Edited November 12, 2018 by vmax

[varaven45]

We could get shut out or put up 30 neither of which would shock me. But with the way Marvin has Joes number laying an egg wouldnt surprise me. All the more reason to stick in Lamar !

[papasmurfbell]

Honestly the Ravens might be better off with Lamar rookie and all going against Marvin.